Inventory: 0
Points: 21.5
Mooched/given: 1275/1034
Pending mooch/give: 0/0
Mooch ratio: 1.38:1

Wishlist: 503
Feedback: +1031
Smooches: 8
Charitable gifts: 19
Charity received: 10
Friends: 22
Cancelled requests: 57
Books receiving lost: 20
Books sending lost: 6
Rejected requests: 10

Will send: ask if not to my country
Joined: 2006/09/13
Last here: 1183 days ago
(possibly inactive)
Country: United States

Books in inventory: 0

INVENTORY >

Status message:
I now list all newly acquired books at Paperback Swap, I need the points there more then here as I have been finding more books there on my want list. (Gary F. (faut)).

First if you ask for a book and get an email saying you have to fill out a form its wrong. I get your request anyway just ignore it.

I am cutting down on trips to the post office to once a week. Exceptions will be made if I have larger or more numerous Mooches. As to grading books on condition, I'm pretty strict when grading my books so when you see some listed as VG- take a chance. If you are a collector, stay away from my VG-'s as I do not consider anything under VG as worth keeping with the exceptions of placeholders. No complaints or comments yet from those who have. Oh, except for one jerk that always expects perfect, like-new books. The following grading comments are mainly gradings used for paperbacks For Collectors.

"On Grading: For Vintage Paperbacks"

"FINE (F)

This should he the highest grade for a collectible paperback. This is, essentially, an "as-new "book. It will have white pages, no spine roll, no cover creases, no cover fading or tears, strong and tight binding, absolutely no loose pages or loose cover, and no cover marking or writing of any kind. There will not even be the normal or general wear that is seen on most books of the vintage era. A Fine condition book was probably never read, or might have been read just once very carefully and then put away. There will be no defects on a book in this condition.

This condition is uncommon in paperbacks of the vintage era (1939-1965) Collectors of books of this era must often accept a lower grade book such as an F- (with one or two very minor defects), a VG+, or a VG copy because the supply of actual F copies is so limited.

Paperbacks from the 1970s onward, because of their relative recent publication, often higher print runs, and better distribution, are required by most collectors to be in a minimum of Fine or F- condition. Most of the books from this later and more recent era are available in these higher grades.

Generally, paperbacks of the 1960s fall into an in-between area. Too few reference books or price guides have adequately addressed the books from this decade so some information and pricing can he sketchy, but this decade already contains many hotly sought after books. The 1970s and 1980s offer prime areas for future paperback collectibles. There are many hidden gems lying out there, especially in the lower-end publishers such as Zebra, Manor, and others. Just remember, the better the condition, the better the book will hold its value or even enhance its value.

VERY GOOD (VG)

This grade, with its gradations of VG+ and VG- (also ABT VG, about VG, or Solid VG), takes in a lot of territory. The main thing to remember here is that this is the minimum condition acceptable most collectors and dealers will accept for a collectible book. The only exception to this may be on some of the high-priced "key" editions. These are often used as "fillers" until a better grade of book comes along to replace it in the collection. Dealers usually stay away from anything in less than Solid VG condition.

VG condition books often have a variety of minor defects, or even one of two more major defects. These can include almost everything not allowed as a defect in a FINE condition book (listed above). Paperbacks in VG will always be complete books, there will be no missing cover (also including back cover), no loose cover or pages, nor any missing interior pages. The book will be complete and readable.

A VG- book may show signs of regluing, excessive wear in spots, such as the spine, a small cover hole or tear(s), cover writing, stronger spine roll, or larger reading crease. Defects on a VG- book will be more pronounced than on a VG book.

There are a variety of defects in VG condition books. These should be relatively minor flaws but there may be up to three or four of them. Taken as a whole, the defects should in no way equal more than any one major defect. Other defects can include: overall general wear, light scuffing to book spine or edges, or minor scuffing on the cover, a minor cover crease or two, or one large cover crease that will be the only defect (and a major one at that!), a sticker on the cover that can be carefully removed, a bookstore stamp inside, a previous owner's plate on the inside. There can be a slight spine roll, a remainder cut, a small tear (not a disaster if not on the front cover), a torn interior page, a small reading crease, very light warping or a back cover stain (a front cover stain would mar the cover art and bring the book down to a VG- or a G). One or two of these defects could easily bring the book down to a VG-, while more severe wear or damage will cause it to drop to a mere G copy. In many cases, since the cover art is often so important to the collectibility of any book, anything that mars or damages the cover or the cover art (even a minor defect) can often seriously affect the collectibility and value of that book.

GOOD (G)

First, while the term is called Good, that does not mean it is a "good book" for collectors. It's not. Books in this grade, while complete, are often far too heavily worn or damaged for any serious collector (or investor/collector) to include as a permanent part of his or her collection. Some collectors do keep some Good condition copies as fillers (especially on key books that are rare or highly expensive) or as reading copies, or just because a better grade copy of that book might be so scarce or too expensive. The collector may not want to, or may not be able to, pay for a better copy. It all depends. Collectors, like everyone else, have their budgets, and a successful collector will adhere to that budget carefully. For some collectors who do not care about condition (and there are plenty of these), Good copies are a very inexpensive way to obtain copies of books that may be otherwise unattainable. People on limited budgets or fixed incomes often collect Good copies; some compietist collectors accept Good copies in their collections. Some old-time collectors who actually read all the books and love them as fans and readers, collect Good condition copies. They care more about what is inside the book than the way it looks. What a concept!

There is nothing wrong with any of this. However when, or if, it comes time to sell your books(perish the thought, no true collector can conceive of such a day!), it will be a lot easier and you'll be able to make a more lucrative deal if you're selling a VG or VG+ condition collection versus a Good collection. The harsh truth is that you may not even be able to sell a collection of Good condition books to a dealer. You might have to eventually give many of the books away, or worse and perish this thought, throw the books away. It's all too terrible to contemplate but if all your books are in this low grade (essentially fillers or reading copies), the only solace might be that you probably paid next to nothing for them in the first place. If that's so, at least you've read and enjoyed the books, and had the pleasure of owning them for a time. When it comes time to pass them on to another, you'll find you're still ahead of the game. My one caveat is just don't expect to make a killing when you put books in this low-end condition on the market.

There are many good reasons why people collect Good condition copies, and there is nothing wrong with collecting books in this grade. They're just not items that will appreciate in value. If you can live with that as a collector then Good copies can be a real bargain and
a great source of reading and collecting pleasure." - Collecting SF And Fantasy, Gary Lovisi"

Bio:
A Sci-Fi addict who can't stop buying or Mooching books. Currently listing my extra copies bought by mistake, downgrades and dupes, (not to say that there is anything wrong with them. I'm always on the lookout for better conditioned books.) I'm currently very interested in finding Belmont, Signet and Ace Doubles. If you have any of these Doubles, please contact me. Please help me get todays fix and mooch a couple of books.