The points of issue
The true first appearance is the four-part illustrated 'Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie' (Vertigo prestige-format miniseries, 1997-1998), followed by the collected illustrated hardcover and trade paperback (Vertigo, 1998). The unillustrated prose edition is a later, separate first.
Is this the true first?
The Charles Vess-illustrated Vertigo edition (1997-1998 miniseries, collected 1998) is the true first appearance. The unillustrated prose version followed in 1999: the US Avon/Spike hardcover (February 1999) is the first prose edition, with the UK Hodder Headline hardcover (1999) issued afterward.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish the illustrated Vess first from the later prose first. The 2007 film tie-in editions are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Stardust a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The true first appearance is the four-part illustrated 'Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie' (Vertigo prestige-format miniseries, 1997-1998), followed by the collected illustrated hardcover and trade paperback (Vertigo, 1998). The unillustrated prose edition is a later, separate 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. The Charles Vess-illustrated Vertigo edition (1997-1998 miniseries, collected 1998) is the true first appearance. The unillustrated prose version followed in 1999: the US Avon/Spike hardcover (February 1999) is the first prose edition, with the UK Hodder Headline hardcover (1999) issued afterward.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Distinguish the illustrated Vess first from the later prose first. The 2007 film tie-in editions are reprints.
I have a first edition of Stardust — 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.