The points of issue
First trade paperback collecting Sandman 8-16, DC Comics, 1990, ISBN 0-930289-59-1 (9780930289591), with a foreword by Clive Barker. First printing identified by the 1990 indicia with no later-printing statement and the original cover. The ISBN 1-56389-016-9 found on many copies belongs to a later DC/Vertigo printing, not the 1990 first.
Is this the true first?
Single issues (Sandman 1 onward, beginning 1989) are the true first appearances and the key collectibles (especially issue 1, and issue 8 for the first appearance of Death). The Doll's House was actually the first Sandman trade paperback published (1990), rushed out to meet a Rolling Stone advertising deadline; the better-known Preludes & Nocturnes collection followed in 1991. Early first-printing trades are scarce relative to later printings.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later trade printings carry a later-printing statement in the indicia and the later ISBN 1-56389-016-9. First printings of the early Sandman trades are notably scarcer than reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sandman: The Doll's House a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First trade paperback collecting Sandman 8-16, DC Comics, 1990, ISBN 0-930289-59-1 (9780930289591), with a foreword by Clive Barker. First printing identified by the 1990 indicia with no later-printing statement and the original cover. The ISBN 1-56389-016-9 found on many copies belongs to a later DC/Vertigo printing, not the 1990 first.
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. Single issues (Sandman 1 onward, beginning 1989) are the true first appearances and the key collectibles (especially issue 1, and issue 8 for the first appearance of Death). The Doll's House was actually the first Sandman trade paperback published (1990), rushed out to meet a Rolling Stone advertisi
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. Later trade printings carry a later-printing statement in the indicia and the later ISBN 1-56389-016-9. First printings of the early Sandman trades are notably scarcer than reprints.
I have a first edition of Sandman: The Doll's House — 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.