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It was April 5, 1974.
Exactly 50 years ago today!
Stephen King, a Maine high school teacher who had been writing on evenings and weekends, sees his first full-length novel, Carrie, published and released by Doubleday &
Co.
It becomes a bestseller and later inspires a movie of the same name.
This was a rare & historically important event in that introduced a
brand new author to the world of publishing,
An author that would eventually become one of the most prolific writers ever, with dozens of novels and hundreds of short stories to his name.
An
author that would inspire others, shape movies and media of many different genres, and have a profound impact on the literary world.
So let's examine why First Editions are significant...
The First Edition of the author’s first book.
There is an underlying spirit of risk in a first edition.
Not knowing how the book will sell, the publisher takes a chance on the author. If there are reprints, that means the book is selling well, and those copies are already accounted for by bookstores looking to fill the demand from their customers.
Thankfully for Doubleday, the publication of Carrie proved to be a
very wise and important decision.
A first edition is a symbol of the publisher’s faith in the author and his manuscript.
Some non-collectors are puzzled by the popularity of first editions. Some may even prefer a shiny, crisp new copy to an old, musty, perhaps slightly used version of the same book. After all, the content is the same.
But if book collecting is thought of as a financial and personal investment, first
editions are much more likely to appreciate in value over time. They are the most sought-after, as seen here with this edition.
Authenticity (The First Edition)
Collectors also revere first editions such as Carrie because they are the closest readers can get to the intended manuscript penned by the author. A first edition is the layout, typeface, and cover design originally chosen by the publisher and author.
Collectors even cherish any unintentional errors in the first edition.
Subsequent reprints will correct any errors found in the first edition, and perhaps there has been new text or new forewords added. These issues further remove the reprint from the original intended work.
The law of supply and demand
As with anything, value is also determined by the law of supply and demand. While a book may be very scarce, if
there is little or no demand for it, this will be reflected in the value of the book.
Likewise, a book may be in high demand ; however, if large quantities of first editions were printed, the value will still remain relatively low.
As a general rule, books that never change over time (works of fiction) will have had much more limited numbers of first-firsts (1st/1st) than books that have multiple editions where content is concerned, e.g. non-fiction, such as first and subsequent editions of text books.
The Doubleday publication (1974)
"Carrie" was published by Doubleday with an original First Printing production run of only 30,000 copies, a much smaller number than first editions of later
novels.
These first printing copies had "First Edition" printed onto the copyright page, a price of $5.95 on the dust-jacket flap, and "P6" printed in the gutter portion of page 199. This indicates the true first state.
Unfortunately, some Doubleday books from this era were created relatively poorly. Many copies of this book suffer from the same poor-quality binding and dust-jacket as many other early Doubleday books.
That is why very few have survived in Fine or Near Fine condition. It is a difficult one to locate. And if so, the condition of the book will highly impact its value
But now there is good
news...
If you are a fastidious Stephen King collector, here is an extraordinary chance to possess this stand-out First Edition of CARRIE with the original dust-jacket.
This 50-year old classic novel has now become a highly sought after first edition in the Stephen King collector's community.
But here's the thing...
It is not only about the binding, the boards, the pages, and the dust-jacket.
It is also about what this first printing of the book represents that gives its unique power. It is the solid representation of when Stephen King was first introduced to the publishing world.
This Collector's Grade First Edition is one of the best ones we have seen in close to 20 years!
It has been expertly preserved.
View 28 photos of this book that show its condition.
It is a first edition/first printing of King's very first published novel, in the best example available.
A representation of a
collector edition that will hold its value, with investment potential, and reward your ownership for years to come.
This book today meets every one of the
important criteria for collecting first editions.
This first edition is housed in a handsome custom clam-shell tray case, featuring elegant black leather & fine gold cloth.
