Catalogs and bookseller databases vary in the amount of detail they provide about the books on offer, and dealers nearly always allow buyers to return a book they ve purchased unseen if it turns out not to meet their expectations. Another important factor for collectors is whether a book is a first edition one of the volumes printed from the original plates. Collectors value first editions because they re presumed to match the author s intentions most closely. However, identifying firsts is in art form in itself. This is by no means the case.
Most books appear in only one edition.
Determining if a book is a true first edition takes considerable experience or substantial work with reference books. Collectors of literary works especially are interested in first editions, and there is a lively and well documented market for these books. Condition plays an even greater role than usual in determining the monetary value of literary first editions. If an author revises the text for a later edition, it may be of interest too. It may be possible to recognize a first edition because its publisher has identified it as such.