posted on November 20, 2000 03:53:11 AM
I have a freind who was very disappointed to find that his 1st edition mint HB copy of "The Stand"/Stephen King is a Book Club Edition. After doing a search we found that it is "bad" but we don't know why. Can you enlighten us?
posted on November 20, 2000 04:02:30 AM
It's not that it's bad ... it's just not a true first edition. The first edition is valuable because it is rare. Book club editions are not valuable because they are not rare. When a book is published, the publisher can never be sure how popular it will be. Therefore oftentimes only a small number of books are produced in the first edition. After it is published, if it is well reviewed and becomes popular, later editions are produced in larger numbers to meet the demand. Finally, the book clubs get into the act, and publish large numbers of the book. Thus, book club editions are plentiful. True first editions are rare. Rarity makes for a higher price.
posted on November 20, 2000 04:45:16 AM
Another factor is that frequently (always?), the book club edition is slightly smaller than the actual trade hardcover. I learned this when I sold a book and someone wanted a refund because it was a BCE and didn't match the others she had in the series.
I never said it was a first edition in my ad and she admitted that she'd just assumed it would be a trade edition. I gave the refund to be nice, but now I am more alert to book clubs. Another way to tell is that in a trade edition there is a price on the inside flap of the dustjacket, but often [always?] this is missing on the book club edition.
posted on November 20, 2000 04:54:04 AM
Yes, book club editions are often smaller because BCE publishers use cheaper paper. The print shows through from the other side, making it harder to read than better quality books. Virtually all book club editions have no price on the inside flap of the dust jacket. If you have a book without a dust jacket, check the back cover for a mark, usually an inmpressed circle. You can feel it better than you can see it.
