What are remainder marks when purchasing books?

Remainder marks are generally simple; they often look like random dots or streaks from a black or colored magic marker. Remainder marks vary from the tactful, to the gaudy, to the look of being accidental.

The purpose of the remainder mark is when a store does not sell a book they mark the bottom or top edges. The remainder mark is put onto the book and sent to a distributor to make room for new inventory. Then the distributor will re-sell them for a discount rate. That is why when you see a book with a remainder mark it is usually for a discounted price. It's a way that distributors tracking the book once it leaves the store that way a store can't return a book for credit. From a collectors stand point a book that is Remainder marked is not worth as much as a copy that is not. The Remainder mark that is on top edge of a book is worse from the stand point that you can see the mark when shelved.


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