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How to Identify the First Print of a First Edition

The "first/first" as it is known to book collectors, is "the very first printing of a book from a single set of plates in the publisher's first print run," according to the website Bloody Rare Books. A first print and a first edition are essentially the same thing, at least as far as value and price are concerned. First editions generally have a smaller print run, which means there are fewer copies than subsequent printings. A second printing of a first edition does not hold the same value.

Instructions

- 1
  Look for any written designation of "first edition." These include the terms, "First Edition," "First Printing," 'First Published," "Published," "First Impression," and they are located on the copyright page of the book.
- 2
  Look for a number line. Empty Mirror Books notes that, in the post-World War II era, publishers would often include a number line to designate the first edition. A line of numbers that includes the number One, such as 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 indicates that the copy in question is a first edition (first printing of the first edition), while a line of numbers excluding the number One, such as 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2, indicates the second printing. Occasionally these number lines are accompanied by a date.
- 3
  Match the date on the book's copyright page to the date on the title page. If there is more than one date and the latest one matches the date on the title page, that book is likely a first edition. Quill and Brush Books advises collectors that titles published before 1900 have first edition designations printed on the title page. Titles printed in this time period often have a matching date printed on the copyright page or on the back of the title page. Around the early 1900s, publishers would designate first editions on the title page. After 1900, many publishers ceased printing the date on the title page.
- 4
  Determine if the book in question is from a small-print publisher. Empty Mirror Books notes that small-print publishers rarely print more than one edition, which makes it easier to identify their books as first editions.
- 5
  Learn the designation practices of particular publishers. Different publishers designate first editions in different ways, but individual publishers are fairly consistent. If you tend to collect books from a particular publisher, you will learn their designation practices well.

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