First editions in your collection.

Rodders

Rodders

|-O-| (-O-) |-O-|
Supporter
Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
7,121
I thought that i'd start this thread after Bick's posts regarding collecting the Dune first editions. I can't say that i'm not jealous. I couldn't find any other threads and thought i'd start one.

I have a few first editions in my library and i'll post them in time, but unless it specifically states it, i'm never sure how you know you have a first edition.
 
Rodders said:
I thought that i'd start this thread after Bick's posts regarding collecting the Dune first editions. I can't say that i'm not jealous. I couldn't find any other threads and thought i'd start one.

I have a few first editions in my library and i'll post them in time, but unless it specifically states it, i'm never sure how you know you have a first edition.
Click to expand...
It’s tricky with old books but you look for evidence of a previous edition in terms of the year published etc. You can also Google search the publisher and see if they were the first and also what identifying marks there are (we sold some Dickens last year which had to have particular picture plates and typos to be firsts)

Modern books are easier - there will be 10 numbers at the bottom or middle of the copyright page - if it begins or ends with a 1 it is a first edition

Loads here but we collect books. My personal favourite is a Time Travellers Wife first U.K. hardback.

If anyone is looking to start collecting these days seeking out the indie bookstore special editions which tend to be signed and have sprayed edges is a good plan. Folio books keep their value well.

At the moment, John Connolly’s Shadow Voices is well worth a punt on. 3000 hardbacks signed and that’s it.

uk.bookshop.org

Shadow Voices: 300 Years of Irish Genre Fiction: A History in Stories a book by John Connolly.

All hardbacks in the first print run will be signed by the author. The story of genre fiction - horror, romantic fiction, science fiction, crime writing, and more - is also the story of Irish fiction. Irish writers have given the world Lemuel Gulliver, Dracula, and the world of Narnia. They...
uk.bookshop.org uk.bookshop.org
(This links the sale to my shop - to change that to a local shop to support find them on the map and select)
 
Last edited:
Thanks Joe. I'll have to find time to look through all my books, now. :)

I bough a first edition hardcover of The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks a few years ago and it has made me want to go back and get the rest of his SF work as first editions. It'll have to be later though as the house needs too much doing to it.

Iain M. Banks The Player of Games.jpg

It's my favourite book, so i was delighted to get it.

I have a few other First Editions, but i'll need to dig them out. Rather embarrassingly, i have a number of "UK First Editions" to L. Ron Hubbard's Mission Earth decology. Don't judge me, they were on sale at Forbidden Planet when i was really getting into SF and he was just a name i'd heard. :)
 
The only SF first ed. I know of on my shelf is A Spectre is Haunting Texas by Fritz Lieber.
On the other hand I have most of Geral Durrell's and David Attenborough's books in first ed, including two signed Attenboroughs
 
I have 2 (signed) first editions, but they are paperbacks, not hardcover. Does that count?
 
Elckerlyc said:
I have 2 (signed) first editions, but they are paperbacks, not hardcover. Does that count?
Click to expand...
Only if there was no hardback published before the pb’s, which is unusual, but not unheard of I’d have thought. Generally, the first pb is a bit like ‘the first UK edition’ for US books and so on - i.e. not really first editions. But that doesn’t mean they’re not collectable or interesting, particularly if they are quite old. What are they?
 
Some of my most treasured first editions are 1930’s HB originals of the Herries Chronicles by Hugh Walpole. But they’re not SF of course.

Re: SF - I have some Dune books in the mail winging their way to me, as noted above. I’ll post on them when they arrive.
 
Bick said:
Only if there was no hardback published before the pb’s, which is unusual, but not unheard of I’d have thought. Generally, the first pb is a bit like ‘the first UK edition’ for US books and so on - i.e. not really first editions. But that doesn’t mean they’re not collectable or interesting, particularly if they are quite old. What are they?
Click to expand...
Not old.
Thessaly by Jo Walton and Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer. Both signed at Worldcon Dublin (2019).
Thessaly is the Just City trilogy in one volume. There's no hardcover of the trilogy, but there are hardcovers for the 3 separate novels.
 
AE35Unit said:
The only SF first ed. I know of on my shelf is A Spectre is Haunting Texas by Fritz Lieber.
On the other hand I have most of Geral Durrell's and David Attenborough's books in first ed, including two signed Attenboroughs
Click to expand...
Attenborough is collectible and signed editions sell for upwards of £100
Elckerlyc said:
I have 2 (signed) first editions, but they are paperbacks, not hardcover. Does that count?
Click to expand...
As Bick says if there was no hardback they are the first edition, if there was one, it’s the first edition paperback.
AE35Unit said:
My brother has one or two Arthur Conan Doyle first eds.
Click to expand...
Very very collectible

the weirdest books become collectible. Have a look at Peter Cross‘s Grumpetland books

Trumpets in Grumpetland by Peter Cross, Used - AbeBooks

Trumpets in Grumpetland by Dallas-smith, Peter & CROSS, Peter and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.co.uk.
www.abebooks.co.uk
 
I have the 3 hardcover editions of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. But, as it turns out, by the wrong publisher (William Heinemann). It does have the same publication date (October 2003) as the version that is considered First Edition (HarperCollins). According to ISFDB.
 
I have quite a few that aren't interesting because the first run was so big (e.g. The Silmarillion). Probably my most valued are Greenwitch by Susan Cooper and Red Shift by Alan Garner (the latter I found in a bookshop rather than got off the internet).
 
I have a 1981 First print First Edition God Emperor of Dune. I think this is an uncorrected edition as well. Cost me £0.33 from a charity store.
 
I have a first printing, first edition of The Road Goes Ever On by J.R.R. Tolkien and Donald Swann. Sadly, it was a library book at some time so condition is not perfect. It was a graduation gift from my brother and sister.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
AE35Unit Selling signed first editions. Book Discussion 9
tinkerdan SFF-Chronicles Authors Paper Editions. Book Discussion 14
Overread Assassin's Apprentice (and others) Illustrated Editions Robin Hobb 3
Brian G Turner Joe Abercrombie Special Editions? Joe Abercrombie 1
Teresa Edgerton Coming Soon in Kindle editions The Green Lion Trilogy -- Cover Reveal CoS Promotions 11

Similar threads


Back
Top