A Handbook of Costume - Janet Arnold (Illustrated Hardcover, 1973)

Thank you for looking at our listing.  As you can imagine, as a Charity we receive a vast number of donated books and media, so to save valuable volunteer processing time we are listing some of them using stock photos and information.  We have put in place some simple guidelines to ensure that any item you buy from this type of listing arrives in the condition you expect.

If you are not happy with the quality of your item for any reason, we offer a 100% money back guarantee for 30 days after purchase.

Please read the condition description in addition to the overview below, as this will outline the condition of the book you will receive.

What can you expect from the stated condition?

Booksellers use a very specific set of grades that has been developed over centuries, so that buyers will be able to get a reasonable idea of the condition of the book they're buying without having to examine it. We use the standardised grading system, which is explained below.

• New: Without imperfections and, in the case of modern hardbacks, likely to be sealed in shrinkwrap if supplied as such by the publisher. It has never been read; as a result the spine is uncracked and there are no marks, though there may be very minor bumps to the corners from being placed on shelves - all in all, it will be in the same condition you would expect to find with a brand new book in a bricks-and-mortar bookshop.
• Like New:  The book is very close to brand new condition and has almost certainly never been read, with an uncracked and uncreased spine and no marks. Imagine a book which has spent a few weeks on the bookshop shelves, occasionally being picked up and moved around, but never bought - that's an accurate definition of a Like New book. If it was published with a jacket, it will be in the same condition as the book.
• Fine: The book will be close to Like New, but lacks the "crispness" of a new book. It's likely a few years old and may have been read, but has been looked after - there won't be any marks or rips, but there may be very slight wear to the lower edges and corners caused by being stored on a shelf. If it was published with a jacket, it will be in the same condition as the book.​​​​​​​
• Very Good (VG): Wear caused by shelving is likely to be a little more pronounced and there may be unobtrusive marks - for example, on the cover or a previous owner's name on the first few pages. However, the binding will be secure without loose or missing pages and there will be no rips. Any faults or defects will be outlined in the condition description for the item. If it was published with a jacket, it will be in the same condition as the book.
• Good (G): The book is complete and the binding is secure so that there are no loose or missing pages. There may be some marks, including in the margins and underlined passages, but these will not obscure any text. General wear and tear will be more pronounced than Very Good, but the book will be in good structural shape. Any faults or defects will be outlined in the condition description for the item. The jacket, if it was published with one, may be missing, and if so this will be noted in the condition description; if it's present, it'll be in similar condition to the book.
• Fair (F): A book that has seen lots of use and is likely to be fairly old, but the text (including illustrations) will be complete - however, endpapers and flyleaves may be missing, and some pages may be loose. Any faults or defects will be outlined in the condition description for the item. The jacket, if it was published with one, may be missing, and if so this will be noted in the condition description; if it's present, it'll be in similar condition to the book.

We only use the following three grades for books that are of especial interest to collectors, in the majority of cases due to their rarity, collectability or antiquarian status.

• Poor: A very worn book, likely to have serious marks, foxing, rips and other defects. Any faults or defects will be outlined in the condition description for the item. The jacket, if it was published with one, may be missing, and if so this will be noted in the condition description; if it's present, it'll be in similar condition to the book. 
• Binding Copy: The pages are complete and in good condition, but are either significantly or entirely detached from the binding - hence, the book is a good candidate for being rebound. Any faults or defects will be outlined in the condition description for the item. The jacket, if it was published with one, may be missing, and if so this will be noted in the condition description; if it's present, it'll be in similar condition to the book. 
• Reading Copy: A book which has seen heavy usage, hasn't been particularly well looked-after and will have significant damage as a result - however, due to its rarity and/or age, it's still of interest to collectors despite the very poor condition.

CDs/DVDs

• All of our CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays have been tested to ensure they're in full working order. In general, they'll be in excellent condition with few signs of use; in the case of especially desirable titles we may sell items that have some marks on the disc, but we will make this clear in the description. Please note that cases may differ slightly from the listing photo, but it'll be the same version of the album or film and, in the case of DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, the same language, video format and region code.

Any additional relevant details will be listed in the condition description.

All net proceeds will support Arthur Rank Hospice Charity

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Its 'Outstanding' services are provided free of charge to patients and their families, helping to make every moment count. For further information, please visit arhc.org.uk

This item has been very kindly donated to the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Our ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. Our aim is to provide the highest quality care, helping them to make every moment count.

100% of the money raised from this sale will go to the charity.

Our sales team do their best to check each item and ensure that the description and pictures provided are as accurate as possible.

Feedback is extremely important to the charity so if you are not fully satisfied with your purchase, please give us a chance to resolve any issues by contacting us prior to leaving feedback.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via eBay messages, we will make sure that your message is responded to promptly, usually within three working days. Messages sent over the weekend will be responded to on the next working day.