Books: Edition & Condition
Joe Niewierski
So you've come into possession of some books that you think may have value. A qualified appraisal of your library is the best way to find the exact value of your library, but a good first step is to answer two questions.
Is it the right edition?
In most cases, the "First Edition" of a book is going to be the most valuable version. The first edition of a book is the very first printing of that book, the first time it is published.
True first editions are believed by collectors to be the closest to the author's original intent. Many books have been printed so many times, by so many different companies, that it can be difficult to tell which edition you have. It would be helpful to us all if publishers used a universal mark to denote first editions. The reality though is that each book, not just each publisher, has specific criteria that establish it as a first edition.
In some cases, a minor typo on page 237, line 5, is the only differentiation between a first and second printing. That typo can mean the difference in thousands of dollars in value depending on the book, so while it may seem like a silly differentiation to most, the book collector's driving the market disagree.
Establishing that you have the proper first edition of a title is a great start. Let's assume that we've done that and you're holding a first edition copy of Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, printed by Macmillan in May, 1936. Now what?
Is it in good condition?
Next we need to determine the book's condition. When a first edition is sitting on a book store shelf, it is a first edition. If on the way home from the store your toddler chews on it, tears the dust jacket in half and throws the book out the window of the moving car, only to have it be run over by an 18-wheeler doing 75 miles an hour, it's still a first edition. It doesn't have nearly the same value though. Beyond edition, condition is the most important factor in valuing collectible & antiquarian books.
Depending on the answers to the following questions, your Gone with the Wind first edition can range in value from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
Does it have its original dust jacket?
Are the corners sharp or bumped? How severely?
Have the cover or pages of the book changed color at all? Been damaged in any way? (Folded, scuffed, torn, stained, bent, broken, cracked, written on, etc.)
Does it have any library markings? (This could be stamps, embossed seals, glue or tape marks, etc. and it can have a massive effect on the value of the book.)
In some cases, such as extensive water damage, the book may have no value. Many collector's wouldn't allow the book into their library because the moisture damage, while it might seem to be dried to the touch, can migrate from one book to another over time
There are, of course, other factors that can effect the value of a book, including signatures, past owners and more, but looking first at the edition and condition of a book will at least put you in the right ballpark.