10 Words Used to Describe Antique and Vintage Books

There is a galaxy of words that apply to books and book condition that online sellers and buyers need to negotiate. Full-time book dealers and astute collectors have a vocabulary all their own that we mere mortals need Google to translate.

This post is for those of us who love books, and  buy them or sell them because we just can’t help ourselves, some intriguing words to add to your stash.

Deckle Edge Irregular edges on the outside of a book’s pages that were originally made during the paper making process, now they are cut to resemble that by machine.

Endpaper A single sheet of paper that is glued to the cover on one half and serves as the flyleaf on the other side. Decorated endpapers are particularly delicious.

Foxing A condition problem that often afflicts old books, consisting of brown spots caused by high humidity, temperature extremes and old inks. Since this is a no-no when it comes to the value of books, research how to prevent and reverse foxing carefully before you invest in old reading material.

Frontispiece Decorative illustration that faces the title page of a book, usually in color.

Pastedown The part of the endpaper (see above) that is glued to the inside of the front cover.

Recto/Verso When a book is lying open, the right hand page is referred to as “recto”. Conversely, the left hand page when a book is lying open is “verso”.

Slipcase A decorative box, open on one side, made to protect, and in some cases group together, books.

Tanning Uniform discoloration on a book page, usually from glue or contact with a dust jacket or a paper that is different from the rest of the book.

Tipped-in plate When a photograph or illustration is printed separately from a book and is added in either in the binding or glued to a page, it is called “tipped-in”.

Verbiage describing the parts of a book A compact illustration of what it takes to make a book. 28 terms according to the experts.

Let the collecting begin!