Terms & Conditions

- Specialist 1st edition dealers in quality signed 1sts and hypermodern highlights of long-term promise in all genres -

As online booksellers our stock benefits from the lack of defects which "store stock" inevitably attracts in its constant contact with customers. Unhandled after cataloguing, and housed within a temperature constant stockroom where all books are carefully protected behind glass away from dust and sunlight etc, our books remain just as we describe them in our entries. We take great care to note all defects (price-clipping, fading, inscriptions, edgewear, tears etc.) for every book listing, so that you can feel confident, whilst ordering, that the book you expect is the book you receive. However, please note that our stock is largely restricted to copies in comfortably Fine condition (many, in fact, are Very Fine). Like you, we consider the condition of collectable books to be of paramount significance in today's market, and are fastidious over our descriptions and gradings. We will not offer any book which we consider falls below the standard required by collectors.

All books are U.K. first edition, first printings, unless otherwise noted. Where an edition constitutes the first American edition, as is occasionally the case, this fact is made clear in the description. We do not stock Book Club editions or ex-library copies since we consider that neither will sustain a value within the collectors' market.

All prices are in UK pounds sterling. Payment may be securely made on this website by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Switch etc. Within the U.K., we also accept cheques, though we do not accept dollar or overseas cheques. For larger amounts, we recommend a bank-to-bank electronic transfer of funds. The currency convertor is provided here only as a general guide of exchange, and D. B. Waters Rare Books cannot be held responsible for its accuracy or fluctuations.

In line with other booksellers, the grading conventions we adopt are straight-forward and may be described as follows:

Very Fine - Often interchangeable amongst book-dealers with "Mint", this is a copy without detraction. Both book and dustwrapper must be in an unsurpassable condition and insofar as book-collecting perfection is attainable in life - this highest grade would be reserved for such copies. The ultimate collectors' copy in terms of condition. (Not to be confused with all the "as new" copies that are stacked in our town's bookstores as I write this and yet which frequently bear any number of grim flaws even though they've only just arrived from the publisher).

Fine - A copy which may well appear "as new" but which, upon closer inspection, may reveal just one or two very minor detractions such as light bumping to an extremity corner or base of spine, for example. The dustwrapper - especially on an older book - may possess a touch of minor creasing or edgewear, though on many very recent books the grading of "Fine / Fine" will essentially still indicate a copy in sparkling condition - just one that doesn't appear quite so pristine as a "Very Fine" copy. A perfectly sound and solid copy and comfortably in collectable condition. Most recent titles will fall within this grade.

Near Fine - Again, a small notch down from the above. The detractions may be slightly more discernible or greater in number than on a "Fine" copy. A copy not seriously undermined or compromised in terms of condition or investment potential, though not quite as sharp as above.

Very Good - More obvious indications of age-wear and / or handling. Whilst acceptable on an older book (i.e. say, from the mid nineteen-eighties or earlier), a "Very Good" copy is ideally avoided on a very recent book - unless it is exceptionally rare or contains some element that mitigates its condition considerably (a unique author's presentation for example).

Good - A volume which bears a serious flaw to either (or both) the book itself or the dustwrapper (we would not stock a book in this condition).

Poor - A reading copy only (we would not stock a book in this condition).

All books remain the property of D. B. Waters Rare Books until payment has been made in full.

Where possible, we will stock multiple copies of titles we suspect many of you will be interested in. However, D. B. Waters Rare Books cannot guarantee the availability of any particular listed title on this website that may have previously sold; in the case of some of our rarer items they may simply be only the single copy available.

Books will be promptly sent upon receipt of your order and all orders are acknowledged by email. Our books are very sensitively wrapped, and mailed in sturdy, purpose-made book-boxes, with dustwrappers protected by transparent, chemical inert film-wrappers.

We shall always email to notify you of shipping rates (some of the heavier items may require a small, additional postage charge).

Postage & Packing costs are additional and are, in general, as follows:

• WITHIN THE U.K: £3.50 per volume (additional volumes at £2.00 per volume).
• U.S.A. / CANADA: £7.95 per volume (additional volumes at £4.00 per volume).
• REST OF THE WORLD: £9.50 per volume (additional volumes at £5.50 per volume).
  

Note: Postage and Packing will be adjusted accordingly for books which are significantly heavier or lighter than the above standard quotes for average-sized volumes. All orders of £50.00 and above are sent with free insurance cover and a fully trackable service. Any book may be returned to us within a reasonable time-frame (7-10 working days) for a full refund if found to be not "as described" though we ask that you notify us of your intention to do so.