253. Internally Clean Copies Currently For Sale

Copies of Vale Press books in their original paper covers or buckram bindings have often lost their original freshness and copies without any kind of damage to the corners or the upper and lower part of the spines have become rare. It is, however, still possible to find Vale Press books that show no signs of aging. 

Today, this blog presents a series of defects.

The antiquarian dealer's descriptions of Vale Press books today usually mention defects such as: 'some chipping to spine', 'worn at foot of spine, corners and hinges', 'browned', 'some marking and rubbing to corners and top', 'some sunning', 'offsetting at the endpapers', 'some wear and discolouration to paper over boards', 'two splits to the paper along the rear hinge which have been repaired with glue', 'cover slightly rubbed at the edges', 'binding darkened and soiled', 'spine ends slightly frayed', 'spine very slightly dulled', 'some finger soiling to covers', 'rear free endpaper mostly torn away', 'mild shelf wear', 'spine age-toned', 'showing some brown stains', 'slight nick to corners', 'unfortunate dampstain along bottom edge', 'minor bubbling to cloth'.

Notwithstanding all these defects, most dealers conclude their description with the phrase: 'an internally very clean and an overall good copy', or at least 'none-the-less quite a decent copy', and some dealers simply ignore the defects, and present the book as 'a very good copy'.

'worn at foot of spine, corners and hinges'

'unfortunate dampstain along bottom edge'

'minor bubbling to cloth'

'binding darkened and soiled'

'some marking and rubbing to corners and top'

'Very good'

'spine darkened'