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May 17, 2022 08:22
I am completely in camp Harry56, catacrumpie and Thorgal57. Recently I sold a book in good condition with some flaws (explained by me and two photos included) and I received the feedback from the buyer "thanks for the rare album in mint condition". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

To be honest, I don't think the condition description as René copied it in this thread (I know this list, and follow it for the most part) doesn't match the estimation collectors have instinctively about these words. Staple holes are a much bigger problem to me than a name on an endpaper, but they both lead to the 'disqualification' fair condition. I don't think that's realistic.

Another pain point is this comment from René

it doesn't matter how old the comic is.

A hobbyhorse that I have already ridden in these discussions: what on earth is new in books that are 60 years old? What does a buyer/collector reasonably expect from this? Paper simply ages, book blocks of Spirou collections sagging if you put them upright on the shelf, etc.

An average collector / visitor who is involved in the material, may have a first edition of this book 3 times in his life the Red Fathers (Guus Slim) in his hands. A rare book, rarely to be found in beautiful condition. Then you realize: knowing the market, this is the most beautiful example I've ever seen. Then it is strange if you cannot call it good condition on the basis of the simple fact that it contains a name. (Nota bene: this book in good condition is worth a lot more than 75 euros, so then it becomes auction work, but hopefully you get my point.)

When I poke around in the shops of fellow sellers I do see , as Dieter points out, many comics that do not have the correct qualification based on the condition list. (Something that I can only judge, by the way, if pictures are shown!)

Then I can do two things: notify the providers that their condition is not properly labeled (I have a day job on that) or decide don't buy the book.

Pictures solve many problems. Not Dieter's problem of pricing, as a starting seller, but if Dieter is one of the few sellers who does display photos and his colleagues higher in the algorithm do not, his books will really be sold.

I regularly sell booklets that other shops also offer (or cheaper), because I always take pictures and the others don't. And if defects such as names are honestly stated, everyone knows where they stand.


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Rene
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May 17, 2022 09:12
A hobbyhorse that I have already ridden in these discussions: what on earth is new in books that are 60 years old? What does a buyer/collector reasonably expect from this? Paper just ages, book blocks from Spirou collections sag when you put them upright on the shelf, etc. 
Comics of that age in new condition are of course extremely rare, but they do exist. Think of the stocks of old hardcover Tintins that were found that had never been exposed to daylight. Some had some minor sliding damage ("near mint") but others were really in mint condition.
The fact that very old comics in mint condition are extremely rare doesn't mean they can't pop up and if they do show up they should can be provided with mint condition, to distinguish them from their lesser congeners sucazel 

Staple holes are in my opinion a much bigger problem than a name on an endpaper

A small name could indeed be discussed. The only problem is: where do you draw the line with written texts?

I regularly sell booklets that other shops also offer (or cheaper), because I always take pictures and the others don't. And if defects such as names are honestly stated, everyone knows where they stand.

That's the best thing to do.
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May 17, 2022 09:22
The explanation of the conditions used is included with the catalog value, but when you enter an item in your Shop, you are not referred to those definitions. That might make sense, as a reminder.

Good point Boekenmagazijn 
I put it on our todo list.


Incidentally, I also find the descriptions at Boeken very strict. Mint is always new, but a name on an endpaper does not necessarily reduce an older book from good to fair, as far as I'm concerned.

I see that texts on the (comic) book are especially sensitive. Where would you draw the line here? A humble name on the endpaper can still be good condition? But what if it was put on the cover? And what if a child has put his name in the book very large?
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May 17, 2022 09:29
But I notice with many topics that if you open something you quickly get a lid on your nose, Rene knows me well enough, I thought, but then being pontifically put in a corner that goes a long way.

I think we all really appreciate your contributions Harry56 !
So don't hesitate to join the discussion.
The point is that we will never be finished with this subject, but that does not mean that we cannot improve anything, such as perhaps better defining when written text in a (comic) book always leads to a reasonable state and when not.

I personally think that Mint condition, Near mint condition and Bad condition are very clearly defined. The boundary between Good condition and Fair condition is more open to interpretation.
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  • 55 messages
  • May 17, 2022 10:43
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May 17, 2022 10:43
A possible classification to give a concrete answer to your question, René, based on a comic book that has no further visible defects:

pencil prices: can simply be near new condition, that is how they were sold in the store in the past
name in pencil on flyleaf: may simply be good condition, must be mentioned (or photo)
name in ballpoint pen on flyleaf / cover: fair condition, must be mentioned (or photo)
colored endpapers ( Tintin eg), felt-tip splatter, random scratch: bad condition 
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May 17, 2022 10:51
Thanks sucazel !

And a modest name in ballpoint / fountain pen on the endpaper can never be in good condition again?
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May 17, 2022 11:06
For the 1 it is a problem if someone else's name is in the album for the other it doesn't matter at all.
For me a name mention in an album in good condition is no problem and it can certainly still be in good condition I think it's a bad thing to put a nice album with a name under the same denominator as an ex-library or ex-reading folder
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  • May 17, 2022 11:39
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May 17, 2022 11:39
And a modest name in ballpoint / fountain pen on the endpaper can never be in good condition again?

I don't have a problem with it myself, but I can imagine that it makes sense to make a difference between pencil (which can be erased, does not bleed through) and ballpoint / fountain pen (sometimes bleeds through, cannot be removed).
In the same category: what to do with price stickers on the cover? Just like with pencil prices, I never remove them (you never know if that just makes the problem worse). In the past, comics were sold with a price sticker as standard in some stores.

I know of luxury numbered HC editions that were only sold at a fair, but with a price sticker on it. So all 75 copies have had that. Then isn't that just news?
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May 17, 2022 12:11
Idd discussion old vs new comics good vs fair condition. You can sometimes erase pencil. Mine have name in stylo vs pencil. In the past I sometimes also wrote a price on the cover and I also see number indications a lot.
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May 17, 2022 12:41
I know of luxury numbered HC editions that were only sold at a fair, but with a price sticker on it. All 75 copies have had that. Then isn't that just news?

If they were issued like this, it seems like new condition to me sucazel 
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May 17, 2022 13:02
What I miss in the condition (mainly because this is visually imperceptible) is the smoke smell, I happened to come across a book at a thrift store yesterday and it looked like new condition, I opened the book and immediately came to me towards the pungent smell of cigarette smoke, for me a book that looks new and smells like that is in bad condition.
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May 17, 2022 13:28
metalfigures , I see your point - unfortunately my collection room also smells like stale old books in combination with smoke - but how do you get this objectively measurable? Not everyone has the same sense of smell.
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May 17, 2022 14:17
Rene 
Personally I don't mind an old book smell, but a cigarette smell has a nasty pungent smell that you really smell, even if you smell bad, I find if you look at every page, a pungent cigarette smell in your face it should get a bad status, even if the rest of the book is in new condition in all respects.
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May 17, 2022 14:37
Metalfigures , apparently there is something to be done about book odors.
https://liesbethblogt.nl/what-to-do-on- to-smoke-smelly-books/

agree, however, if a book is beautiful, then it is up to the seller to set it to Good (or almost new) when the odors are gone.
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May 17, 2022 15:00
Harry56 
Thanks for your advice, a lot of work, what I also didn't know is that she notices that one smoked book contaminates other books with the smell, but I take her advice a bit more strictly and don't buy nicotine books, and idk if the nicotine smell is gone then it may also have a different condition for me instead of bad.
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May 17, 2022 16:39
thorgal sucazel Sometimes I wonder whether the condition descriptions for (comic) books (still) have added value..for shops (when you enter a physical comic book store, it says there is no list in which state the books are in) perhaps it would be better, for example, to oblige sellers to include at least 3 of their own photos with their items and to state defects/changes in the books or to say something (crazy) to call...
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May 17, 2022 16:54
Actually, the pro sellers can say exactly what the condition and price is for them? Their expertise may be able to provide clarity.
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When placing an order, the buyer always receives photos of the comic books they have ordered. I don't sell anything blindly to others and they still have the option to cancel the sale in advance.
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Rene
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May 18, 2022 09:10
Back to the issue that was mentioned more often: that a name on the front cover should not automatically lead to a reasonable state.

Is it an idea to make this addition in good condition for comics (and similarly for books):

Good condition

There are normal signs of use but the strip has no serious damage or obvious wear. A modest name on the endpaper is allowed, provided this is mentioned.

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May 18, 2022 09:31
That seems like a great addition, René.
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May 18, 2022 09:32
Rene
Of course you also have a name stamp, ex-libris (we have the option of up to 6 photos, so make use of that!), and I would like to see nicotine smell in poor condition and with books in reasonable condition.
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May 18, 2022 09:41
metalfigures ,

Name stamp also falls under "modest name" I think because we don't say how it came about. Ex-libris seems like a good addition to me. To be honest, I find it difficult to do something with scent, because how do you define limits?

That's how it will be incl ex-libris:

Good condition

There are normal signs of use but the strip has no serious damage or obvious wear. A modest name or ex-libris on the endpaper is allowed, provided this is mentioned.



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May 18, 2022 09:59
Rene 
And Sunday school picture? and must it be on the endpaper, I often have that the inside cover, or on the title page, has a name.
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  • May 18, 2022 10:48
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May 18, 2022 10:48
And Sunday school picture?

There can be all kinds of things pasted into an album / book. To be honest, I don't think it's possible to list all of that under a certain condition. Names and ex-libris seem to me to be the most common and also relatively least bad for the buyer.

and it must be on the endpaper, I also often have the inside cover, or a name on the title page.

Good point metalfigures . Perhaps like this:

Good condition

There are normal signs of use, but the strip has no serious damage or obvious wear. A modest name or ex-libris inside is allowed, provided this is mentioned.



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May 18, 2022 11:10
Rene 
That seems clear to me, and if one also adds a photo of the imperfections, then I think there is no room for misunderstanding.
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