20th Century First Edition Fiction /2000 Edition: A Price and Identification Guide : The Complete Guide for Collectors of Used Books (Twentieth Century ... Fiction: A Price & Identification Guide) (Paperback)

by Thomas Lee (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Collecting first-edition fiction can be extremely challenging without accurate references. This book addresses for both the beginning and advanced collector how to identify a true first edition, which dust jackets go with which first editions, how grading (estimating the condition) is done, and what first editions in various grades are worth. Terms commonly used in book collecting are explained and a pricing section covering over 1,250 books by today's most collected authors is included. Unlike other collectors' guides, this is not merely a printout of auction sales or catalog prices, but a complete guide to identifying and pricing first-edition fiction.

About the Author
Thomas Lee is the owner of Book Emporium, a business specializing in providing high-quality first-edition fiction. He lives in Rockville, Maryland.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Book Emporium Press; Revised edition (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096534293X
• ISBN-13: 978-0965342933
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,567,908 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars MISLEADING!, May 11, 2001

By	Almark (Thornhill, Ontario) - See all my reviews

Mr. Lee, at least in the brand new 2001 Edition (and I can only assume that this edition would be an improvement over the 2000 edition), pays little or no attention to British Editions, especially when he's considering British authors.

The first three entries in this new edition are Douglas Adams, Eric Ambler and Jeffrey Archer, all British, and in each case he either disregards the TRUE First Edition (British) or lists the American Edition first. By listing the American Edition before the correct British Edition he implies that the US is the true first. THAT is not only dispensing inaccurate information, but for beginning collectors, misleading information.

I am not certain if this was an oversight, or if it was done deliberately. The reason I say that is that perhaps Mr. Lee wants to sell his own American Editions and by listing them first in the guide, he fools neophyte collectors into believing that a Simon and Schuster Edition of Jeffrey Archer's best book, "Kane and Abel" is the only appearance of that book. That the Hodder and Stoughton TRUE First Edition doesn't exist.

That attitude is irresponsible.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars OK, but....., July 11, 2001

By A Customer

Some useful info but it's absurd that this is a "2000 edition" and covers books up to about 1993! What did he do when he updated this book, close his door and stay inside from 1993 to 1999 writing this book, ignoring any books written after 1993? Weird.

What boggles my mind is how few books there are on pricing and grading first edition books, and the ones that do exist are not very good, including Aherns. Why can't someone come out with a decent one like they do for comic books (Overstreet, etc)?

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Talk about a limited scope!, April 19, 2002

By	"buddhaman2000" (Davis, California USA) - See all my reviews

I'm not sure exactly how this guy came up with his criteria for what to include in this book and what to leave out. There is no Kurt Vonnegut, no Toni Morrison, no Saul Bellow, and no J.D. Salinger. Morrison and Bellow are both Nobel laureates in "20th century fiction"! And Salinger's first edition of Catcher in the Rye is probably one of the most sought-after books in this category. On top of this, the book is full of editorial errors. Not worth the trouble.