How Not To Sell A Book: Moby Dick

Picked up another copy of my favorite edition of Moby Dick, a 1930 edition copiously illustrated by Rockwell Kent woodcuts. It's a condensed one-volume trade reprint of a three volume limited edition, but at 10k they're slightly beyond my reach.

While doing a price check (my inner sense is it's 'worth' around a c-note, but online prices fluctuate wildly- a little research can make you a fat profit) I came across maybe the least confidence inspiring description of a book ever:

[1930(HC) [NOTE: (Title) 'Moby Dick Or The Whale'] by Herman Melville; Illustrated by Rockwell Kent; Random House (PROBABLY: First Edition/First Printing!)]. BOOK: probably 'Vg+'! (D/J): ['Bit less than 'G'; (Surface): 'clear&clean'/general wear/light soiling-binding; (Corners): some wear/(2) small notching/(1) small+ notching/(1) short tear; (Edges): 'fairly-smooth'/couple nicks/couple tiny tears/(2) short tears/(1) short+ tear//binding-top wear&couple tiny tears&(1) small notch&(1) short+ tear//binding-bottom wear&bit rough&(1) small notch&(1) small+ notch]. (Cover): [(Surface): 'clear&&clean'; (Corners): 'sharp'; (Edges): 'smooth'//binding-top&bottom very-light wear&ends-light+ usage. BINDING: 'Tight'! PAGES: Light++ aging; 'clear&&clean' text&illus; page-ends mild aging]! 'SEE' MY 'About Seller' for Services!

PROBABLY 1st edition/1st printing!
PROBABLY Vg+!

List price? $795.49

BUY WITH CONFIDENCE!

People periodically ask me how to approach buying books online. My advice, read as many listings as you can stomach. Book dealers have their own language, and if you read a few dozen pages of assorted people describing the same book you'll develop a sense of who knows what they're talking about and who is just pulling stuff out of their ass.

Compare that non-description with this one from an fairly informed seller who still falls short of professional standards:

1930 Random House, Hardcover, no dust jacket. Black cloth boards with silver text and illustration as pictured. Date on title and copyright page, 1930. Name inside front cover, otherwise unmarked. Minor wear and staining to cover and page edge. Binding strong but with webbing showing on front hinge.

and with my translation of the same listing:

1930 Random House, 1st Trade edition. Silver stamped black cloth lacking DJ. Previous owner signature front cover verso. Cover moderately rubbed and shelfworn, some staining to edges of text block. Front hinge starting, else a solid copy.

Accurately grading and describing a book is the key to happy online transactions.
Dealing with a professional book dealer is your best protection when spending real money online, and parsing the language of competing listings lets you swiftly separate experienced booksellers from the masses of Ebay charlatans and deluded antique dealers.