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Articles - January - 2015 Issue

Seeking Collectible Editions from a Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

- by Renee Roberts

New York: Del Rey/Ballantine #2403-4 August, 1977 with 16 pp. of color photographs from the movie and printing code S27, John Berkey cover.

New York: Del Rey/Ballantine #2403-4 August, 1977 with 16 pp. of color photographs from the movie and printing code S27, John Berkey cover.

The Science Fiction Book Club edition was, in fact, the first hardcover edition of Star Wars.

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Posted On: 2015-01-01 16:16
User Name: keeline

As already implied in the article, the first appearance in hardcover may not be the most valuable. The book club edition of Star Wars was printed in larger numbers than the trade first edition. Probably for a collector the simple answer is to own them both along with the 1976 paperback with the concept art.

Only some of the Han Solo and Lando Calrissian books from the late-1970s and early-1980s had trade editions so sometimes the only hardcover to be found is the book club edition.

The first Zahn book, Heir to the Empire (1991), has a seldom-seen band around the jacket.

This collection is not exhaustive (because I have not kept up with recent releases) but may be interesting to see some of what is out there.

https://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=Keeline&collection=93014&shelf=list&sort=date&sort=date

James D. Keeline

Rare Book Monthly

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