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Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions
 
 
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Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions (Paperback)

by Bill McBride (Compiler)
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)


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Product Details

  • Paperback
  • Publisher: McBride; 6th edition (January 1, 2001)
  • ISBN-10: 0930313062
  • ISBN-13: 978-0930313067
  • Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 3.6 x 0.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78,011 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
86 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars First Editions Guide, May 10, 2000
By A Customer
This book is a very necessary and handy reference for any book collector, whether novice or expert. A particular advantage to this book is the compact format for information on a wide variety of publishers.

Other books will have information about current or expected values (such as the Ahearn books, but before you get to the value determination, you will need to know whether or not you have a true first edition. That is the entire focus of this book. And, this is a true "pocket" guide in that it is compact, yet well cross-referenced. About the size of a daytimer calander.

I carry this with me on many business trips where I use it at used and rare bookshops around the country. It is comprehensive in the information, but not bulky or awkward to carry.

The first section contains information about general edition identification circumstances which will clear up a lot of confusion as to whether you have a book club edition, a second printing, or a true first - although it does not list any specifics about a particular book and the points identifying a first of the specific book. The next section is an alphabetical listing of publishers with a key to the listings (abbreviations) located in a handy spot inside the back cover.

I highly recommend this book as a "portable" resource for your book hunting trips.

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72 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Searching For That Elusive First Printing, July 23, 2001
By Bruce Crocker "agnostictrickster" (Whittier, California United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
I owe quite a lot to Bill McBride and his A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions. When I started collecting books in earnest over a decade ago, I knew very little about first editions [more correctly 'first printings']. My first education in 'firsts' came from a 3rd Edition of this handy little book. I always carry it [now the 6th Revised Edition] when I'm doing the used bookstores somewhere [the urban counterpart to the rock collecting I do in the outback] and many times Mr. McBride's little book has saved me from buying a book misidentified as a 'first' and has helped me find a few bargains when a long sought 'first' was not identified as such. Before you challenge the used bookstore circuit [my favorites are in San Francisco, Berkeley, and the Los Angeles/Orange County area] or, braver yet, the yard sale/estate sale/swap meet/Goodwill circuit, make sure you have a copy of Mr. McBride's little book in your hip pocket.
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, for beginners, July 31, 2004
By Ian Mccullough "bookninja" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I bought this after about 5 years as a bookdealer thinking it might help me out on the road. It did not. Most of first edition identification is common sense, and I just didn't find this booklet very useful. It is concise and accurate and comprehensive, so no taking away from the other reviewers. If you have never worked in the used book business, this would be a very good book. But if you are very serious, consider the Zemple guide from Spoon River Press.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellant Reference Guide
Excellent reference guide. Contains brief information to help instantly identify first editions of most publishers. Truly pocket size, easily slips in your pocket or purse. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Susan M. Kester

5.0 out of 5 stars if you are looking for books; you need this
There are a lot of book collectors who invest time in garage sales, estate sales, etc. to find something else for their own personal library. Read more
Published on July 9, 2007 by Denise Dunbar

5.0 out of 5 stars If you really want to make sure it is a first edition hard cover
Anyone seriously, or casually, collecting books should have a copy of the Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions by Bill McBride with them whenever they are on a... Read more
Published on December 29, 2006 by G. Fisher

3.0 out of 5 stars A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions
I think Books and a Mission are in the shipping business instead of the book business. $3.49 charge to ship a 3"X 5" 1/4" thick pamphlet?
Published on March 29, 2006 by Robert G. Hill

2.0 out of 5 stars And this is an expert?
I keep running into Booksellers, Book Collectors saying "But McBride's Books Say". Please take all and any information with a grain of salt, when some of the information are just... Read more
Published on May 30, 2005 by Just One More Book Collector

1.0 out of 5 stars TOO BAD THERE'S NOT A ZERO STAR RATING!!!
This is NOT a book!! It is a fold of about 25 half-size pages stapled in the center with a cover of card stock printed in black. The information was totally ho-hum. Read more
Published on December 30, 2004 by D. Emerich

2.0 out of 5 stars I paid 14 bucks for this?
This is not to fault the vendor from whom I purchased this item used, the price as new was even more. Read more
Published on December 28, 2004 by Leon Davis

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy basics on identifying firsts
The introduction gives a solid background on first editions in general. The bulk of the booklet -- and it is a booklet to carry with you -- is a 100-page list of about 3600... Read more
Published on January 26, 2002 by 2many2read

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference!
I can't function without this booklet. The best I've come across so far. If you're a book seller/dealer or a book collector, this is what you need to help identify First Editions... Read more
Published on July 4, 2001 by Evelyn

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent aid to finding First Editions
This little book in a nutshell clears up any questions you may have if you're having trouble telling if your old book is a first edition or not. Read more
Published on June 29, 2001 by Donna J. Wrightington

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