The points of issue
Brown cloth (not cloth-backed boards); copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1; first-state dust jacket priced and not clipped. Illustrated throughout.
Is this the true first?
US Basic Books (New York) true first. Won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and the inaugural American Book Award for Nonfiction (1980).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issue lacks the jacket price and carries a board blind-stamp; verify the number line ends in 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Brown cloth (not cloth-backed boards); copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1; first-state dust jacket priced and not clipped. Illustrated 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. US Basic Books (New York) true first. Won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and the inaugural American Book Award for Nonfiction (1980).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club issue lacks the jacket price and carries a board blind-stamp; verify the number line ends in 1.
I have a first edition of Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid — 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.