The points of issue
First printing stated on the copyright page; priced trade dust jacket. A Franklin Library signed limited edition, full leather with all-edges-gilt and marbled endpapers, was issued for its Signed First Edition Society.
Is this the true first?
True first trade edition is the 1985 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence printing. The Franklin Library signed leather edition was a deluxe limited issue for subscribers, distinct from the trade first. UK: Jonathan Cape, 1985.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the stated first printing and the priced jacket; identify the first by the stated first printing and an unclipped priced jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Galápagos a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing stated on the copyright page; priced trade dust jacket. A Franklin Library signed limited edition, full leather with all-edges-gilt and marbled endpapers, was issued for its Signed First Edition Society.
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. True first trade edition is the 1985 Delacorte Press / Seymour Lawrence printing. The Franklin Library signed leather edition was a deluxe limited issue for subscribers, distinct from the trade first. UK: Jonathan Cape, 1985.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club edition lacks the stated first printing and the priced jacket; identify the first by the stated first printing and an unclipped priced jacket.
I have a first edition of Galápagos — 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.