For people who admire the written word, collecting first edition books seems a natural fit. "First edition" refers to the original publication of a book, and usually the first printing as well. Take these steps to start a collection of first edition books.
Instructions
1. Hunting is one of the joys of collecting first edition books. Collecting first edition books may be for you if you enjoy looking through used book stores, garage sales and attics. Although library book sales can be lots of fun, they rarely have anything for collectible purposes. Libraries stamp, glue and mark books.
2. Determine whether a book is a first edition. Helpful publishers alert you on the copyright page with any of the following: "First Edition," "First Printing," "First Published" or "First Impression." Not all publishers are helpful. In this case, look for a line of numbers on the copyright page. If there is a "1," you likely have a first edition. If the book was published before World War II, look for corresponding dates on the copyright and title pages.
3. Check the condition of the book. Sunlight causes a lot of damage to books by fading colors. If sun damage is accompanied by marks in the book or loose pages, a book is classified as in Poor (P) or Fair (F) condition, which collectors rarely purchase. A book is determined to be in Good (G) condition if damage is limited to minimal fading, creased spines or small tears in dust jackets. Very good or VG books with only minor defects are worth definite consideration by the collector. Books just less than perfect are labeled Fine (F). If they have been read, it has been with extreme care. Perfect books with no damage or defects are called Very Fine (VF). VF books are very rare and never read.
4. Predict current books that should appreciate in value. The price of older first edition books is prohibitive for most, so collectors turn to more recent authors. First editions by Ian Fleming and J. K. Rowling are already worth much more than their original cost. Much like choosing which stocks to invest your money with, choosing which authors to invest in is a gamble. Start with a favorite author and collect all of his or her works. If you believe a first-time author is destined for great things, send a first edition copy of her book to her, telling her how much you liked it. Ask her to sign the book and send it back in a self-addressed stamped padded envelope.
5. Trade a book of yours for a first edition of someone else's. Perhaps you have two copies of Walt Whitman's original "Leaves of Grass." Trade one of your copies for something by Hemingway.
6. Look into collecting minor works by major authors. John Steinbeck, Mark Twain and Langston Hughes are all examples of prolific authors.
7. Consider purchasing a first edition book with errors. Sometimes an error is discovered during printing. Printing is stopped and the error corrected. The books printed before the correction are called "first issue" or "first state" and can also be valuable.
Tags: first edition, edition books, first edition books, first edition, books with, choosing which, copyright page