Code of ethics

 CODE OF ETHICS OF A NON-PROFIT PARTNERSHIP

"The Guild of Antiquarian Booksellers"

In this Code are set out the general requirements for the antiquarian profession and is regulated the relationship between antiquarian booksellers (by legal and natural persons), deliverers and buyers of books.

The antiquarian trade is interpreted as trade in back issues of hand-written and printed products put in commodity recirculation (multiple circulation) (books, graphics, periodicals, post cards, engravings, letters, autographs, etc.).

1. At the realization of their professional trade the members of the Partnership shall be guided by the fact that a client may not know the characteristic properties of the offered product influencing on its rarity and the present-day sale price.
2. The members of the Partnership shall on no condition and in no case resort to the fraud and delusion against a client; use of his ignorance of goods characteristics for selfish ends as well as to the other actions which do not satisfy the current legislation or the generally used moral standards.
3. The Partnership’s members are obliged to:

- Observe the common professional terminology in the field of antiquarian book trade;

- Offer their customers only those products which are legally in the market. They do not need to acquire, store and offer for sale the stolen articles of antiques;

- Make every reasonable effort to ensuring the authenticity of the goods offered for sale. The editions which authenticity is dubious shall not be offered for sale. In the case of purchase of the goods which authenticity has not been proved, the buyer is usually justified to expect a full reimbursement of the paid out funds during one month of the date of purchase;

- Give the buyer total information about the degree of completeness of the edition (number of volumes, publications, parts, etc.); its safety and defects (fault of pages, illustrations, original binding; presence of the restoration of a copy, etc.). In case of purchase of goods with defects, not specified in the product description, the buyer is usually justified to expect a full reimbursement of the paid out funds during one month of the date of purchase;

- Inform the buyer as well as the members of the Partnership in case of detection of goods counterfeit and indicate the method of counterfeit manufacturing and the source of its supply;

- Make for safety of the completeness of hand-written and printed products offered in the market;

- Make every reasonable effort to ensure that the sale prices of all goods have been set fairly taking into account the rarity of the edition;

- Support clients in making a skillful examination of the most valuable and rare books;

- Make every reasonable effort to ensure confidentiality of doing a deal with a client;

- Attempt to avoid contradictions and conflicts between themselves and clients, and in case of the latter to resolve them by negotiations. Any conflict, as well as disputes arising between the members of the Partnership may be submitted for discussion at the General Meeting of members of the Partnership, whose decision shall be binding and definitive for the members of the Partnership;

- Observe all laws and rules regulating import and export of antiquarian books and manuscripts abroad.