| Be aware that books are graded according to the COLLECTIBILITY of the book. My grading conditions are:
New often called Very Fine
This is the highest grade given to any copy. It describes a crisp, fresh copy and admits to no flaws. Other terms used for this condition may be mint or as new.
Fine
This is a copy that is without visible flaws, but may lack the crispness and freshness of the Very Fine copy. Any minor faults to the book or the dust jacket must be noted. On eBay this condition is referred to as Like New.
Very Good
This is the most common grade that I use in grading books. A Very Good copy is no longer fresh. It has been handled and shows some signs of wear, but is still an appealing copy. Flaws commonly found are owner's signatures, bookplates, remainder marks, price-clipping of the dust jacket or bookstore stamps, all of which must be noted. Also defects such as tears, chips and scuffs, rubbing, are stated.
Good
Booksellers should tell you that "Good is not good." It is the lowest grade that can be given to a collectible copy. It is whole, but has some major defects or an accumulation of minor defects that prevents it from being graded higher. Commonly the dust jacket may have some open tears, there may some water stains to book or the spine could be tilted. Another term for a weak Good is Fair.
Acceptable
This is one of the terms used for books that are NOT in a collectible condition. I do not claim as a First Edition a book that is graded Acceptable. It is only a reading copy. A book that has been more or less destroyed by a library(that is what libraries do), can not be considered collectible. You should run(with your mouse) to the nearest exit when you see that a bookseller has stated First Edition for an ex-library copy. All the common book selling venues have booksellers who may have never even read a book unless they had to for school or work. We can only blame ignorance and greed for their unacceptable practices.
Note that I may sometimes use grades in between the grades stated above. Sometimes I may give a combination grade to book and dust jacket or may grade both the book and the jacket. Most of the above is paraphrased from FIRSTS magazine, a magazine I highly recommend to any book collector.
If you have any questions about the grade I have assigned to a book before or after you purchase the book, do not hesitate to ask.Visit My eBay Store: AtlasBooks | 
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