Below are the grading standards used when grading items that are listed in our Ebay store. We are confident that our grading system best serves the needs of the collectors who rely on us to determine the most appropriate values and prices of our goods.

Should you receive an item that you believe is not properly graded, please contact us and report the problem. We will gladly work out a solution that meets your needs and concerns. Please note that unauthorized returns are returned at the sender's own expense.

Condition
There are 8 basic conditions that a piece could fall under: mint, near mint, very fine, fine, very good, good, fair, and poor.

Mint (MT)
Nearly perfect in every way. Only the subtlest defects are allowed. Item is flat with no surface wear. Colors are bright with high reflectivity and minimal fading. For paper item it is cut square and sharp. Staples are generally centered, clean with no rust. Item is generally well centered and firmly secured to interior pages (if applicable). Paper is supple and fresh. Spine is tight and flat (if applicable). For all other items it is clean and undamaged, edges are crisp without chips. No warping or other defects outside that received from light handling.

Near Mint (NM)
Nearly perfect with only minor imperfections allowed. An item with this grade should have no corner or impact creases, nearly invisible stress marks (if any), and no bindery tears larger than 1/16 of an inch (for paper items). A couple of very tiny color flecks - or a combination of the above - keeps the item from being perfect, making its overall eye appeal less than Mint and dropping it into this grade. Only the most subtle defects are allowed. item is flat with no surface wear. Colors are bright with high reflectivity and minimum of fading. For paper items the corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. Staples are generally centered, and are clean with no rust. Item is centered and firmly secured to interior pages (if applicable). Paper is supple and like new. Spine is tight and flat (if applicable). For other items it may only show the faintest marks of normal use. Very fair bright marks or rub. Slight imperfections in finish quality. No Rust or corrosion of any kind.

Very Fine (VF)
An item graded Very Fine is an excellent item with outstanding eye appeal. For paper items it is sharp, bright, and clean with supple pages. Item is relatively flat with almost no surface wear. Colors are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. Staples may show some discoloration. Spine may have a couple of almost insignificant transverse stress lines and is almost completely flat. A barely unnoticeable quarter of an inch crease is acceptable, if color is not broken. Pages and covers can be yellowish/tarnish (but not brown), although most item of this grade have An color of off-white to white. For all other items it may show normal use but not abused. No cracks or other structural defects. Metal work may be slightly tarnished or discolored. No missing parts or faulty parts. Item must still perform exactly as it did when new.

Fine (FN)
An item in Fine condition is in above-average condition. Paper items may shows minor wear but are still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Eye appeal is somewhat reduced because of slight surface wear to the item. The item may have a small defect such as a few slight cross stress marks on its spine, or a very slight spine split (quarter of an inch). An Item in Fine condition appears to have been read a few times, and has been handled with moderate care. Compared to a Very Fine copy, a Fine-graded item colors are beginning to show a significant reduction in reflectivity, but it is still a highly collectible and desirable. Its pages and interior covers may be tan, but they must still be fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. All other items must be fully functional but may show signs of continued use. metal work may have slight wear spots but not worn completely. Usually an item in Fine condition could be considered in 90% of its original condition.

Very Good (VG)
The average used item. An item in this grade shows some wear and can have a reading or center crease, as well as a moderately rolled spine, but has not accumulated enough total defects to reduce eye appeal to the point that it is no longer a desirable copy. Some discoloration, fading, and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a quarter-inch triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge. A missing square piece (1/8 inch by 1/8 inch) is also acceptable. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Cover and interior pages can have some minor tears and folds, and the centerfold may be detached at one staple. The cover may also be loose, but not completely detached. Common bindery and printing defects do not affect the grade. Pages and inside covers may be brown but not brittle. Tape should never be used for repair; however, many Very Good- condition item have minor tape repair. All other items in good working condition and complete with normal everyday use could be considered in this grade. Please note however that it still much be a prime example to qualify and in 80% to 89% of its original condition.

Good (G) or (GD)
An item in this grade has all pages and covers, although there may be small pieces missing inside; the largest piece allowed from front or back cover is a half-inch triangle or a quarter-inch square. Items in this grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, and may have as much as a two-inch split on the spine, but are still completely readable. Often, the paper quality for a Good-graded item is low but not brittle. Cover reflectivity is low, and in some cases, completely absent. This grade can have a moderate accumulation of defects but still maintains its basic structural integrity. For all other items this grade may include repairs done properly but still not original to the item. It must be in working condition but may be missing parts to complete it. Example (power cords or other attachments such as accessories or any other item that may or may not have come with it originally).

Fair (FR)
An item in this grade is usually soiled, ragged, and possibly unattractive. Paper items may have creases, tears and/or folds are prevalent in an item of this grade. Spine may be split up to two-thirds of its entire length. Staples may be gone. Up to one-tenth of the front cover may be missing. These items are readable, although soiling, staining, tears, markings, or chunks of pages missing. Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because items in lesser condition are usually defaced and/or brittle. Very often, the paper quality of a Fair-graded item is low and may have slight brittleness around the edges but not in the central portions of the pages. All other items in this grade are considered restorable or good for parts. They still hold a desirable quality about them that some collectors may find appealing. This is usually the lowest possible grade for an item we offer unless its collect ability and or rarity qualify it for consideration by our staff.

Poor (PR)
Most items in this grade have been sufficiently degraded to the point that copies may have extremely severe stains, brittleness, mildew, and/or moderate to heavy cover abrasions to the point that some cover inks are indistinct, if not absent. Items in this grade can have small chunks missing and pieces out of pages. They may have been defaced with paints, varnishes, glues, oil, indelible markers or dyes. Covers may be split the entire length of the item, but both halves must be present with only some chunks of it missing. All other items in this grade and still offered for sale in out store could be considered rare or highly collectable. We usually shy away from poor quality items unless they are so uncommon that they hold a value in the eyes of a collector. We do not list anything that could be considered below this grade regardless of rarity.