Rare books and literary manuscripts uc berkeley library. If youre looking for information, history and first edition identification on publishers, youve found the right place. The personal library has a long, rich history of manliness. Abaa introduction to book collecting antiquarian booksellers. Using a tactic heavily dependent on the power of suggestion, burt was able to essentially sell the dictionary as a companion book to various manuals and reference books, and was extremely successful in doing so. Identifying and collecting first editions shop for books. Collectors tend to value the edition of the book published in the authors native country, and booksellers may refer to that version as the true first to help guide buyers. Frequently asked questions bauman rare books first editions. We have created this series of web pages as a basic guide to starting a collection and understanding the terminology of booksellers. The contest is sponsored by the friends of the university of delaware library, an organization dedicated to expanding and enriching the research collections of the ud library.
With this post id like to teach you how to expand your library with a purposeful book collection and help it achieve a new standard of awesomeness. These often advertise author signing events and special collectors editions. Care and preservation of books book collecting guide. Modern library published the best of previously published classic literature, history and biography, and it is an enjoyable and reasonably priced genre to collect. Book collecting book collecting vancouver public library. Information on publishers and first edition identification. Another respectable area of reprints for collecting is modern library editions.
The university librarys rare book collection was founded in 1954 and transferred to the bancroft library in 1970. When collecting first books, one is often dealing with an authors scarcest work both in terms of sheer numbers first novels typically having smaller print runs than later books, after the author has a track record and also because a smaller percentage of the copies of an authors first book are likely to survive. If there are two or more books described as a first edition, then a collector will want to know which one is superior. Learn what an exlibrary edition book is and whether you want them in your book collection. This is yet more proof that bookcollecting is a variety of madness. Collecting and valuing first edition childrens books, including dr seuss and caldecott books. I first spotted the object of my desire in a dawsons catalogue in 1996.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Free searchable database of first edition pulitzer prize for fiction books. Identifying and collecting first editions abebooks. Antiquarian book collectors are not exclusively interested in first editions and first printings, although they can be. Books got its start in 1950 as a new yorkbased niche publisher specializing in selling hardcover genre fiction to the library market. But for a collector, a first printing is the only true first edition.
So i should get the canadian edition because atwood is canadian. In 1676 book auctions were introduced nto england from holland, and soon we can trace in priced catalogues the beginning of a taste for caxtons, and the books prized by collectors slowly fought their way up from amid the heavy volumes of theology by which they were at first overwhelmed. Collectors have varied reactions to the exlibrary copy, and its important to make an informed decision before you add ex. In general, book club editions are more cheaply printed than the trade editions. They wont be as highly valued, but do hold more worth than later runs of the same book and merit noting in a collection. In the british library, readers tell a librarian if pages of the book are uncut joined at the right. Learn about first editions library, its history, publications and how to identify first. But admittedly, we enjoyed owning a first edition of the book as an object on. Notable and collectible books published by first editions library. So you want to start a book collection but not sure where to start. Later, edited versions of a book are considered second editions especially if there are substantial changes to. Generally, a first edition of a book refers to both the firstrun printing and first additional version of a book. Book club editions for the most part see the end of this writeup for the exceptions are not of collectible value and cause a lot of confusion for many book collectors. If the book is by a publisher that states first edition or first printing on the verso of the title page, the lack of this statement will make it easily identifiable as other than a first edition.
Collectors have varied reactions to the ex library copy, and its important to make an informed decision before you add ex library copies to your own personal library. Our cataloguers work from an extensive library of reference material and check. If we bought a reprint or book club edition of a book by an author whose work we believed would stand the test of time, we knew that the most we could ever get for it when we sold it was a dollar or perhaps even less, if it was wanted at all. How to identify and collect american 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. Many of the resources in this guide are located at the central library. Collectors know that condition is possibly the single most important attribute of a collectible book. If youve taken up rare book collecting, youve probably encountered the phrase ex library copy or seen the shorthand exlib in a book description. In most cases, books released through bookofthemonth club bomc are much nicer than book club editions bce released by the doubleday book clubs. This guide will help you to find resources on book collecting, first editions, book history and book prices. You may seek to buy every book by your favorite author, or collect all the books from a specific publisher, or collect all the books with dust jackets from a favorite artist.
It is common to see booksellers describe these later first editions as a. Burts first venture into the publishing world was his sale of a small edition of the national standard dictionary while working as a travelling salesman. Tbcl the book collectors library first editions of. It also provides links to ebay and abebooks that targets searches for a particular pulitzer novel. Includes images and points of issue to assist collectors in the identification of first editions. A first edition of fiction by an author that no one has any interest in remains a first edition but may have. A first edition is the first printing of a book, why collect them. The bindings vary from patterns that resemble wallpaper to a wide variety of. Collecting has traditionally concentrated on first editions in the field of pure literature. This is an important point, for most readers are content with reading a library. How to identify first editions and care for old books. Librarything connects you to people who read what you do. When we started buying first editions years ago, the decision was based rationalized on a simple fact. In the late 1980s the first edition library fel began publishing high quality facsimiles of famous first editions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Some books first editions were also sold almost entirely to libraries, making it difficult for the firstedition collector to obtain a nonexlibrary copy. Professional booksellers and dedicated collectors spend time collecting knowledge and resources on what a particular publisher might use to identify the first. Im new to book collecting and im having trouble telling the difference between these two terms. A true first edition should have no editorial changes. But on the uk first editions of that book have the highest asking prices, why is that. There are several good titles about book collecting, including abc for book collectors free pdf, which is sort of the bookcollectors bible. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Collecting modern first editions essentially began in the late 1920s and early 30s, as the depression hit and the bottom fell out of the rare book market or, more correctly, the top end of the rare book market collapsed almost entirely. Collecting, identifying, and valuing first edition.
Abaa members gladly educate new collectors on how to start collecting rare books. So did the estimable dr williamss library in london. For publishers, first edition may just mean the first version of. It is what it is a library with many topics in its arsenal. How to tell if a book is a first edition northeast regional library. First trade editions are the first edition available to the general public, from what i understand, but i read that they are not always the first edition. This is not the case with dogeared, library stamped copies with torn pages. In many cases, serious book collectors are after first editions. Introduction to collecting literary first editions.
A common complaint of book collectors is that the bibliographers definition is used in a bookcollecting context. A guide to book collecting, featuring a list of book sizes. While bookcollecting thus came into existence it was. A very general rule in book collecting is that the first edition is the most. To find out more about what a first edition book is and why its important to collectors, see what is a first edition. Identifying book club edition books a guide to identify. The type is the same as the 1951 first printing, therefore all hardcover copies are, for. The part of the dustjacket that wraps around the inside of the books covers and usually includes a description of the books contents and perhaps a short biographical statement.
Gannon, who once built an entire collection based solely on second editions, added, second edition books are often essentially the same book as first editions, perhaps with very minor changes or none at all. However, book collecting is about buying books to satisfy a collecting goal. To collectors, it refers to the very first version of the physical book to be printed. Identifying book club editions one girl collecting. Most popular series books have been issued in hardcover library editions. First editions and signed copies are two cornerstones of book collecting, but, once you have delved into the world of used books, the golden rule is condition, condition, condition. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The majority of booksellers and collectors want the true first edition the edition of the book that supersedes all other editions chronologically and sometimes detective work is required to identify the true first.
It was a standard feature in homes from the 17 th through the 20 th centuries. Richard heber 17731833, whose collection of first editions of literature and history filled several houses, was one of the first collectors to consider contextual factors primary. Salingers the catcher in the rye as of 2016 remains in print in hardcover. As you are getting started, keep in mind that first edition first impression or first edition first printing is the real gem, whereas a first edition and a subsequent impression often wouldnt be considered as appealing. If youve taken up rare book collecting, youve probably encountered the phrase exlibrary copy or seen the shorthand exlib in a book description. Buy beautiful old books, not first editions, christopher howse says. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Recommended books modern book collecting by robert a. First editions library first edition identification and publisher. The private libraries association also covers modern fine printing, but is much more general in its outlook. Carpenter was associated with the huntington library much of his career. Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing. Collecting authors first books ken lopez bookseller. Our guide to book collecting covers many of the basic elements of book collecting, from what to collect to caring for your book collection.