First edition books condition

Virtually all professional bookselling associations and reputable booksellers use the above book grading terminology, most with some minor variation or another. Some practices are becoming more common:. Books that have been circulated in public libraries, "Ex-library" or "Ex-lib" books, as they are generally referred to within the hobby, have very little collectible value, even if they are first editions.

These books will often have a library card pocket inside the book, and a card catalog identifier glued to the outside of the dust jacket at the spine. Sometimes the pocket has been removed or the page containing the pocket has been sliced from the book, but in either case the collectibility of the book is not positively affected by the removal.

We will not put forth an estimate as to the value of first edition books with library markings, since they only have value when a buyer demand-side can be found.

There are very few collectors who pursue "Ex-Lib" first edition books. Because of this, the demand for such books is extremely low, and given such a thin marketplace, it's fruitless to make an extrapolation for the book's marketplace value. First edition ex-library books are not considered collectible within the hobby.

First edition books without dust jackets, when one was originally issued, have a greatly reduced market value, however they do have some collectible interest. Even worn or damaged dust jackets add significant value to first edition picturebooks. The dust jacket's presence has more importance within the children's picturebook hobby than for book collecting in general.

This is because the artwork selected for the dust jacket cover is one of the most important marketing decisions made by the book's creators and publisher. In many cases, the initial retail purchase decision of a picturebook is made entirely due to attractive or interesting cover artwork.

The old adage, "You can't judge a book by its cover! The same cannot be said for books in general. The lives of picturebook collectors' are complicated by the fact that many dust jackets of picturebooks are discarded almost immediately upon purchase, since they often interfere with the child opening and reading the book, or are torn asunder through the enthusiastic enjoyment of the book by the child.

This general trend only increases the value of the first edition books with intact dust jackets, since the existing supply-side quantity is diminished. The first time a publisher releases a new book, all copies of that book printed without major changes can be considered a first edition book. If the initial print run - known as the 'first printing' or 'first impression'- sells out and the publisher decides to produce a subsequent printing with the same typeset, books from that second print run can be described as a first edition, second printing.

But it's more complicated than that. Each time a publisher releases a new instance of the same title, or when a book is released in a new format, these may also be considered first edition books. 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.

Booksellers will often describe these later first editions as a 'first edition thus' or just 'first thus'. Most serious collectors want the 'true first edition' - the 'first edition, first printing' - and sometimes detective work is required to identify which edition that is. There are many guides to identifying first edition books, including AbeBooks' own , but there is sometimes no definitive answer. It's also true that 'first edition' doesn't always correlate with value or collectibility.

First Thus - Means not a first edition, but something is new. It may be revised, have a new introduction by the author or someone else, be the first publication in paperback form, or first by another publisher. First Trade Edition - The edition produced for general commercial sale, as distinguished from a limited edition. First and Second Printing before Publication - This indicates the publisher was successful in promoting the book and had more orders before the actual publication date than the first printing quantity would cover, therefore a second printing was ordered.

Not a first edition. Remember when collecting first editions that condition and scarcity are the main contributing factors to the price of a book. If you are unfamiliar with the grading scale for book conditions you can find it on our used books page. Signed books. Our booksellers.