5 Clues to Identifying First Editions

If you’re a booklover like me, you’ve probably wondered: What makes a book collectible? And what exactly does it mean to be “collectible”, anyway? Webster’s defines it as… 2. suitable for collecting. — n. 3. An object suitable for a collection, as that of a hobbyist. [1640-50]. In the world of books then, “collectible” would be an object suitable for a book hobbyist — a collector. In most cases, suitability for a book collector means a first edition book in its first printing. Not just any book with this distinction, but a book recognized among collectors as desirable because of its scarcity, author, subject or historical context.Why should this matter to me, you may ask? I love books, but I’m not a collector. To that I would reply: Not yet! Here are the two principal reasons that First edition, First prints matter:

• First edition, First prints are in demand among book collectors and they’ll pay to get them.

• Detecting a First edition, First print is not always straightforward. Sometimes, it requires a savvy searcher with a practiced eye.

In this post, we’ll talk about First edition, First print books—1st /1sts, for short–and how to find them. We’ll provide 5 clues for detecting a true 1st/1st and how those clues have developed. Let's get started.

1. Look for a “First Edition” statement on the copyright page.

The most obvious place to start in your detective work is the copyright page–the reverse of the title page. After 1900, many publishers began the practice of stating a “First Edition” book here. Some publishers noted this distinction with the term “First Printing” or “First Impression”. All these terms show that the book is the very first manifestation of the author’s work in print, in this format.

Straightforward, huh? Well, as with most statements of fact, there are exceptions. Read on.

2. Check for a “number line” on the copyright page.

Okay, so you’ve looked at the copyright page and found the term “First Edition” stated there. And, for this discussion, a “First Edition” means a first printing. But wait, what’s this row of numbers just underneath that statement?

Since the mid-20th century, many publishers have displayed a "number line" on the copyright page to show the printing cycle of a book (example: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). This row of numbers is important. Pay attention to it. It can tell you if you have a true “First Edition”.

The “1” in the row of numbers would denote a first printing.

Sometimes, there will be a “First Edition” statement and a number line, but not always. Just keep in mind, that a stated “First Edition” does not always mean a first printing (see the image on the right). The devil is in the details. In the image, the book is a “First Edition”, but a fourth printing as shown by the “4” in the number line.

3. Inspect the last pages of the book for a “gutter code”.

By now, you’ve seen there are variables to consider in detecting a 1st / 1st. A stated “First Edition” may be just that, but not a first print, because the number line shows otherwise. But not all publishers display a number line on the copyright page to denote the printing cycle. There is no standard of classification in the publishing industry.

So, wouldn’t it be safe to assume that a book that is a stated “First Edition”, that has no number line, is a true first edition? Well, that depends. Since the 1940s, another identification system has been in use by several publishers called a gutter code. According to the Internet Speculative Fiction Data Base (http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/index.php/Gutter_Codes): The gutter code was used by Doubleday, both for their trade and book club printings, from mid-1958 to mid-1987. Collectors have deciphered this code as an indicator of when the book was manufactured. The codes are stamped in the gutter of one of the last printed pages in a publication, usually the last page of text…. Please be aware that the gutter code translates into a manufacturing date which can be four to six weeks before a publication is made available to the public. Thus the gutter codes are at best, a useful guide to help date a publication.

Pay attention to books with gutter codes. To a collector, the very first printing of an author’s work in book format is the most desirable. As an example, a copy of Stephen King’s Carrie, published by Doubleday, April 5th, 1974 with a gutter code “P6” (see image @ left): The “P” code is the year (1974) and the “6”, the 6th week of the year (mid-February). So, the book is a true first edition, not a later printing after the published date. Therefore, it has more value to a collector. For more information on gutter codes, see the link above.

4. Be aware of the differences between “states” of a printing.

Remember the discussion of Clue #3? We stated: “To a collector, the very first printing of an author’s work in book format is the most desirable.” To a purist collector, this includes copies that came off the presses with errors, omissions, alterations or corrections during the manufacturing process. These variant copies, released for sale to the public, are “states” of a printing. The implication here being that a second state will improve on the first. G. Thomas Tanselle offered one of the best definitions for this concept (“The Bibliographical Concepts of Issue and State”, PBSA LXIX (1975), 17–66) presented here:

State: ‘A copy or group of copies of a printed sheet or a publisher’s casing which differs from other copies (within the same impression or issue) of that sheet or casing in any respect which the publisher does not wish to call to the attention of the public as representing a discrete publishing effort.’

These variant states occur before the publication date. Keep in mind, as mentioned in the reference back in Clue #3, that “... a manufacturing date can be four to six weeks before a publication is made available to the public.”…. One of the more interesting examples of states in a first printing is John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row”. According to James M. Dourgarian in Collecting John Steinbeck (http://www.jimbooks.com/steinbeckbooks.htm), regarding “Cannery Row”: The hardcover edition with dust jacket illustrated by the famed Arthur Hawkins Jr. exists in two states. G&P A22b was originally bound in light buff cloth. Because there wasn't enough cloth to finish the run, a bright canary yellow cloth was used on the remaining copies. The light buff copies are preferred and carry a higher value,...

As you can see from this discussion, if you wanted to, you could search the bookstores until you found an actual First state of that title you’re interested in. But, unless you’re hoping to resell that First state title to a discriminating collector, the Second state, as alluded to in the Cannery Row example, is still a 1st/1st—the very first manifestation of the authors work in book format.

5. Look for subtle differences in the binding or dustjacket.

Up to this point, we’ve been talking about Clues to look for in identifying a 1st/1st. This last “Clue” will help you identify what’s not a 1st/1st. Let’s talk about those darned Book Clubs! Since 1926, when Harry Scherman founded the Book-of-the-Month club, cheaper versions of popular books have been available to the public by subscription. Over the years, the Book Clubs have gotten good at duplicating the trade editions from the old-guard publishing houses to where it's hard to tell a true 1st/1st from a Book Club. And a true 1st / 1st is what a book collector values, not a Book Club edition.

In most cases, a Book Club edition will be of cheaper quality, e.g. paper boards instead of cloth, no headband, smaller footprint, etc., but not always. From the dust jacket, to the boards, to the text itself, a close inspection of each can uncover the difference from the true 1st / 1st.

As an example, I’ll share with you one of my own recent experiences with a book that wasn’t what it first appeared to be. I bought a very nice copy of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood”, described as a 1st/1st. From the pics provided, and the statement of “First Printing” on the copyright page, it checked all the boxes, or so I thought. The first thing I noticed when I

unwrapped the book was the dust jacket seemed in better shape than I would expect a 55-year-old jacket to be in. Next, I noticed that there was no price posted on the upper front flap. All the rest of the design and the text on the jacket were as expected. Last, I looked at the back board and noticed in the lower right corner, next to the spine, a small square stamp (see image at right). Darn that Harry Scherman! I had purchased a Book Club edition.

The stamp on the lower right corner of the back board is a telltale sign of a Book Club edition. Look for that stamp! Pay attention to the text on the copyright page. It should be exactly like your 1st / 1st reference (mine wasn’t). Inspect that dust jacket! Omissions from the original design mean something.

As you can see, there is a lot more to identifying a 1st edition, 1st print than just checking for a statement on the copyright page. Most times, it requires some excellent detective work. We’ve just uncovered the first few clues to solving the mystery of true 1st / 1sts. There are a lot more variables in detection beyond this post. Although frustrating, when that last stone turns up, and your 1st /1st is not, just stay calm and chalk it down to experience. You’ll know better what to look for the next time you go hunting for that elusive First edition, First print.