The first printing of a book in its original form, which can become valuable to collectors if the book later becomes famous.
A first edition is the initial batch of copies printed from the first typesetting of a book. In publishing terminology, "first edition" specifically refers to the first print run before any revisions, corrections, or new printings occur. When a book gets reprinted without changes, those copies are technically a new printing of the first edition. A true "second edition" only happens when the text is substantially revised. For collectors, a first edition/first printing is the holy grail, especially if the initial print run was small and the book went on to become culturally significant.
Understanding editions matters for a few practical reasons. If you're self-publishing, you need to know when a revision to your book qualifies as a new edition versus a corrected reprint. If you're traditionally published, first-edition copies of your debut might become collectible if your career takes off. And if you're a reader, understanding edition terminology helps you know exactly which version of a text you're reading, which matters when books are revised, expanded, or censored between editions.
First editions from the original 500-copy print run are among the most valuable modern books in existence. A first edition in good condition has sold for over $400,000 at auction.
The first edition had a print run of about 20,000 copies in 1925. It was considered a commercial disappointment at the time, but first editions now sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The 1960 first edition had an initial print run of 5,000 copies. Lee's publisher, Lippincott, had modest expectations, which makes surviving first editions remarkably valuable today.
First editions from 1996 were printed in modest numbers before the series exploded in popularity. The TV adaptation turned these into highly sought-after collector's items.
Pull a few books off your shelf and check the copyright page. Look for the number line (a row of numbers like 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number tells you which printing you have. If the number 1 is present, you have a first printing. Do this with five books and see if any of them are first editions. Then look up what those first editions sell for online.