A mark (rubber stamp, felt marker stroke, or spray, often on a book’s bottom edge) signifying that the book was returned to publisher as unsold, and then offered for sale again later at a much lower price. Remaindered Books and Remainder Marks Although “remainders” – in the general sense of publishers’ unsold stock – have probably existed as long as there has been a publishing business, they became much more common in the US as a result of the 1979 Supreme Court Decision in Thor Power Tool Company versus the Internal Revenue Service. Although that decision was not specifically related to the book business, there was probably no industry in the US more affected by it than the publishing industry. This decision dramatically affected the ability of publishers to write-off their still in-stock but unsold inventory – and so in order to take the losses, the books had to be either destroyed or “remaindered” – that is, sold for a fraction of the original price. Book retailers were allowed a significant amount of time to return unsold stock, and remainder marks were a way of ensuring that these books could not be returned for full credit. In the 1950s and 1960s the most common marks were on the endpapers (usually the front free endpaper) – among them an H for Random House, a P, a star in a circle, etc. However, with the increase in remainders in the late 1970s, 80s and beyond, the slashes and dots on the bottom or top of the text blocks (which were much faster and easier to apply) became the most common way of identifying remainders. Similar marks have also been applied by retail book sellers, both used and new, to ensure that they do not repurchase sold items, or do not give a full credit for them. These retailers often mark their “bargain” books in a fashion very similar to remainder marks. This practice explains why you can have an anomaly like a review copy with a “remainder mark.” While these bookstores markings are technically not remainder marks, the negative effect on the value of the book is similar. Remaindered books are usually either hardcovers or trade paperbacks, but some smaller pocket sized paperbacks were occasionally remaindered: the most common method of marking these was a hole punched through the front cover, usually in the upper corner, sometimes obliterating the original price. Publishers are beginning to abandon the practice of marking remainders, although some booksellers (like Barnes and Noble) will often mark the books on their discount tables, and outlets like the Book Warehouse usually mark all of their inventory. It is now fairly common to find a blank sticker over the bar code on the rear cover of the dust jacket, or to see a black mark through the bar code instead of a slash or dot (note: not all stickers over barcodes indicate a remainder -many retailers affix their own inventory control sticker.) A remainder mark reduces the value of a book compared to an unmarked copy of the same printing. This is partially based on the fact that a remainder mark was added to the book after publication, and partially on the sometimes mistaken assumption that unmarked copies “preceded” remaindered copies. However, it is not uncommon for a first printing to be remaindered but for a book to still go on to later printings: one example of this was Robert Olen Butler’s collection of short stories “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain” which was quickly remaindered as a first printing and then won the Pulitzer Prize and brought back into print. Individual collectors differ in how distasteful they find a remainder mark, but the mark and its location (if not on the bottom edge) should always be noted in a book description. The effect on value can also depend on the title. Virtually all of Cormac McCarthy’s early books wound up remaindered, so even collectors who might normally reject copies with remainder marks, will make an exception for his books. Some examples of remainder marks are shown below. Remainder marks are generally simple; they often look like random dots or streaks from a black or colored magic marker. Remainder marks vary from the discreet, to the flamboyant, to the apparently accidental. Sometimes symbols are used.Ace Fantasy uses a capital “B” on one edge. Simon & Schuster, uses its logo “the sowing man.”Not illustrated is the Random House icon of a little house. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, Doubleday (and to a lesser extent, Delacorte and a few other publishers) used a purple or multi-colored dye sprayed over the entire top or bottom edge of the book, giving a speckled effect. When lightly applied, the effect is rather decorative, but when heavily applied, it is sometimes even coats the edges of the boards. Both of the books shown at left were published by Doubleday, in the 1980s. A remainder mark on the top of the book, however discreet, is worse than one on the bottom, because it can be seen when the book is shelved. A final note: while a copy of a book with a remainder mark might be less valuable to a collector of modern first editions, remainders are not necessarily all bad. First of all, no publisher can afford to warehouse all unsold books indefinitely and the alternative to remaindering is pulping. In addition, while authors do not receive any royalties from the sales of remaindered copies, they are often given the opportunity to purchase them inexpensively, and finally and most significantly, it is a way to give new readers a second chance to discover an author’s books inexpensively, especially books published earlier in their career (in addition to Cormac McCarthy mentioned above, Anne Rice’s first few books were widely remaindered also.) Initial text and images courtesy of Alice Voith of My Wings Books. Please send comments to us at resources@ioba.org . Last updated May 17, 2016.

An illustrated dictionary of terms for describing books and ephemera, their condition and the bookselling trade. BOOK TERMINOLOGY An illustrated dictionary of terms for describing books and ephemera, their condition and the bookselling trade. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Loading... Filter by Category Clear Filters ALL EDGES GILT (AEG) Feature Refers to the application of metallic gold or a gold-colored finish to the top, fore, and bottom edges of the text block.See Gilt Edges . The first example shows gilt edges with square corners and the second image shows gilt with rounded corners. SEE MORE > 1/2 AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION (ABA) - US Trade Organization American Booksellers Association, founded in 1900, is a national not-for-profit trade organization that works to help independently-owned bookstores grow and succeed. ABA’s core members are key participants in their communities' local economy and culture, and to assist them ABA provides education, information dissemination, business products, and services; creates relevant programs; and engages in public policy, industry, and local first advocacy. https://www.bookweb.org/ SEE MORE > 1/1 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLER General Traditionally a seller of older rare books. In today’s usage, the term describes a bookseller whose stock in trade is primarily old, rare, and/or collectible books. SEE MORE > 1/0 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION (ABA) - UK Trade Organization The Antiquarian Booksellers Association is a trade association in the British Isles for dealers in antiquarian and rare books, manuscripts, and allied materials. Founded in 1906, it is the oldest organization of its kind in the world. ABA is the UK equivalent of the ABAA. http://www.aba.org.uk/ SEE MORE > ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION (ABA) - UK Image courtesy of and copright by Antiquarian Booksellers Association ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION (ABA) - UK Image courtesy of and copright by Antiquarian Booksellers Association 1/1 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS' ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (ABAA) Trade Organization Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America is a trade association of booksellers, established in 1949, with over 450 members located throughout the United States, specializing in fine and rare books, maps, documents, autographs, illuminated manuscripts, ephemera, and prints spanning the economic spectrum. ABAA is the U.S. equivalent of the U.K. ABA. https://www.abaa.org/ SEE MORE > 1/1 ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS' ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (ABAC) Trade Organization Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Canada is a trade association of booksellers in Canada, founded in 1966 with the aim of fostering interest in rare books and manuscripts and maintaining high standards in the antiquarian book trade. ABAC is the Canadian equivalent of the U.K. ABA. http://abac.org/wordpress/en/ SEE MORE > 1/0 ARBITRAGE General Arbitrage is the financial term for buying an item in one market or venue and offering it in another market or venue, so as to take advantage of price differences between the markets. Applied to books, someone might buy a book on one site to sell on another, thus taking advantage of pricing differences. This can produce greater profit, after all costs, than use of a sole marketplace. Sellers can exploit buyers' ingrained habit of making nearly all purchases using one online venue rather than looking at the universe of offerings. Price differentials between markets have reinforced the practice termed bookjacking. See bookjacking / bookjacker . Sites like viaLibri.net search multiple bookselling sites and allow one to see pricing differentials between sites. SEE MORE > 1/0 ARC General Advance Review (or Reader's or Reading) Copy. A special pre-publication copy distributed by publishers for review purposes. ARCs are sent to reviewers and editors prior to publication date. ARCs are usually softbound in wrappers, which may be similar to dust jacket art of the first trade edition, but the wrappers are more typically merely printed text. ARCs are sometimes issued as a hardcover with a review slip laid in by the publisher. Occasionally the distribution of ARCs lead to textual differences between an advance review copy and a first edition. The textual differences between various versions may give value to ARCs to the collector. SEE MORE > 1/0 ASSOCIATION COPY Feature A particular copy of a book once belonging to the author, or signed or annotated by the author to someone closely associated with the author of the book or the book itself in some way. The image shows an author-to-author association, with an inscription to fantasy novelist David Gemmell who lived near the author. SEE MORE > Image courtesy of Bob Evans, books-and-records.com Image courtesy of Bob Evans, books-and-records.com 1/1 AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSELLERS (ANZAAB) Trade Organization Since 1977 this Australia-based organization has promoted the welfare and growth of the antiquarian book trade. Australian & New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers encourages its members to follow ethical and honourable trade practices and provides statements of policy regarding public and political issues that affect the antiquarian book trade, collecting, and libraries. The hosting of book fairs is one of the main activities of the organization. https://anzaab.com SEE MORE > 1/1 AUTHOR’S EDITION Feature Around the turn of the nineteenth century, many titles in the international book trade were “pirated,” or published without authorization. The “Author’s Edition” let the reader know that the book was published with the author’s approval. SEE MORE > 1/0 AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) General A letter written entirely in the hand of an individual and signed by them. The image depicts a hand-written, signed college acceptance letter. SEE MORE > AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) Image courtesy of Andrew Langer, Bookseller AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) Image courtesy of Andrew Langer, Bookseller 1/1 BACKSTRIP Feature A strip used by binder to reinforce the back of folded sheets in the binding of the spine. Sometimes used as a synonym to Spine. SEE MORE > 1/0 BALTIMORE BIBLIOPHILES Trade Organization Founded in 1954, the Baltimore Bibliophiles is the only major United States bibliophilic society founded by women. "The purpose of the Baltimore Bibliophiles is “to provide a focal point for community interest in matters pertaining to books and manuscripts, bindings, typography, printing, paper, preservation, calligraphy, book illustration, cartography and related fields.” Annually, the organization has five meetings, each featuring an invited speaker lecturing on bibliographic topics. http://www.baltimorebibliophiles.org/ SEE MORE > Baltimore Bibliophiles 1.jpg Baltimore Bibliophiles 1.jpg 1/1 BEVELED BOARDS Feature Boards edges are cut at an angle before covering material is added. The angle and board thickness can vary and generally gives a pleasing effect. SEE MORE > 1/1 BIBLIOGRAPHY General A reference work detailing published titles on a given subject or by a given author; used by book sellers and collectors to verify the authenticity of an edition or issue of a given title. The image depicts a bibliography of The Golden Cockerel Press, one of many issued by the press to document its work by period of issue. SEE MORE > Image courtesy of Michael Watson, 20 Ants Fine Books Image courtesy of Michael Watson, 20 Ants Fine Books 1/1 BIBLIOPHILE General A lover of books. Sometimes also called a Bookworm. SEE MORE > Image courtesy of Andrew Langer, Bookseller Image courtesy of Andrew Langer, Bookseller 1/1 BINDING Feature Material used as a protective cover for the pages of a book (e.g.: leather, cloth, buckram, paper, etc.) SEE MORE > 1/0 BINDING COPY Defect A book whose text block is complete and serviceable (and usually in reasonably good condition), but contained within a binding that is defective or incomplete. The term suggests that the book is suitable for rebinding. Note: Technically, what we call bindings on most books today, where the text block is glued in (in a hardcover book the text block is glued to a cover by some mull and end sheet paper, and in a softcover book normally the text block is glued directly to the spine of the cover), is actually a casing. Traditionally, bindings were actually sewn to the collected gatherings. The two terms- Binding and Casing – are, becoming interchangeable today). The image shows a binding copy of The Essence of Malone by George Hardinge. All signatures are present and are fit for stitching and binding. SEE MORE > Image courtesy of Michael Watson, 20 Ants Fine Books Image courtesy of Michael Watson, 20 Ants Fine Books 1/1 BIOPREDATION Defect Damage to a book caused by a living thing. Common sources of biopredation are insects, animals and other small organisms such as molds. 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Before about 1800, all paper was made by hand. By 1820, most paper was machine made, although a few high-quality papers continue to be made by hand even today. The mechanics of making paper by hand leave an impression that lasts for the life of the paper... Laid Paper Before about 1800, all paper was made by hand. By 1820, most paper was machine made, although a few high-quality papers continue to be made by hand even today. The mechanics of making paper by hand leave an impression that lasts for the life of the paper. Laid paper is made on a mould, which consists of a rectangular frame to which is attached a fine mesh of wires parallel to the long sides of the mold. These fine wires are crossed by somewhat thicker wires, called chain lines, that run parallel to the short sides of the mold. The wire lines (also called laid lines) and the chain lines can clearly be seen when the paper is held up to the light. This sample is from a 1698 book. The wire lines (laid lines) are parallel to the spine of the book (horizontal in the photograph) and are about 1 mm apart. The chain lines are vertical in the photograph, and in this book, are about 23 mm (7/8 inch) apart. This sample is from a 1750 book, in which the chain lines (horizontal in the picture) are parallel to the spine and the wire lines are perpendicular to it. The direction of the chain lines, together with other evidence that can be discerned from the book, can help a bibliographer determine what format was used when the pages were laid out for printing. Another example, this time from an 1804 book. During the papermaking process, after the water with suspended paper fibers had been evenly distributed over the wire mesh of the mould, the mould would then be inverted over a piece of felt to deposit the new and very delicate piece of paper there. This resulted in the paper having two sides, a mould side, which had been next to the wire mesh, and a felt side. Mould and felt sides can sometimes be determined by examining the paper closely, with the mould side carrying the impression of the wire and chain lines and the felt side being smoother. The top picture at left shows the mould side. The arrows indicate the faint impressions left by the chain lines, with the center one being the most visible in the photo. The bottom picture is the felt side of the same page, showing a smoother aspect. This example, from a 1904 book, is most likely a mold-made paper, created in a machine process that formed paper on a continuous web and could impress laid lines and chain lines almost indistinguishable from hand-made papers. Mold-made papers were common from 1890 to 1914, and were usually used for upscale books. Initial text and images courtesy of Alice Voith of My Wings Books. Please send comments to us at resources@ioba.org . Last updated May 17, 2016.

The Independent Online Booksellers Association is dedicated to promoting independent online bookselling by... IOBA MISSION STATEMENT The Independent Online Booksellers Association is dedicated to promoting independent online bookselling by: 1. Maintaining and enforcing high professional standards among our international membership, backed up by a strong Code of Ethics . 2. Furthering bookseller professional development through the establishment of a Mentorship Program, the granting of scholarships, the publication of our online journal the IOBA Standard, and other formal and informal support systems and educational initiatives. 3. Promoting trust between customers and booksellers by providing a safe online environment for the sale and purchase of books. 4. Fostering consumer awareness of online book buying. 5. Interacting with businesses, organizations, and governmental entities that have an impact on online bookselling. 6. Providing programs and services that will help member booksellers to strengthen their businesses.

Continue VISIT WEBSITE Trillium Antiquarian Books OWNER: William R. Van Nest Member since: 2002 (only displayed to logged-in members) MEMBER-TO-MEMBER DISCOUNT: % COUPON CODE (if applicable): trilliumantiquarianbooks@gmail.com 705-868-4443 1285 Albertus Avenue, Peterborough, ON, K9J 6A4, Canada More about this bookseller 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 Featured Items Terms of Sale

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BIOPREDATION - INSECTS (BOOKWORMS) < Back to Terminology List BIOPREDATION - INSECTS (BOOKWORMS) Defect Larvae of any insect which harms books by feeding on binding or leaves. As they eat their way through the pages of a book, they leave a trail known as “worming.” At times the worms will eat through an area of the pages; at other times holes are the diameter of one worm. In each case it is common to see the damage on many consecutive pages. For additional information consider: Hickin, Norman. BOOKWORMS: The Insect Pests of Books. London: Sheppard Press, 1985. The author illustrates and discusses insects and damage they cause. He also describes environmental conditions that make damage more likely, and ways to improve the environment to lessen damage. Previous Next

ARBITRAGE < Back to Terminology List ARBITRAGE General Arbitrage is the financial term for buying an item in one market or venue and offering it in another market or venue, so as to take advantage of price differences between the markets. Applied to books, someone might buy a book on one site to sell on another, thus taking advantage of pricing differences. This can produce greater profit, after all costs, than use of a sole marketplace. Sellers can exploit buyers' ingrained habit of making nearly all purchases using one online venue rather than looking at the universe of offerings. Price differentials between markets have reinforced the practice termed bookjacking. See bookjacking / bookjacker . Sites like viaLibri.net search multiple bookselling sites and allow one to see pricing differentials between sites. Previous Next

Continue VISIT WEBSITE Wonderful Books of Oz OWNER: Cynthia Ragni Member since: 2018 Vintage and Unusual Books and Ephemera (only displayed to logged-in members) MEMBER-TO-MEMBER DISCOUNT: 15 % COUPON CODE (if applicable): 15% with Paypal, 20% with check cindyr@booksofoz.com 3231-C Business Park Dr #114, Vista, CA, 92081, United States More about this bookseller 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 Featured Items Terms of Sale

Continue VISIT WEBSITE The Tolkien Bookshelf OWNER: David Miller Member since: 2007 The Tolkien Bookshelf specializes in hard to find, out of print, used, and rare books by, or relating to, J.R.R. Tolkien. (only displayed to logged-in members) MEMBER-TO-MEMBER DISCOUNT: 15 % COUPON CODE (if applicable): info@TolkienBookshelf.com 3162885835 127 Evan Rd, Billings, MO, 65610, United States More about this bookseller The Tolkien Bookshelf specializes in hard to find, out of print, used, and rare books by, or relating to, J.R.R. Tolkien. We carry 1st Editions and Custom Fine Bindings of single books and sets, including The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings , and The Silmarillion . We also have Signed copies, Limited/Numbered Editions, and many scarce or unusual items. 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 Featured Items Terms of Sale Digital photos available upon request. Satisfaction guaranteed. We offer a no quibble return policy for any reason, if returned within two weeks, and in the same condition as sent. For items that were returned because they were not as described, shipping charges will be refunded as well. We request that you notify us in advance of any returns. Items offered are subject to prior sale. We accept payment in U.S. Dollars only, by U.S. check, Bank Transfer, most major credit cards and/or PayPal. Usual trade courtesies observed for direct sales. $25 charge for returned checks. 4.225% sales tax added on orders to Missouri addresses, please provide resale number if appropriate. We offer free shipping by USPS Media Mail. Orders are carefully packaged for safe transit and shipped promptly, usually within one business days, often same day. Transit times can vary due to postal handling.

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UPCOMING EVENTS SUBMIT AN EVENT These events are listed as a courtesy to members and friends of IOBA. Every effort is made to post accurate information. Inquires for more information should be to the point of contact listed in the event listing. Wednesday, November 4, 2026 Application Deadline: August 21, 2026 for ABAA's Diversity Initiative Discovery Program Boston Antiquarian Book Fair 900 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115, USA VIEW EVENT DETAILS Friday, November 20, 2026 Northampton Antiquarian Book, Ephemera, and Book Arts Fair (November 20 - 21, 2026) Northampton Book Fair 33 Hawley St, Northampton, MA 01060, USA VIEW EVENT DETAILS Submit an Upcoming Event If you would like to list an upcoming event related to bookselling, please submit the event details below. The event will be reviewed and posted once verified. Submitter's Name Submitter's Email Addess Event Title Date of Event * required Event Location Start Time: End Time: Event Photo or Graphic upload .jpeg or .png Event URL Event Description SUBMIT Thank you for submitting! An error occurred. Please make sure to complete all required fields SUBMIT EVENT