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First Edition Information
How to tell if you have a first edition book
Being able to tell whether a book is a first edition is important if you are a serious collector or are interested in selling your books for top dollar. The following will give you some initial assistance in deciding whether you have a first edition book.
First of all, most of the important information will be located on the back of the title page which is the copyright page. Here you will usually find the date of publication, copyright date, publisher, and the edition or number related to print copy. There may be number or letter line that helps clarify the edition number. These numbers may be in correct sequential order or backwards or printed odd numbers to the left and even numbers reversed to the right. (Publishers have multiple ways of identification of first editions.) As long as a "1" or an "A" is present in the row, the book is a first edition. According to one source, Random House Publishing is the exception. They print a number line with a 2 being the lowest number along with the words first edition. If there is no number row but the date printed on the title page and the copyright date are the same, chances are that book is a first edition.
This all may sound very simple but in fact isn't. There are many sites and articles that can provide you with a great deal more in depth information regarding this topic. What we have provided here is a mere beginning.
Additional Important considerations
Obviously, the condition of the book is very important. The spine and pages need to be intact and unbroken, not bent or folded or torn. The corners should be square, and the cover unmarked. The dust jacket is a most crucial consideration. For a book to be considered like new, the dust jacket should be unblemished with no missing pieces or tears, no creases, no wrinkles, no scuffs or marks of any kind. (However, realistically speaking, if a book is used, there are bound to be some marks. That is why there are so many books in excellent or fine condition.) The price of the book still printed on the dust jacket flap is desirable. Clipping this from the book ultimately reduces its value. All of condition details need to be described by the seller in the description and indicated by the condition rating. The price of the book is adjusted accordingly.
Signed editions are very valuable. Hand-written inscriptions by the author increase the value of the book. The owner's name or book plates inside the book decrease its value, unless the bookplate itself has some artistic significance. Books released by libraries are usually not collectible because of all the stamps throughout and card pockets or bar codes pasted in them as well as tape on the jacket. Book club editions are not collectible either because of the sheer number of books printed for circulation.
Children's Picturebook Price Guide by Linda and Stan Zielinski has proven to be an excellent resource for us. The authors offer a wealth of information about determining first edition books as well as an amazing list of first edition books by authors and illustrators. Some book values absolutely astounded us. We wish we had kept all those books we purchased for our children many years ago.
If you are interested in more information about collecting or selling children's books, we suggest that you check: http://1stedition.net/
How To Purchase The Books
To purchase a new book described, simply click the book title(s) or picture(s) and a window will open to the appropriate page at Amazon.com.
