Subsequent printings would be, for example, a 2nd printing but not a first edition. Each signed first edition club pick is a first edition and first printing, personally signed by the author, delivered to you in pristine condition with its jacket in a transparent protective wrapping to extend the life of the book. Often these bc editions will look very similar to an actual 1st edition except for the missing price. I have heard that when a book has the words book club edition on it, no matter how old the book is, that book has no value. If you have a book that seems smaller than others, it very well may be a book club edition. If you have one of these rare books sitting on a shelf, get ready to cash in.
His business revolved around publishing beautifully illustrated classic titles in relatively small quantities with club. Has every book imaginable, including many collectors rare editions abebooks specializes in rare books, great place to research book values. Rare and valuable books old and not so old books worth. Learn about a new club launched in spring 2019, delivering four debut novels each year, here. Based on my records of sales, auctions and current listings with the antique and higherend booksellers, heres the current secondary market value breakdown of your books. More recent book ofthemonth club editions are often about the same size as their publisher edition. The value of your book depends on many things, so a professional appraisal is important whether you are planning to sell the book or to continue collecting books of the same type. In most cases, books released through bookofthemonth club bomc are much nicer than book club editions bce released by the doubleday book clubs.
However, for a first edition to have value, there must be a demand for it. Links to websites to help you value, sell or find rare books. In terms of monetary value, book club editions are usually at the bottom of the. Also, book club edition dust jackets dj are occasionally found on first editions to replace lost or damaged jackets. A book club edition bce or book of the month club edition bomc refers to a book printed by a book club with cheaper materials than the original publishing house. Book of the month club bomc books and other editions released by book clubs are not usually candidates for a first edition. Ioba identifying book club editions independent online. Eliminate the possibility that it is a facsimile edition. The best site on the net for info on rare stephen king books. Use the prefilled links below to find the market value of dune. The limited edition club lec books are an exception to the above warning as they are highly collectible. Books that are in fine condition and signed by the author typically sell for prices on the high end of the range, while unsigned books. I have the following book series are they worth anything.
The reason they arent worth more money is because the true first editions had a limited print run while book club editions have a larger print run thats why there are so many out there. The first printing is also what book collectors call a first edition. Most hard cover books published since the early 20th century were sold with a dust jacket. A signed first edition can become a special and valuable book for the owner, a lucrative investment, or a keepsake to pass down through generations. They are identified on the publishers page thus, printed for the book people.
You can find detailed help on identifying book club editions here. The most notorious are know as book club editions, which mislead many people into believing that they have a valuable first edition book when in fact they have a very common book club edition. I have a copy of insert title here and its missing the dustjacket, how much is it worth. He stated that this would be considered an oversight and the book could be considered a first edition. However, i have a hardback bc ediiton of hichhikers guideto the galaxy from the. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at.
These books used to state book club edition on the bottom corner of the front flap, but. Tips and tricks to help you identify book club editions and to differentiate them from the. The limited editions club of new york was started in 1929 by george macy. A guide to collecting books by the limited editions club. Has every book imaginable, including many collectors rare editions abebooks specializes in rare books, great place to research book values mostly specializes in used textbooks if you are a student check them out. Collecting book club editions book collectors librarything. A book club copy will always be a book club copy, even though it states first edition. The presence of a price on a dust jacket is also the most fundamental way to ensure that the dust jacket is not from a book club edition or other type of reprint. The uk version of a book club edition is the ted smart edition. So add that ammount to the value of your regular book. The dust jacket is both the most decorative part of a book, and the most delicate.
Also, the dust jacket of a ted smart edition may have ordering information on the back cover. Gone with the wind first edition collectible books for sale. We pay cash for books, textbooks, cds, lps, videos and dvds daily. The dust jacket is the paper that is wrapped around the. Trim size is given because book club editions are often smaller than trade editions. Half price books has new and used books, textbooks, music, movies and more both online and in stores. Each book is a collector edition that is as magnificent to see as it is to read. Only the books that do not have those words are the ones that would have value.
I have been collecting harry potter books for roughly 10 years. Enroll in the signed first club and youll receive one signed first edition hardcover book each month, handpicked by bookpeoples discerning signed first team. After reading this i started hunting for finds on ebay and the local bookstore, oh, and my moms garage too where i found a first edition to kill a mockingbird which unfortunately turned out to be a book club. Book club editions look similar to genuine first editions, but they are not first editions, and they have very little collectible value. Heritage press books are book club editions that have a little bit of value. Easton press sells the worlds greatest books, bound in genuine leather and accented with 22kt gold. The book club editions from 1960 have a current market value. A rare book can sell for a substantial amount of money but few novice collators know how to tell the difference between a nice old book and a valuable one. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book club. Feb 12, 2008 i have heard that when a book has the words book club edition on it, no matter how old the book is, that book has no value. The seller stated that this book could be considered a 1st edition due to the stamp of the book club was not stamped on the book.
Buy book club edition books 19501999 publication year and get the best deals. So collectors must track down identifying marks for the first trade edition and compare it to the book club edition. Since theyre so plentiful, supply will remain high, and the prices will likely remain low. To kill a mockingbird first edition points and values. Any photographic illustrations in the original are either absent or reduced in number. Except for a few exceptions, you can be fairly certain that if you have a book club edition it is not a first edition.
Some books are published in such huge quantities that first editions. May, 2019 many people like collecting older books from flea markets and antique shops but it can be hard to tell which books in your collection really have value. Collectors frequently ask whether book club editions are first editions, and whether these volumes have any additional value. The picture at left shows the top page edges of a book club edition and the first trade edition of the same title. These books are identical in appearance to the originals, but were printed after 1964.
How to find, buy, and sell used and rare books by ian c. The value is based on current market prices for books that are complete with dust jackets, and that meet all first edition points. Book club editions book of the month clubs often use the same printing plates as the original publisher, right down to the words first edition on the printing history. His business revolved around publishing beautifully illustrated classic titles in relatively small quantities with club members paying a subscription. Book club edition books 19501999 publication year for sale ebay. Nov 26, 2014 harry potter and the sorcerers stone book club editionsvaluable. Exceptions do occur, primarily with books that can be expected to have a long shelf.
Book club editions for the most part see the end of this writeup for the exceptions are not of collectible value and cause a lot of confusion for many book collectors. The collector the best site for info on limited edition. The worlds most valuable childrens books do you have one. For what its worth, since its inception in 1926, the bookofthemonth club continues to market and distribute books to this day. Most book club editions, especially older ones, are smaller than publishers versions, and are easy to distinguish. If not, the fact that its a first edition doesnt matter. Hi, i have a book club edition of to kill a mockingbird. How to find, buy, and sell used and rare books ellis, ian c. The book of the month club is an extremely popular book club with a vast selection of fiction, nonfiction. Book club editions are sold to members at a good discount compared with the original issue price. A book club edition bce or book of the month club edition. Any book without a price on the dustjacket is a book club bc edition.
A book that has significant damage is likely not worth much. The estimated values in the table are for first edition books with dust jackets. I know, i know, in the book world the lec is considered a fine press and not a book club. Values relate to first editions in very good condition. Oct 30, 2019 this information is provided because often, book club editions of books tend to be smaller than the original.
Some books produced by universities and small presses have no price on the jacket. Has every book imaginable, including many collectors rare editions. Remember when collecting first editions that condition and scarcity are the main contributing factors to the price of a book. Enroll in the signed first club and youll receive one signed first edition hardcover book. They can be identified as first editions simply by consulting the publishers statements for first edition identification. We show you what to look for so you can determine if you have a true first edition or a book club edition. There is no such thing as a first edition book club edition. When i first started, i did not know enough to know the difference between a first edition, first print, trade edition, book club edition, or state.
Book club editions are generally more cheaply made than publishers editions. In other cases, book clubs are large enough to make changes to the books. The reason for this is that the early doubleday books were made very poorly and the dust jackets were. A book club edition bce or book of the month club edition bomc refers to a book printed by a book club with cheaper materials than the original publishing house, and is generally not worth much to the serious collector. Mar 26, 2015 are your old harry potter books worth anything. A popular book is sometimes reissued under the imprint of a book club. First editions of wellloved books can become the most prized in literature. As the above definition makes clear, book club editions are reprints of books. Modern firsts first edition of a book published after 1900. Remember that the dust jacket is an important part of any book, and so books without their original dust jackets typically have less value. Book of the month club does not specify edition information, but as of now, only one edition has been published. Many paperback originals pbos exist in hardcover only in a book club edition. The childrens picturebook price guide includes first edition identification points for twentynine of the books in the list. The reasons that book club editions are less valuable should.
Some of the jackets are quite scarce, but the bare books. Click on the book s title to see first edition identification points for a particular book. Demand too many comparable copies currently for sale may indicate a glut in the market. Identifying, and valuing first edition dr seuss books. Note the striped headband on the book on the bottom. Since 1997, bookfinder has made it easy to find any book at the best price. Most book collectors find little value in these editions. Often printed on lesserquality paper or in a noticeably smaller trim size see image above. My point is that quality and quantity generally drive price. Apr 08, 2012 based on my records of sales, auctions and current listings with the antique and higherend booksellers, heres the current secondary market value breakdown of your books.
Since it was founded in 1926, the book of the month club has been incredibly popular. Each book thats published, of course, has a first edition. What is the value of a book club edition in top condition. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Up to 90% of a book s value is in the dustjacket, especially with early stephen king works. Rare books, outofprint books online half price books. The dust jacket is both the most decorative part of a book. From 1980 to 1984, trade editions were used for book club editions. Whether you want the cheapest reading copy or a specific collectible edition, with bookfinder, youll find just the right book.
Feb 15, 2010 of course, theres always the exception to help prove the rule. Identifying book club edition books a guide to identify. The following table is an excerpt from our book the childrens picturebook price guide. Book clubs frequently neglect to remove edition indicators from the plates before printing their copies.
Some books are published in such huge quantities that first editions are very common. As the above definition makes clear, book club editions are reprints of books for a defined audience. They still bore the publishers prices on the dust jackets. The book on the top, missing this element, is the book club edition. Most often, a jacket without a price is a book club edition. If you are unfamiliar with the grading scale for book conditions you can find it on our used books. The book of the month club is an extremely popular book club with a vast selection of fiction, nonfiction and classics on topics such as biography, business and career, cooking, history, health and fitness, humor, and much more. How to identify first editions or a first printing of a book. Although these books do have some value, they are not nearly as valuable as the true trade editions.
Abebooks specializes in rare books, great place to research book values. Save over 40% all preorders are available at the membership price or one member credit, and because they are shipped separately, preorders are not eligible for feature selection bundle prices. Book club edition dust jackets are easily identified because they do not have a price. The books have color frontispieces that match the front cover illustration. A womens fiction novel about the power of friendship kindle edition by monroe, mary alice. Book club edition does that mean that book has no value. The estimated values are for first edition books, with dust jackets. Often it is a new setting and with cheaper paper and binding. Identifying book club editions one girl collecting. The cameo editions are the book club editions that feature artwork by polly bolian.
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