Rod Collins

What Exactly Defines a Real First Edition Book ?
You’d be forgiven for being confused nowadays but hopefully this will clear things up a little for you

The purpose of this article is not to tell you How to Identify a First Edition but what actually constitutes a true first edition.

Definition:
A first edition is the first time that complete text appeared in full in print.
Everything that appears subsequently is effectively a reprint

Books described using terms such as 1st edition 3rd impression are merely reprints or later printings.

Value & Collectability of Reprints or Later Impressions

This is where things start to get iniquitous. The last few years has seen a growing trend, largely fuelled on the auction site ebay, of the selling and promoting of reprints as collectable 1sts.

In 99.99% of cases for a book to have any value beyond it’s readable worth then it has to be a first edition. New collectors, or people looking to buy books for others, should not be fooled into thinking that the 37th impression of The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien is remotely collectable or of any material worth.

There are a few books which are either so rare or so expensive that they do have value as reprints, later issues, second impressions or the like.
Simply put, a collector can justify paying a reasonable sum for a book in a dust jacket that they may simply never be able to locate otherwise.
Likewise, the collector on a budget may, for example, have bought several of the later Ian Fleming titles but simply cannot, or will not, run to the considerable expense of Casino-Royale. This then makes later printings a viable alternative - but again don’t get carried away.

What Should I Pay for Later Printings ?

If the book falls into the above categories then a good rule of thumb for an early printing would be about 10% of what the true 1st might fetch.
There is some flexibility and latitude here of course but I would suggest not a great deal.
If they book is not particularly rare or very valuable then later impression should be treated as reading copies in terms of value, i.e. pay no more than you feel it is worth to read

Exceptions Fiction and No-Fiction

Non-fiction books are slightly different as often a later edition can be revised and be of more use and interest. But as these books tend to be bought largely for their content as opposed to merely collectable and desirable objects this nullifies the point somewhat and need not muddy the waters of these basic principals

What Is the Difference Between Impression - Printing - Issue etc

For the purpose of this article very little.
When a publishers prints a book that sells well and there is demand for more copies they will reprint the volume. Various houses will attach different terms, mostly meaning much the same.
Some will say for example:

Second Impression 1955

others may use

Reprinted 1955

Neither term makes any difference in terms of value of collectable interest.
There are some technical differences sometimes between the terms but these apply mostly to non-fiction or scholarly works.

The hot bed for this misleading selling is unquestionably eBay. A lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon, some just innocently following the trend others are being blatantly deceptive.
Auction headings that scream True UK First Edition 1/1 in the title and headline only to casually mention later on, usually in smaller print, that it is a 37 printing are frankly disgraceful.

I just went to eBay and looked in the gallery for an example and this screamed out in the auction title and huge text in the auction:

ULTRA RARE TRUE 1st Edition/1st Impression HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS The numberline is as follows: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Signifying a True 1st Edition/1st Impression

The publisher is given as Ted Smart !
This is a reprint not a Bloomsbury first edition !

JRR Tolkien also provides countless similar examples:
a 1963 19th Impression set of Lord of the Rings is not a collectors item.
Here’s an Example

Lord of the Rings Very Rare True UK 1sts then a load of waffle and this 1st editions, 8th, 5th and 4th impressions respectively

For a simple rule of thumb …
A UK first edition is the first time that the book was published UK !
Everything printed after that in the UK is a reprint - however the term be dressed up !

Don’t be conned or mislead - you have been warned - don’t buy a worthless pup !

If you’ve come to this via search engines I hope it helps - you can leave comments or questions below
Rod Collins
Goldeneye Rare Books