The points of issue
Two issue points: (1) the scarce signed/limited issue of 200 copies bound in asbestos boards (Johns-Manville Quinterra), signed and numbered; (2) the trade first in hardcover and the simultaneous paperback. Hardcover trade first stated 'First Edition' / first printing, jacket priced the printed price.
Is this the true first?
The asbestos-bound limited (200 copies) is the true premier collectible state, preceding/concurrent with the trade. The trade hardcover precedes most later printings; Ballantine issued hardcover and paperback simultaneously, so the hardcover is the preferred collectible first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Ballantine printings drop 'First Edition.' Book-club hardcovers exist and carry the usual blind stamp and no jacket price. Beware reading-copy paperbacks misdescribed as 'first edition.'
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Fahrenheit 451 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Two issue points: (1) the scarce signed/limited issue of 200 copies bound in asbestos boards (Johns-Manville Quinterra), signed and numbered; (2) the trade first in hardcover and the simultaneous paperback. Hardcover trade first stated 'First Edition' / first printing, jacket priced the printed price.
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 asbestos-bound limited (200 copies) is the true premier collectible state, preceding/concurrent with the trade. The trade hardcover precedes most later printings; Ballantine issued hardcover and paperback simultaneously, so the hardcover is the preferred collectible first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Ballantine printings drop 'First Edition.' Book-club hardcovers exist and carry the usual blind stamp and no jacket price. Beware reading-copy paperbacks misdescribed as 'first edition.'
I have a first edition of Fahrenheit 451 — 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.