I think it is postable.

You can always PM, but if a book is postable, many times its just better to ... not. People who want better than PBS conditions will have an RC. And, if you do PM, make sure you tell them that you need a response by a date, after which you will either send the book anyway, or cancel the reuqest (depending on which way you are more comfortable).

I had a book I wasn't sure about, the person had RC's.  I accepted and immediately PM'd.  Told her the condition and asked if she did want the book.  I told her it was no problem for me if she didn;t.

If I got a book with a one inch by three and a half inch strip torn from the cover and wasn't PMed first for an okay, I certainly wouldn't consider it acceptable. My opinion is that this is one of those few borderline cases where, if you're going to post it, a PM should be sent. After all, I for one would assume that the 'no tears over an inch' rule would also cover this situation. Prior to reading this post, it would never have occured to me to make an RC against having part of the cover torn away without the tear going all the way through. So, if someone wanted to RWAP it from not being informed, they'd be fully within their rights and justified in doing so.

Well, its definitely a gray area.

I don't think the "no tears over 1 inch" relates, because its not torn. If there was a sticker that big on the cover, it would be postable.

If I got such a book, I wouldn't RWAP it, because I think its still postable. (And, no, I don't accept any books that break PBS rules, but as we all know, there are lots of gray areas, and you have to decide for yourself in those situations.)

If you feel more comfortable PMing first, than that's what you should do.  But I don't think your book is automatically "Unpostable".

ETA: My general rule of thumb is that if a book has one "gray area" flaw, I would usually consider it still postable. Especially if its in otherwise good condition. If a book has more than one "gray area" flaw, then for me its unpostable. (I know other people feel differently, and don't think anyone should send books wih "gray area" flaws in them).

Also, a lot of people say the rules are exactly the same for Wish List books and regular books, and on the face of it, that is true ... but in reality, people are going to be a lot more forgiving of a "gray area" flaw in a rarely posted,  OOP, HTF WL book than in some MMP with 100 copies in the system.

I read a lot of older sci-fi, so I come across more books that fall into "gray areas" than you would maybe find if you have mostly newer books.

Sara, I know the no tears over an inch doesn't quite apply, since it isn't actually torn all the way through, but I was just pointing out the perception of the receiver. Even the OP said 'they also tore off a strip', and really, what other word describes the damage at hand? Most people would never have this scenario occur to them unless or until they came across it, and therefore would have no way to avoid it with an RC. Not to mention, how would such an RC even be worded? In my case, I would definitely RWAP a book I received in that condition if I didn't okay it first. Doesn't PBS even say somewhere that PMs aren't normally required, but in cases of gray areas like this one, it's advisable to do so to avoid just that?

And yes, it would be postable with a sticker that big on the cover, but that also doesn't relate to the issue at hand. I don't even want to know how many books have been made unpostable by people's attempts to remove stickers, labels, or other things from the books.

Well, I've seen RCs for things like "No creases or bends on the cover" and "No stickers" etc. So, if it was my book and I saw that kind of RC, I would know they were concerned about the appearance of the cover, and that would clue me in to PM them. In that case, I would decline and PM them about it. With no RCs, I would accept.

It wouldn't necessarily have to say "No worn areas on the cover" or whatever.

I get what your saying. I'm not saying that I want to send out books that people are unhappy with, but I just think that if a book is postable, it shouldn't require any PMs (unless PBS requires them), and since I request/send a lot of  older books (we're talking 40 and 50 year old paperbacks here), it happens that I have to make a lot of these decisions.

My standards are a lot stricter (in terms of gray areas) (both posting of and receiving) for a 5 month old paperback. For a 50 year old paperback, well, there's a lot more gray.

My point about the sticker was, there is a spot on the cover that is obscured (in this case, by a layer of paper being removed). If the same size obscurment was caused by a sticker, it would be postable. So, an area of the cover being obscured doesn't automatically make a book unpostable.

I could be wrong. JMO.

ETA:

Doesn't PBS even say somewhere that PMs aren't normally required, but in cases of gray areas like this one, it's advisable to do so to avoid just that?

Yup, I just checked. So, you should go ahead and PM if you think your book is a "gray area".

I don't generally advocate PM'ng ahead if a book is within guidelines, which TECHNICALLY this is, since the cover isn't torn, but with such a large portion of the surface of the cover torn off, and being where it is too, I would probably send a PM to make sure also.

If they don't want it, the solution is for YOU  to cancel.

They create an RC strictly for this book.

You repost the book, it will go back to them since they will get put back in first place (click the PM button first to be sure)

And then refuse, based on the RCs and it goes to the next WL'r where you begin the whole process all over again.

It's a hassle, but better than the hassle you might get from someone who claims this is "excessively worn" and wants their credit back. You wouldn't have to give it, but they can harrass you enough to make you want to, and still not fall into the rude guidelines by PBS.

Just my opinion, but that's how I'd handle it.

Margaret, That's so nice!

I don't have a lot of old ones on my WL, though, its mostly new ones on that.

I'm checking out your shelf, though, I already saw a couple of books I'm going to order!

Yeah! I love sci-fi shelves!

(My library likes to take a black sharpie and completly cover the bar code and sometimes, if you're really lucky, part of the surrounding area with a big black blob. Yup, right on the cover! ) :)

ETA: I hope you don't mind, I love your shelf, I just ordered 5 books!