How to Buy Secondhand Books Online: A Practical Guide
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Buying a secondhand book should feel like finding a good book, not sitting an exam. A little wear is part of its story; what matters is knowing what to expect when it arrives. This guide explains common condition terms, what to check in a listing, and when an older edition or a well-loved copy is just right for you.
What does the book’s condition mean?
Secondhand books have usually been read and handled, so a little wear is normal. Condition descriptions help you decide whether a copy is right for reading, gifting, or keeping on your shelf.
- Very Good: Light wear, but still a tidy copy.
- Good: Clearly used, but complete and suitable for reading. It may have a creased cover, a previous owner’s name, or some notes.
- Fair or reading copy: More noticeable wear. A good option if you mainly want the text and don’t mind how the book looks.
The grade is a broad starting point. Check the listing for details that matter to you, especially writing in the book, damage, or whether a hardcover includes its dust jacket. If you’re buying a gift or something isn’t clear, ask about the specific copy before ordering.
Dust jackets: why they matter so much
Dust jackets first started to be used on books in the early 1800s. They started off as plain paper jackets designed to protect the book. Then in the early 1900s they started to be seen as an extra space on which to promote the book itself - and dust jacket art became more popular. Look at old dustjackets from the 1900s and you'll also notice the back of them is often used to promote other books from the publisher.
So, anyway, given all this what should you look for in a dust jacket?
- Fading: spines fade with light exposure. A bright, unfaded spine on a 1960s jacket is genuinely desirable.
- Tears and chips: small tears often occur at the corners or around the spine
- Cover protection: a jacket stored in a plastic sleeve has usually been better looked after. The sleeve itself adds no value but signals a careful previous owner.
Browse our Beautiful Old Dust Jackets collection to see some beautiful cover art from the 1900s.
A missing jacket needn’t put you off, either. Browse No Dust Jacket Required for lovely old books at reasonable prices whose jackets have been lost somewhere along the way.
Does the edition matter?
"First edition" is an often misused terms in the secondhand book world. Perhaps partly because it's not always easy to see at a quick glance whether something is a first edition or not.
A first edition is a copy printed from the first setting of type, in the first print run authorised by the publisher. A first printing is technically the most precise term — the very first batch off the press. Publishers sometimes issue multiple printings within the same edition (same type, same text) before revising the book. Collectors generally want the first printing of the first edition.
How to identify a first printing
Check the copyright page (the verso of the title page). Look for:
- Number line: a row of digits (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) where the lowest number present indicates the printing. If "1" appears, it's a first printing.
- Explicit statement: many publishers state "First published [year]" or "First edition" outright.
- Absence of reprint notice: if there's no mention of a second printing or later impression, and the date matches the known first publication date, you're likely holding a first.
Provenance: the history of your copy
Provenance means where a book came from and whose hands it passed through. This can be one of the charms of preloved books - sometimes there is a dedication to someone , e.g. 'Dad - Happy Christmas - 1914'.
Or a previous owner has written their name or address in there. So we have some idea of ownership.
Sometimes we even find secondhand books are annotated by previous readers or someone has cut out a relevant newspaper cutting and tucked it in the pages.
But generally, we don't know where a lot of older books started out.
Signatures and inscriptions
A signed copy bears the author's signature, typically on the title page or half-title, with no other writing. Sometimes this will include an inscription - so it's addressed to someone - "For Margaret, with thanks — K.M., 1964" — which tells you something about the book's journey.
Bookplates and ownership stamps
A decorative bookplate pasted to the front pastedown signals a serious previous owner and is largely cosmetic in terms of condition. Institutional stamps (libraries, schools, government departments) typically indicate a reading copy rather than a collector's copy — these copies were used, rebound, and stamped, not shelved carefully.
Before you buy a secondhand book online
- Does the description mention any wear that matters to you, such as highlighting, loose pages, a damaged cover or a missing dust jacket?
- Do the photos show the actual copy? If a detail isn’t clear, would another photo help?
- Is the edition important to you? Check the publication details if you need a particular translation, illustrations or cover.
- Is it a gift? Decide whether a little wear or a previous owner’s name would be welcome, or whether you’d prefer a tidier copy.
- Still unsure? Ask about the specific copy before you order.
At Retro Reads, every listing describes condition honestly using the grades above. If you have questions about a specific copy, get in touch — we'd rather answer a question before the sale than disappoint you after it.