First Edition books?

Question

I sell secondhand books on eBay. How can you tell if it is a First Edition book without it saying so? For example, the book has the same publication and copyright year, would this be a First Edition?

Answer 1

The web site to which handmaiden refers you is very helpful, generally accurate, and fairly complete--at least for books published with ISBN numbers.

However, I am a buyer of American books published generally in the 1930s, 1940s, and sometimes a bit later.

Here are the things I have to know before I consider purchasing a book online:

(1) It must be both first edition and first printing. Printings beyond the first are of little or no value to rare book collectors. (First printings are also of little value IF the author was already very popular and, hence, the publisher anticipated large sales and printed many copies the first time around.)

(2) For books prior to ISBNs and the current numbering system (which, by the way, not all publishers used consistently), you have to know the publisher's method of indicating first edition/first printing. If not, you need to consult one of the reputable reference books for book collectors.

For example, I collect the "Rivers of America" series, published by Rinehart, under various corporate designations through the years. First printings always have the corporate logo on the copyright page. Otherwise, the book is not a first printing and is not as valuable--though sometimes still collectible, especially for those for which first printings were few in number. Other companies have other means of identifying first printings. If the copyright page says "first edition" and does not give the printing number,, the seller should indicate that this copy if a "stated first edition." This tells the buyer you do not know for sure whether it's a first printing. Often dust jackets will indicate the number of the printing.

I do not patronize e-Bay, for those sellers often do not know books well enough to give you complete, accurate information. Furthermore, I will purchase books online ONLY if they can be returned for full reimbursement, including shipping, if I am not satisfied.

Here is additional information that I expect the buyer to provide:

(1) the condition of the book, from fine, very good, good+, fair, etc.

(2) whether the book has a dust jacket and, if so, the condition of the dj

(3) whether the book is signed or inscribed (inscribed means there's a note to a specific reader, not a simple author's signature) For older books if the signature is dated, it is likely to be even more valuable, indicating that it was signed at the time of the original copyright.

(4) whether the book is x-lib (meaning an ex-library book); if it is a first edition/first printing and is rare, it may still be quite valuable depending on the whether the marks left on it by the library are minimal; these must be specified)

(5) if the book is a limited edition, specifically if it is a numbered and/or signed limited editon

(6) BCE (or book club edition) is likely of little value

(7) finally, I purchase online ONLY if I have some indication of the standing of the bookseller, such as a customer satisfaction rating or membership in abebooks, etc.

Having listed all these conditions, I may have left the impression that I do little purchasing online. In fact, the greater part of my collection of 100s has come from online purchasing and, to the best of my memory, I have had to return books only two or three times (once b/c it was not a first printing, once b/c it was a Canadian first, which was not really THE first).

Good luck to you.

Answer 2

Unfortunately every publisher has its own way of designating a first edition of a book. Below are some of the methods used. In any case, the best bet is to research the book's first, note down any descriptive info (date, publisher, color, size, cloth binding vs. leather or boards, etc.) and compare it to yours.

If you have $60 to burn, this book will help a lot: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/093035818X/qid=979773040/

1) String of numbers/letters on the title page: If the number 1 or the letter A is displayed, then it is a first. The reason being that in each printing, the lowest number/letter would be ground off the printing plate for the title page.

2) The words "first edition" printed on the title page

3) Some publishers had little first edition symbols

4) For some publishers, the absence of any information about the edition on the title page meant that it was a first, these publishers would add edition information to all editions after the first.

Even if you know the publisher's code, for books from the 30's through the present you have to look out for Book Club Editions which often are printed directly from the 1st edition plates but are not true firsts. If the book has a dust jacket, then the absence of a price or the presence of the text "Book Club Edition" will tip you off in many cases (although the absence of a price does not necessarily mean the book is a BCE.) If the book does not have a dust jacket there are a couple ways you can tell if the book is a BCE. Often BCE's will have a small (1/8") geometric shape stamped into the bottom back outside cover. Also, many books whose true firsts were bound in cloth have cloth only on the spine and shiny boards as the rest of the binding. Again, though, this is not foolproof as publishers use these cheaper binding for first runs too.

Answer 3

On the page with all the publishing info will be a string of numbers 1 thru 10.
From what I understand, if the string is unbroken it is a first printing.
If the string starts with 2 it is a second printing
3 third, etc.

Answer 4

That sounds right to me. Have you tried finding out about the book on www.amazon.com? Maybe it will tell you the years of the different editions.

Answer 5

You might find this site helpful.

http://www.travelinlibrarian.info/writing/editions/#First