Are the books on your shelves or in your grandparents attic worth something. More often than not, conventions for distinguishing first editions vary from publishing house to publishing house. For an accurate, uptodate guide on publishers current and. Identifying and collecting first editions shop for books. Identifying the first editions of the numbered paperbacks as opposed to the college edition paperbacks is more straightforward. In the 1920s, they began stating first published year or first published in great britain year on the page of first editions and continued to note later printings. Sometimes publishers include the words first edition next to the number line, even if the book was on its third printing, according abe books website. A pocket guide to the identification of first editions details the methods over 4,600 different publishers use to identify their first editions. The lack of uniformity comes from the fact that different. Another common method of identification is the number line thats. Its easy to use, and small and light enough to fit in your pocket.
So, if the publisher prints 5,000 copies of a book, they all sell, and the publisher goes back to print more of the same version of the book. When a book is sold for the first time, that is called the books first edition. Just because a book is a first edition, which is the very first printing of a book, does not make it rare. To identify what printing you have, look for the lowest number in the string.
Jul 31, 20 adam blakeney, senior specialist in modern literature at peter harrington explains how to identify first editions. How to identify and collect american first editions by jack tannen. This is the case with the trade edition of sophies choice. Collectors distinguish between a first edition the first printing of a book and a modern first edition which moreorless applies to books printed. How to identify first editions or a first printing of a book. How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable. Nov 08, 2012 the string of numbers can be descending, as it is here, ascending, or in totally random order.
Cowardmccann to 1936 put a colophon on verso, a colophon with a torch signified a first edition. Dj l 1963 its not uncommon to find earlier beginner books with this 33 title list configuration. Learn how to identify first editions in this free book collecting video from a longtime bookstore buyer. The publisher added the second edition statement to stimulate interest through implying the demand for the book was so high that the first edition had already sold out. When examining a book, take note that the publisher may actually state the words first edition or first printing on the page.
The estimated values are for first edition books, with dust jackets. The confusion around first editions is illustrated by 1984 by george orwell. Sometimes the word first edition will helpfully be printed on that page, often described as. For book collectors, first edition identification is a vital skill. Book publishers each have their own way of identifying the first edition or more correctly first printing of any book they produce. The presence of a date on the title page alone may identify books published prior to the mid1800s as first editions. Welcome to bookpoi the first comprehensive free online guide dedicated to identifying first edition books, as well as collectible and rare books. The introduction explains the background and the problems encountered when trying to identify first edition ladybird books. How to identify and collect american first editions. If that first group sells out then another batch of books. Identifying first editions from specific publishers. A number 3 would indicate this first edition 3 4 5 6 7 8. If changes are made to a book after the first printing, the book would be described as a second edition. First edition identification by publisher ag in the case of titles published before 1900, the key to first edition identification is often the date on the title page.
Use our guide to learn how to identify first editions from a variety of publishers. First edition identification by publisher ag book collecting tips. How to identify first editions and care for old books. Print runs are the set number of copies of the book printed at one time.
First published in 1981 by the viking press on page. Identifying first editions the new antiquarian the blog. Some book club editions actually are first editions or at least first hardcovers. Oct 30, 2019 i will go book by book and give you all the information you need to identify stephen king first editions. Although it is sometimes confusing, there are certain things to look for when trying to identify a rare book. Identify first editions books abookman, a book man, book. Adam blakeney, senior specialist in modern literature at peter harrington explains how to identify first editions. Generally speaking, a first printing will have the same isbn as all subsequent printings, unless the book changes publishers, formats, or is reissued with some hoopla. However, these copies are actually still first editions.
The following books will arm you with years of knowledge found nowhere else. You will find an ever growing list of book titles and their important points of issue, as well as author, illustrator and editor bibliographies and biographies and book publisher information on this site. Cokesbury press first editions have a c at the foot of the verso. If the number of a modern library paperback is the same as the highest number in the list of titles in the series, its a first. How to identify first editions book collecting guide. The majority of booksellers and collectors want the true first edition the edition of the book that supersedes all other editions chronologically and sometimes detective work is required to identify the true first. The book collectors definition is the first printing of the first edition. Edition a guide to identify points of issue for first. Others dont have the 1 at all, but end with a 2and they are still true first editions.
To publishers, a first edition is the first version of a book before changes are made forewords added, afterwords added, typos corrected, whatever requires a new typeset. In this example, the lowest number is 1, so i have a first edition, first printing. Collecting, identifying, and valuing first edition dr. Identifying, and valuing first edition dr seuss books. Typically, you will want to start with the page as a first glance into a books lineage. The string of numbers can be descending, as it is here, ascending, or in totally random order. Collectors often encounter books from the publishing house, so its useful to know a bit about doubledays history and how to identify its first editions. If you find you have a first edition and are curious about the value, there are numerous places you can look. If the publisher prints more copies of the identical book, those are not first editions. Book collecting terms explains all variety of terms that you might find in a booksellers description, including first edition thus and second printing before publication how to identify autopen signatures. How to identify a first edition book general guidelines for identifying a first edition. An extremely useful book for book collectors or sellers giving the identification metods of publishers to identify first editions of their books covering from the late 20s to 2000. How can i tell if a book is a first modern library edition.
The publisher may actually state the words first edition or first printing on the page. This book uses a simplified code system based on the authors experience handling actual first editions. First edition identification there is no one way to identify the first edition of a book. Modern first editions since its inception in 1897, doubleday has been a powerful presence in the american publishing landscape. In the world of book collecting, a first edition is generally considered to be the first appearance of a work, in its first printing. Remember that even if the lowest number is 2, 3, or whatever, if the publisher is still. Firstedition identification by publisher ag in the case of titles published before 1900, the key to firstedition identification is often the date on the title page. First printing, first impression, and first published are other ways of publishers stating the first edition. Find out how to tell if a book is a first edition with this handy. Jul 20, 20 some number lines start with 1 on the leftmost portion of the number line to identify the first printing. Some publishers make no statement at all about first editions but booksellers learn to identify firsts by other methods for instance a particular piece of copy on the dust jacket or a mistake in the book s text itself that is corrected in later editions. Quite simply, it is the initial printing of a book after the book proofadvance copy. Ladybird books how to identify first editions ladybird.
The first commercial print run of a novel is called the first printing of the first edition. Many books have additional printings, even first editions may have later dates that are not true first editions and will affect value. But determining whether or not a modern book published in the 19th or 20th century post the invention of the printing press is in fact a true first edition book, in its most original form, can be a confusing and timeconsuming process. As weve mentioned elsewhere, first edition means the first printing of a book. At first this can become somewhat confusing because when a book becomes very popular and is often reprinted many times over a number. Reviewed in the united states on march 24, 2000 for those of you interested in first edition books, this guide book is helpful. Youll find common and uncommon book terms, information about various book sizes, bindings, papers, first editions, and so much more. Identifying first editions the new antiquarian the blog of the. Collecting, identifying, and valuing first edition childrens.
Identifying book club editions one girl collecting. Basically these publishers can be divided into two groups. There are many ways that publishers identify their books as a first. In general, book club editions are more cheaply printed than the trade editions. If you check the lw curreys science fiction and fantasy authors. Jan 29, 2020 when asked about identifying first editions, james gannon, who oversees rare books for heritage auctions, shared that each publisher marked first editions differently.
There is no one way to identify the first edition of a book. Abebooks explains how to identify a first edition book youtube. This is why book collecting is so enthralling and so rewarding. In general, books before 1900 did not indicate first or subsequent printings. Oct 03, 2019 print runs are a way for collectors to identify which first edition is truly the earliest version of the book to exist in the world. While not as valuable a first editions, second editions of some books can certainly be. First edition identification by publisher used books and. A pocket guide to the identification of first editions by bill mcbride. Print runs are a way for collectors to identify which first edition is truly the earliest version of the book to exist in the world. Identifying first editions updated july 2018 compiled by bev vincent with the assistance of materials made available by rich demars, john mastrocco, steve oelrich and shaun nauman. For example, a book originally published in the us and later in the uk will have both a first us edition and a first uk edition, in addition to others that may come later, such as the penguin classics first edition, the folio society first edition, or the first paperback edition. The vast majority of first editions published before 1900 had the year of publication on the title page this is true for fiction and nonfiction titles. Copyright date the first thing you want to do is check the date.
The first edition has a 1 at the foot of the verso. Can a first edition of a book be identified by its isbn. Changes of this nature can include adding a chapter or the addition of a foreword, for example. Each publisher has a different method of designating firsts and they change it regularly, too. Find first edition copies of any book, searches over 150 million books so you find the exact book you need.
The beginners guide to identifying first editions book riot. You can have a large print run or a small print runits completely up to the publisher, and generally speaking the size of a. Stephen king novels first edition identification guide. A general rule is that if the number 1 is listed, the book is a first edition. The following table is an excerpt from our book the childrens picturebook price guide. Explore this starters reference guide to help weave through the determining variables and track down modern first edition books. Look for the words first edition on the copyright page this will fluctuate depending on the publishing house, but. How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable book riot. This primer will help to answer some of the most common questions asked about identifying first editions including when you can rely on a statement of edition and when you cannot, how can you tell if a book is a first edition when the publisher doesnt state it, how to identify book club editions and reprint editions, and much more. Jonathon david a number 1 above the date on the verso indicates a first edition. Edition and printing can be used fairly interchangeably in talking about collectible books, especially in regard to modern fiction.
887 1439 947 710 1502 540 929 732 1456 535 1128 1470 1230 1020 859 357 612 20 1428 1286 631 800 579 363 1377 130 701 786 1262 72 708 335 1349