Thread Name: First editions identified by number of titles? From: EHSCHOTT@removed> Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2002 22:30:36 EDT [Following paragraph evidently mangled in archive and your editor can't decipher it] There are first editions and there whatchamacallits or them. Even when the same low number appears inside the jacket. Example: 302.1 Howard: The world's great operas. Toledano lists it 1959-70. Spine 8 with a dust jacket of 388 titles. But one 388 jacket has a 1.65 price and another 388 has 1.95. One 388 jackets does not list #251 Colette, #300 Kierkegaard, #148 Lawrence which were published in 1959. The other does list Colette and Lawrence but not Kierkegaard. You find all the other examples, I'm tired. There are firsts and there are super-firsts. ------------------------------------- From: GOODBOOKS@removed> Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 20:43:30 -0800 (PST) Regarding, "I'm tired" It's not so bad with ML firsts, take a look at "true"firsts in general- Steinbeck:The Moon Is Down Without printers name on copyright page and with large period between "talk" and "this"in line 11 page 12 Hemingway:For Whom The Bell Tolls First state dust jacket without photographer's name (Arnold) under authors picture Thus, it goes etc, etc book after book.like you, I get tired too, but that's part of the world of books.... ------------------------------------- From: GORDON NEAVILL <aa3401@removed> Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2002 05:27:45 -0400 The number inside the jacket isn't always unique to one season. If the number of titles added and discontinued balanced each other the number remained the same. 388 appears on fall 1959 jackets (list includes Salinger, Nine Stories but not Colette, Six Novels) and spring 1960 jackets (list includes Colette but not Dickens, Our Mutual Friend). ------------------------------------- From: HTatML@removed> Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 22:39:37 EST When I wrote the Guide I was well aware that the number on the dust jacket did not necessary portray the first issue jacket. However, my problem was to get as much information as possible in one line. The only way I could think to do this with reference to making the Guide useful and quick to determine the first issue jacket was by its number. I reckon it is probably 98% accurate. -------------------------------------