Have you ever been looking at a listing and it is says the book is remainder marked?  To this you are completely baffled wondering what exactly is a remainder mark.  Here is quick guide to the explanation and some history of a remainder marks.

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.   

Some publishers do this as well, for example Ace Fantasy uses a capital "B" on one edge. Simon & Schuster, uses its logo "the sowing man".  Random House uses the icon of a little house.

An older form of the Remainder mark is a purple dye sprayed over the entire top and bottom edge of the book.  Giving the book a sort of spray painted look.  At one time, this was used by Doubleday, Delacort, and possibly other publishers from the 1980's.

Remainder marks vary from each place that uses them, but you can always tell if you know what you are looking for.   

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