Are first edition books with errors actually more valuable to collectors?

[WalterWah]

I was browsing my library and realized I have a few books with typos and a few of them are quite considerable and one of the books lacks a page in a classic novel. I have always been told that any mistake made in printing a book can make it worth more, particularly in the case of a first edition, but I am not aware whether the same thing holds with the present day paperbacks, or only with older hardcovers. As an illustration, is a typo on page 50 a significant rare find in a book that the publishing house should be proud of or simply a bad batch of paper? I wonder whether there are people in this crowd who majors in book collecting and what exactly sorts of errors the hobbyists seek and where I can find these editions evaluated.

 

[megamind]

It really depends on if the error is a "point of issue." For example, in the first edition of The Great Gatsby, there’s a typo on page 205 where it says "sick in tired" instead of "sick and tired." If you have that, you have a true first state! But if your book is just missing a page because the machine coughed, it’s unfortunately just a broken book.

 

[Emmawoods]

Modern paperbacks are mass-produced in the millions. A typo in a random 2024 thriller isn't a "rarity," it's just poor proofreading. Unless the book is already a massive cultural phenomenon (like early Harry Potter), modern errors rarely move the needle on price.

 

[ArthurMex]

Missing pages are a death sentence for value 99% of the time. Collectors want "fine" condition, which means complete and intact. Unless it's a famous case like the Wicked Bible (which left out the word "not" in "Thou shalt not commit adultery"), a missing page just makes it a reading copy, not a collectible.

 

[Olivier]

Check sites like AbeBooks or Biblio! Search for your specific title + "first edition points." If your specific typo is listed as a way to identify a first state, you might be sitting on some cash. Otherwise, it's just a "unique" quirk for your personal shelf.

 

[captainghost]

Condition is king! Even a first edition with the "right" errors won't sell for much if the spine is cracked or the pages are falling out. A "perfect" copy of a second printing is often worth more to a casual collector than a "trashed" copy of a first printing.

 

[rebeccareed]

If you want a real evaluation, look for an ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America) dealer. They won't charge you to tell you if it's worth a professional appraisal. Just don't get your hopes up too high true "valuable" errors are pretty rare!