Is My Book a First Edition? How to Tell and What It Is Worth

The quickest way to tell if a book is a first edition is the copyright page, the back of the title page. Look for a "First Edition" or "First Printing" statement and a row of numbers, called the number line, where the lowest number is usually the printing: a line ending in 1 is typically a first printing. Even then, most old books, including most first editions, are worth roughly $2-20. The valuable ones are first printings of important or famous books, in good condition and, for 20th century books, with the original dust jacket.

Age on its own does very little for value. A 1890s family Bible, a set of 1950s encyclopedias or a shelf of Reader's Digest Condensed Books are old and often lovely, and they usually sell for a few dollars each. What collectors pay for is the right title, in the right printing, in the right condition. A book can tick two of those three and still be modest.

First edition versus first printing

In the book trade, "first edition" usually means the first printing of the first edition: the very first batch of copies off the press. A publisher can reprint the same edition many times without changing the text, and those later printings are worth much less. When a dealer says "first edition", they nearly always mean first printing.

How to read the copyright page

The number line

From the 1970s onward, most publishers print a number line on the copyright page, something like:

• "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" means a first printing.
• "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2" means a second printing. The printer removes the lowest number with each new run.
• "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" is the same system in a different order. Look for the lowest number, wherever it sits.

Publisher conventions

Every publisher has its own habits, and some changed them over time. A few of the common ones:

• Random House: for decades, first printings said "First Edition" with a number line starting at 2, not 1. Later printings drop the "First Edition" statement. This is the classic trap where a line without a 1 is still a first.
• Scribner: from about the 1930s to the 1970s, a capital "A" on the copyright page marks the first printing. Earlier Scribner books often carry no marking at all, and need to be checked against references.
• Knopf, Harper, Doubleday, Viking and others printed "First Edition" or "First Printing" for many years. Some kept that statement in later printings, so read it together with the number line and the jacket price.
• British publishers typically print "First published in" with the year, and add "Reprinted" or a lower number line for later printings. A Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Bloomsbury, 1997) first printing has "Joanne Rowling" on the copyright page and a number line down to 1.
• Many older books, especially before the 1930s, have no statement at all. Identifying those takes points of issue, small details that dealers and bibliographies use to separate the first printing from later ones.

Book club editions

Book club editions, or BCEs, are the most common lookalike. Clubs such as the Book of the Month Club printed huge runs that look like the trade first, sometimes with the same "First Edition" wording copied onto the copyright page. They are usually worth $1-10, even for a famous title.

Signs of a book club edition:

• No price on the front flap of the dust jacket, or the words "Book Club Edition" on the flap.
• A small blind stamp pressed into the lower corner of the back board: a dot, square, circle, or a maple leaf on some Canadian printings.
• A small printed code in the gutter near the spine on one of the last pages, typical of Doubleday book club books.
• A slightly smaller size, thinner boards and cheaper paper than the trade edition.

The dust jacket and price clipping

For 20th century books, the dust jacket can carry most of the value. A modern first in a clean jacket can be worth 3-10 times the same book without one, and for the most famous titles the gap is far larger.

What to check on the jacket:

• The price on the front flap. The correct price for the first printing is one of the details dealers use to match a jacket to the book.
• Whether the price has been clipped. Many people cut the price corner off when giving a book as a gift. A price clipped jacket is still wanted, but usually sells for noticeably less than an unclipped one.
• Whether the jacket belongs to this printing. Later printing jackets are often found on first printing books, and the other way around. A "married" jacket is worth less than one that came on the book.
• Tears, chips, fading on the spine and old tape.

Facsimile jackets exist for many famous books. They are modern reproductions, often marked as such in small print on the flap, and they add little value.

Condition

Booksellers use a standard scale: As New, Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. "Good" in the trade means a worn but complete copy, which surprises many sellers. Common faults:

• Foxing: brown spots on the pages.
• A sunned or faded spine.
• Bumped corners and a cocked, leaning spine.
• Loose hinges, where the boards meet the spine.
• Ownership names, bookplates, library stamps and pockets. Former library copies are worth a fraction of the same book in private hands.

Do not try to repair, tape or clean a book that might be valuable. Repairs are easy to spot and usually lower the price.

Fine bindings and reprints

Easton Press, Franklin Library and the First Edition Library facsimiles look precious, with leather and gilt edges. They usually sell for $20-100. They are attractive reading copies, not first editions of the original book.

Examples of valuable firsts

These show what drives the high end. All figures are for true first printings, and the jacket makes a large difference.

Signed copies, inscribed copies and association copies, where the book belonged to someone connected to the author, add another layer. Signatures need provenance or expert review, because forged signatures on famous books are common.

What to photograph

• The copyright page, flat, sharp and in good light. This is the single most useful photo.
• The title page.
• The front jacket flap, with the top corner showing whether there is a price or a clip.
• The spine and the front cover with the jacket on.
• The lower back board without the jacket, angled so any blind stamp catches the light.

When to call a dealer

If the copyright page, jacket price and BCE checks all point to a true first printing of a well-known title, the next step is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) or ILAB, or the book department of an established auction house. They can confirm points of issue and give an auction estimate.