# How do I tell if it's a first edition? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-if-its-a-first-edition/596372 "2011-09-15T04:30:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-if-its-a-first-edition/596372/21 "2011-09-16T00:12:17Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > Wait… is it a first edition or is it a reviewer’s copy? Publishers often send out copies to reviewers that may not include final edits, artwork, etc. Those are sometimes, but not always, stamped as such. > > And as an aside, is there really a significant market for first editions of recently published books? Not a collector of such, so I’m curious. It is not a reviewer’s copy or an ARC. It is a copy that I got before the date it officially hit the shelves of bookstores. There are some insane prices for books of recently published authors, but not for all or even most of them. This book came out before the TV show, before the paperback, and has a dust jacket that changed when it became a best-seller (I think). People are offering copies on eBay for more than the cover price, which is $22.95. If I could get that, I’d be happy. Since eBay is kind of a hassle, to get a little more would be really nice, too. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-if-its-a-first-edition/596372/22 "2011-09-17T03:02:50Z")
This thread has been very interesting for me. I never knew about the existance of the number line. I just looked at the book sitting next to me and it’s a first edition with a complete number line. Of course, it’s only 30 years old and apparently so few people care about this book (other than me) that it was discharged from a public library. There probably only was one printing of this book. Still, I learned something new today so thanks guys! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-if-its-a-first-edition/596372/23 "2011-09-17T04:37:43Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > This thread has been very interesting for me. I never knew about the existance of the number line. I just looked at the book sitting next to me and it’s a first edition with a complete number line. Of course, it’s only 30 years old and apparently so few people care about this book (other than me) that it was discharged from a public library. There probably only was one printing of this book. > > Still, I learned something new today so thanks guys! Ex-library books have very little collector value, just for the record. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-if-its-a-first-edition/596372/24 "2011-09-17T05:12:48Z")
Oh, I know. The book is in pretty bad condition anyway but there’s also the huge library stamp and the discharged stamp all over it to drop its value even further. I have no intention of wanting to sell it anyway - it’s one of my favorite books. But, I thought it was cool that the only book in the house I looked at just happened to be a first edition. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-if-its-a-first-edition/596372/25 "2011-09-17T06:30:41Z")
Didn’t you never see “The Big Sleep”? You go to a library, and when she gets all snippy on you, you can say, “I also collect blondes in bottles”! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-if-its-a-first-edition/596372.md?page=1)