Points of Issue

First issue? Second?
Carry the answers in your pocket

After determining whether a book is a first edition, you may or may not be finished investigating. Many books, primarily literary works of the 19th and 20th centuries, may have the first edition divided into a "first issue," and a "second issue." The "points" occur when a punctuation or spelling error, a misplaced illustration, a suppressed phrase, a change in binding style, cloth or stamping, or any of a dozen other items are found during the first printing of a book and corrected without changing the method of first edition identification. The changes are made, the book is issued, yet some copies of the first edition contain the earlier state ("point") and others do not. Collectors prefer the earliest state of a first edition, so it is essential for the book collector, cataloguer, librarian and bookseller to be aware of the location of these points and what comprises the point itself.

Points of Issue is now in its third edition and includes over 1500 points of issue found in collectible books of literature from the U. S. and Great Britain from 1850 to the present. It describes exactly where to look and what to look for, including many dustjacket points. You'll also learn how to identify book club editions that masquerade as true firsts, and how to find the telltale differences.