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How to Recognize a First Edition Book

When a book is published, there are only a certain number of books that are produced. Based on how well the books sell, the book may go into a second printing. For someone who collects or sells old books, a first edition book is a valuable thing because it contains the exact same text, typeface and illustrations as the books from the first printing. For those who aren&'t familiar with first edition books, there are ways to recognize one when you see it.

Instructions

- 1
  Open the book to the copyright page. This is usually one of the first pages in the book. If it is a first edition, it will say "First Edition," "First Printing," "First Published," "Published," or "First Impression."
- 2
  Turn to the title page, which is one of the first pages of the book. It is a page that has the title of the book in big letters. If it is a first edition book, the date on the title page should be the same as the copyright date, which is listed on the copyright page.
- 3
  Look for a number line on the title page or copyright page. A number line is a series of numbers separated by spaces. They were used in the post-World War II era, and indicate a first edition, especially if the number "1" appears in the number line.

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