They were kept in a case and handled very rarely. Two of the books have minor issues "Fishing The Pacific" has some peeling on the lower right corner of the back cover from a sale sticker mishap(Photos 10 and 11) and "Big Game At Sea" has minor (5/8) tear on the top of the spine on the back of the book (Photos 8 and 9). These "issues" have been taken into account when pricing the collection. The other 2 books are flawless!!