Things You'll Need:
- Book identification guides
- Antique book price guides
- Computer with Internet for online research
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Step 1
Look on the copyright page, which normally comes before a title page. An obvious way to see if a rare book is a true first edition or not is to check for any dead giveaways like "second edition" or any other printing other than "first printing." If the page says Book Club Edition, then the book is almost certainly NOT a true first edition book.
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Step 2
Look for a number count down. Some antique books have "number count downs" on their true first edition. So if you see 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 then there's a good chance you have a true first printing of a book. If the countdown stops at 2 or 3 then the book might be a first edition, but it's NOT a first printing - which is what is being referred to when collecting valuable antique books.
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Step 3
Look at antique book price guides or identification guides. This can often give very specific details that only true first editions have. For John Grisham's "A Time to Kill" this includes a sub-title on the jacket cover. For others it might include a dedication, a printing error on a certain page, or in some rare cases it will be a book that does not have "first edition" printed on the copyright page, but in fact has nothing.
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Step 4
From the price guides learn other common factors that most first edition books have in common. Whether dealing with rare antique books, or modern first edition books, many of the same tell signs will be clear. "First Printing" is always a first edition book, while the number count downs are also pretty common. Learn what to look for, and soon you'll be identifying true first edition books like a true pro!
