They do not currently have any extraordinary value other than providing the pleasure of owning a set of 1/1 Harry Potter books. The first edition has Mary GrandPré's artwork on the cover and is oversized, for children. There are now several editions of the softcover books out. Now, a few quick comments on the US softcover books. There were 500,000 1/1 copies of Prisoner of Azkaban, 1,000,000 1/1 copies of Goblet of Fire, and over 6,000,000 1/1 copies of Order of the Phoenix. We have no information on how many were in each state, but once again the first state is far more desirable. There were a total of 250,000 1/1 copies of Chamber of Secrets printed. We have no information on how many were in each state, but the first state is more desirable and seems to be much rarer. The first state of this book is far more collectible than either of the other states.Īccording to the back of the advanced reader copy of Sorcerer's Stone, there were a total of only 30,000 1/1 copies printed. You may find that someone has placed the dust jacket from a valuable book around one that is not worth as much. Always check both the book and the dust jacket. The second state introduces the number 2 on the dust jacket and spine, and the third state shows a price increase from $17.95 to $19.95 on the jacket. The first state has NO number 2 on the spine NOR the dust jacket. The US Chamber of Secrets had THREE states of the 1/1. The second state in similar condition costs $500 and up. The first state in fine condition routinely costs well over $1,500. The first state is considerably more valuable than the second state. If it does have the number 1 present, someone has put a newer book inside an older dust jacket. The book behind either of these dust jackets would NOT have the number 1 on its spine. The second state has a review from an American publication, Publisher's Weekly. Although there are other differences, this quote alone will distinguish the first state. The very first books printed had a review from a British publication, The Guardian, on the back of the dust jacket. Sorcerer's Stone has TWO states of the 1/1. Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets were the only US editions to have multiple states in the first printing. Similarly, any US dustjacket which does NOT have raised foil covering the "Harry Potter" section of the book title belongs to a BOOK CLUB book. Please take a moment to note that any US hardcover Harry Potter book that has only blackboards and NO diamond imprint ("boards" are composed of the front and back hardcovers and spine) is a BOOK CLUB COPY – and nowhere near as valuable as those books with the appropriate two-color, diamond pattern boards. You can own or give a piece of literary history without making a huge investment. However, they are affordable and make a wonderful gift for yourself or a special Harry Potter fan. Although their value should increase, they will probably never be tremendously valuable. The really nice thing about the US editions is that you can collect a fine set of books which includes an early print of Sorcerer's Stone and 1/1 copies of all the other books for about $350, if you shop carefully. Therefore, just about the only editions with any financial value are first printings and signed editions. Additionally, the US printed more books in each run than did the UK. The first thing you should know about the US books is that as of this point in time they ALL say "First Edition" on the publisher's (or copyright) page facing the title page. This also refers to the books which include the "First Edition" denotation on the publisher's page (the page with all the printing information and numbers).įirst, let's discuss the hardcover books. By "trade edition," we mean those books which were meant for mass distribution in the US. One of the easiest sets to collect is the US trade editions. Proofs and Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs).To be a TRUE FIRST EDITION, a book must be FIRST EDITION/FIRST PRINTING and (if applicable) FIRST STATE. There is also a condition known as a state, whereby something about the book or dust jacket was changed during a print run. (This would be found in a 1/1 (First Edition/First Printing) US Goblet of Fire, for example.) The UK editions of Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix use the term "FIRST EDITION" on the publisher's page to denote 1/1 copies. Indicates a FIRST PRINTING printed in 2000. The second set of numbers indicates what year the book was published, once again indicated by the lowest number in the set. The first set of numbers in the line indicate the print number for that particular book, which is indicated by the lowest number in the set. It is found at the bottom of the publisher's page, which is located just before the title page in most books. Everyone who is thinking about collecting books should know how to interpret this number. The book's PRINT NUMBER is the most valuable key for identifying a collectible book.
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