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How Do You Know If It’s A First Edition?

ast month I elaborated on one of the topics we talked about that states that its first edition is not a first edition. Just chalk that up
which was what is a first edition. This month it’s how can you tell to the vagaries of printing and publishing.
Lif your book is a first edition? Now many publishers identify their first editions with this
And as usual with many kinds of collecting it might be harder statement, but since any publisher can do anything it wants there are so
than you think except when it’s easy. many different ways that publishers can identify their editions that I
As I already mentioned last time, most people know that first literally have to have reference books to look up how a particular
editions are valuable, but perhaps not that many first editions aren’t publisher identifies their various editions and printings. Two I use are
valuable because every book must have a first edition or it would not First Editions: A Guide to Identification by Edwin N. Zempel and
exist, so it’s only the first editions of interesting or collectible books that Linda A. Verkler;
are the ones to look out for. The Spoon River
A first edition is unique because there can only be one first edition Press; 4th Edition;
whereas there could be an unlimited number of later editions and 2001. The other I use
collectors like things that are is The Pocket Guide to
unique and special. the Identification of
One mistake beginners First Editions by Bill
make is to think that the copy- McBride; McBride
right date on the back of the Publishers; sixth
title page is the date of the revised edition; 2000.
book, and can be how you can Interesting that
tell if a particular book is a both of the books that
first, but that is incorrect as I use for first edition
the copyright date is the date identification are not
that the book was copyrighted themselves first edi-
which is a legal protection for tions! In fact, with
the text that is binding for 20 reference books, you
years or more. So, for example a usually want the latest
book that was copyrighted in edition and not the
1920 would still have the 1920 first edition because
copyright date in it even if it was often the later editions
a reprint done in 1930. have more information
Now if there is a date on the in them. So, each one is
title page and that date matches the latest edition that I
the copyright date then it is likely First Editions: A Guide to Identification am aware of.
that the book is a first edition. by Edwin N. Zempel and Linda A. Verkler, So, delving into
If there are two or more copy- 3rd Edition, published by Spoon River Press them, we see that in
(1995) selling for $35 at abebooks.com
right dates on the copyright page some cases if a book by
then it is a certainty that the a particular publisher—say, for example, Charles Scribner and
book is not a first edition because A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First some others—does not say anything, then it is a first edition as
enough time had gone by that the Editions by Bill McBride, Seventh Revised Scribner only identified later printings. But that was not always
publisher renewed the copyright Edition, published by McBride Publishers, true as in 1930 Scribner started identifying their first editions by
before it expired. selling for $99 at biblio.com a letter “A” on the copyright page and later printings would have
So, if there are two or more copyright dates the date of the book a B or C, etc. But then in 1972 they changed again and used a number
would have been printed on or after the newest date. This should be code which was a line of numbers 123456789 etc. so if the lowest
obvious, but I’ve actually had a few customers confused by this and number was a 1 it was a first, and if a higher number it was a later
focused on the earliest date. But unless the publisher had a time printing. Appleton for a time used a 1 on the lower corner of the last
machine, a book would not be printed with a future printing date or page of text.
copyright date in it. And so on. This is why I need two guides because it can really
Now many first editions are identified as such by the words “first get confusing for older books. However, the number code is almost
edition” or “first printing” stated on the copyright page. This almost standard now. Almost.
always means that the book is, in fact, a first edition and I’m not going But that’s book collecting for you!
to mention that, for obscure reasons, sometimes in rare cases a book

James Dawson has owned and operated the Unicorn Bookshop in Trappe, MD since 1975, when he decided that it would be more fun to buy and sell old books and maps than to get
a “real” job. For a born collector like Jim, having a shop just might be another excuse to buy more books. He has about 30,000 second hand and rare books on the shelves, and just
about all subjects are represented. He can be contacted at P.O. Box 154; Trappe, MD 21673; 410-476-3838; unicornbookshopMD@gmail.com; www.unicornbookshop.com

42 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles