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Dear John:

I recently ordered a couple of older Brad Meltzer novels missing from my collection. ZERO GAME is a 2004 release that looks like it’s never been read, but I notice that there appears to be toning on the tops of the pages.
How do you grade a book like this? I have a few books with varying degrees of toning that are otherwise tight and new or like new. How will this affect the value of my books later on?

Walter





John replies:

Hi Walter,

In the case of ZERO GAME, the publisher used an inferior paper in comparison to other publications. I have yet to see a copy of the book that is untoned. I would grade this book as “fine,” considering the circumstances.

John

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