Is this s 1st edition?

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

So to go back to the original question of the poster -

Is a 5th Printing of a 1st Edition considered a 1st Edition?

I usually collect books that say "First Edition" together with the
complete number line - "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10"

This to me is a TRUE 1st Edition.

A 5th Printing of a 1st Edition is not a 1st Edition for me. Argue all
you want but I think this is not the same as a complete number line.

So please try to answer the poster's question before you insult his
knowledge. Because I think even the so called experts here were once
also novice.

A 5th Printing of a 1st Edition is technically a 1st Edition. If you were
taking a class and needed a copy of the first edition for your course work,
the 5th printing would be just as acceptable as the 1st, because all of the
text would be the same. As "bookeditions" has explained elsewhere in the
thread, a first edition remains a first edition through multiple printings
as long as there are no changes to the text.

Book collectors, however, have created a special case for the unqualified
term 1st edition, and among knowledgeable book buyers and sellers, the term
1st edition without further explanation means 1st edition 1st printing. The
thing is, as a buyer, you can't assume an eBay seller is knowledgeable, so
more information is better.

In my opinion, the auction seller was both technically correct and admirably
precise in his description. Just because his book isn't necessarily a
collectible printing doesn't mean he shouldn't tell people exactly what he
is offering. His method of doing so, with edition and printing clearly
stated, and the number line cited to boot, follows the conventions of both
the collecting and the non-collecting traditions.

The only quibble I have is that he shouldn't have highlighted "1st" in the
title. It's misleading to collectors, and if the seller concentrates on that
market, his potential customers will be annoyed with him for wasting their
time.

Alice
--
Book collecting terms illustrated. Occasional books for sale.
http://www.mywingsbooks.com/

wrote
I'll bet fewer people would ever
open it. That's what I'm suggesting is less than honest...

The seller was completely honest in his description.
Nothing in the least bit dishonest.


--
Bob Finnan
http://bobfinnan.com

In article ,
Francis A. Miniter wrote:
Wildwood wrote:

, we accidentally replaced your heart with a baked
potato. You have about three seconds to live.


Hi,

here is the original ebay link

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=6946446270


on top it says: Special Attributes : 1st Edition



Which was truthful...


which was what led me to the link because I was looking for a 1st
edition.



And you found one... just not the one you were looking for. ;-)

Bill

From The Antique Traders Book Collector's Price Guide. Iola, WI: Krause
Publications, 2003.

"So, when you say, 'first edition' you are basically talking about the first
appearance of a piece of writing in book form. Ideally, you want the first
printing, the first state, complete as it was issued (with errata slips, dust
jacket etc.) This is important to the collector in the same way an original
painting is important to an art collector. It represents the first
appearance in
the real world of the piece of writing."


Francis A. Miniter


Truly serious collectors come to blows over whether it is the copy with
the first pages off the press or the first to be bound which is more
desirable.

Matthew Hill

wrote
my information says that a 1st edition should have the No. 1 on the
line information part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ....

When oh when are these newbies going to learn the difference between 1st
editions and 1st printings?
--
Bob Finnan
http://bobfinnan.com

"Matthew Hill" wrote...
Truly serious collectors come to blows over whether it is the copy with
the first pages off the press or the first to be bound which is more
desirable.

Yeah, I beat the crap out of one of those First-Bounders yesterday. "It's
not really a book until it appears between covers," he whined. "Print
quality! Print quality! Print quality!" I screamed as I snatched his copy of
Carter's ABC from his hands and used it to smack him down.

--
Jon Meyers
(BTW-- FS: One copy of Carter's ABC, 5th edition, later printing. Corners
badly bumped, few reddish-brown stains, jacket ripped--else fine.)

(To reply, lose
your way)

Having finally seen the actual ad the OP was talking about, I'm amazed
that the book went for so much money. It really isn't *that*
collectible as a Fifth Printing, is it? And yet, an Eighth Printing
is--even as I type--going for still more!

I think the seller knew exactly what he had, presented it quite clearly
(as can now be seen), and sat back to make his sale.

(I don't pay any attention to Bob's snarkiness--he's rude to everybody.)

Wildwood wrote:

francis m wrote:

"So, when you say, 'first edition' you are basically talking about
the first
appearance of a piece of writing in book form. Ideally, you want the
first
printing, the first state, complete as it was issued (with errata
slips, dust
jacket etc.) This is important to the collector in the same way an
original
painting is important to an art collector. It represents the first
appearance in
the real world of the piece of writing."


Not meaning to sound sarcastic, but do you *really* expect that to
apply to eBay listings?

Bubba the seller has no idea what professional book dealers consider
first editions. All he knows is that the book is a first edition
"'cuz it sayz sew rit 'chere" and points at the copyright page . And
shouldn't he? eBay has no information that I can find anywhere about
when to apply the "special attributes" like first edition, and there
sure as heck is no information on distinguishing different printings
or editions.

I'm just impressed that the listing included number line
information... that's more information than many sellers bother
with.


actually, the last paragraph wildwood quoted from the listing
[i.e. the number line] is what makes me suspicious about the seller's
supposed naivete. the fact that the seller knew enough, and was
careful enough, to quote the number line makes me think that he/she
does know the difference between publishers' use of the term first
edition and collectors' use of the term, and that the mixup was
intentional. the seller wanted the listing to be technically accurate
but misleading, and hoped the buyer wouldn't tell the difference.

chiwito

"fundoc" writes:

wrote in message
oups.com...
hi,
i saw this on ebay.com. it states that it is a 1st edition but the
description says:


Published by : Scholastic
Published Year: 1995
Print Edition / Impression: 5th has the number line 6 8 10 9 7 5 on
copyright page (see photo)


if the lowest number is 5 how can it be a 1st edition?

Could be that publisher uses a Base 4 numerical system.

No, it couldn't. If the publisher used base 4, they would not be
using the digits 5 through 9, just as in base 10 that we use everyday
there is no single digit that means 11.

The fifth printing would be represented as 11: 1 group of four plus 1
group of one.

-- Patrick

wrote
the seller wanted the listing to be technically accurate
but misleading, and hoped the buyer wouldn't tell the difference.

Hey Karnak, please tell us more of your great psychic abilities!

--
Bob Finnan
http://bobfinnan.com

I think this seller knew exactly what he was doing and very cleverly if
not ethically made out in the heading that the book was a true First
Edition and then hoping some mug would come along and not read or
understand the full description showing it was a fifth printing.

Apparently some mug did come along. I dont understand why the seller
has private feedback presumably because it isnt good. Also, would be
interested to know whether the some of the other books he is selling ie
the American Editions are indeed First Editions.

ASD