The points of issue
Copyright page carries the Viking imprint with a full number line descending to 1. Black boards with dust jacket; ISBN 0-670-03337-5; first-issue jacket with the printed price. Maps and illustrations throughout.
Is this the true first?
The US Viking edition (copyright 2005) is the edition generally collected as the first. The UK (Allen Lane) edition appeared in early 2005 as a separate first thus; precise priority between the two is debated, so neither should be asserted over the other as the global true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
There is no major book-club hardcover. Distinguish the first from later Viking printings (number line no longer ending in 1) and from the UK Allen Lane edition. A price-printed jacket plus the number line ending in 1 identify the US Viking first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page carries the Viking imprint with a full number line descending to 1. Black boards with dust jacket; ISBN 0-670-03337-5; first-issue jacket with the printed price. Maps and illustrations throughout.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Viking edition (copyright 2005) is the edition generally collected as the first. The UK (Allen Lane) edition appeared in early 2005 as a separate first thus; precise priority between the two is debated, so neither should be asserted over the other as the global true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
There is no major book-club hardcover. Distinguish the first from later Viking printings (number line no longer ending in 1) and from the UK Allen Lane edition. A price-printed jacket plus the number line ending in 1 identify the US Viking first.
I have a first edition of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.