Remaindered Books are books that were returned to the publisher from the booksellers across the world. When the book first enters the retail channel, the balance of unsold stock is retuned to the publishers for credit.

Remaindered books usually have black mark so they can't be returned or sold for the original price.

So... What's the Big Deal with Remainder Marks?

The mark is a dot of stripe across the top or bottom of the book on the outside of the pages. Remainder marks are no big deal if you are purchasing a book as a reading copy.

If you are purchasing the book for a collection or to re-sell, bear in mind that remaindere marks are considered to be a defect by most collectors, except in very rare cases