After the Cape II #3 Mini

Gem Mint (10.0)

Flawless. Essentially perfect in every respect, the kind of copy that is very rarely seen.

Mint (9.9)

Perfect, as if it just left the printer. No spine stress, color break, edge wear or other flaw of any kind.

Near Mint (NM) (9.2 to 9.8)

Looks almost new. Bright color and gloss, sharp corners, lies flat and tight. At most a tiny imperfection you would have to look for.

Very Fine (VF) (7.5 to 9.0)

Still sharp and glossy. May show a few very minor stress lines or tiny bits of edge wear, but no real creases, and it lies flat.

Fine (FN) (5.5 to 7.0)

An attractive, lightly read copy. Some spine stress lines and minor corner or edge wear, perhaps a small crease, but nothing major and the cover is complete.

Very Good (VG) (3.5 to 5.0)

A typical, clearly read copy. Visible spine and edge wear, some creasing, possibly light soiling or a small tear, but complete and presentable.

Good (G) (1.8 to 3.0)

A well-read copy with heavier wear: creases, small tears, tape or soiling. Complete, though it may be missing a small piece.

Fair (Fa) (1.0 to 1.5)

Heavily worn but still readable. Significant creasing, staining or tears, and possibly pieces missing.

Poor (0.5)

Badly damaged or incomplete. Best thought of as a reading copy or a placeholder until a better one turns up.

Grades describe the condition of the copy. A + or - means slightly better or worse than the grade, and two grades like VF/NM mean between them. Numbers are the equivalent 10-point scale.