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The Most Collectible Modern First Editions

A first printing of a first edition book has the ability to increase greatly in value over time. Modern collectors look for these and consider them both works of art and continually appreciating investments. There are several points you must establish to determine if a book is a first edition, including verifying its authentic binding, authentic typos found only in the first edition, dust jacket and author's signature. Once you know how to do this, you can build a library worth a literary fortune. The last fifty years have seen a number of best-selling, well-written books that are now highly regarded, collectible modern first editions.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was first published in the United States in 1998. The 30,000 copies of its first editions were released by Scholastic and originally sold for around $16. In the 12 years since this book was first published, its popularity and notoriety have grown tremendously thanks to bestseller lists, movies and even a theme park. Today, first editions of this book can sell for as much as $3,000 to $4,000.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
- Lippincott published "To Kill a Mockingbird" in 1960. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel had about 5,000 copies of its first edition printed and originally sold for $3.95. A first printing of a first edition of this book can sell today for as much as $20,000 to an avid collector. While an unsigned copy is valuable, a copy signed by author Harper Lee is extremely valuable. This modern classic became a movie and is a popular requirement in American middle-and-high school curricula.
"East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
- Viking printed 1,500 copies of "East of Eden" in 1952. John Steinbeck is now famed as one of America's leading writers, a modern collectible author. The first edition of the book originally sold for a mere $4.50. Today its estimated worth is $1,500 to $2,000. This novel made Oprah's Book Club List in 2003.

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