The points of issue
Billy Collins's first full collection, University of Arkansas Press, 1988, first printing (no later-printing or additional-edition statement on the copyright page); issued in both cloth and wrappers. The hardcover first is genuinely scarce given the small pre-fame print run. Includes 'Introduction to Poetry' and other later-anthologized poems.
Is this the true first?
US true first; a pre-fame small-press debut and among the scarcest Collins titles, especially in cloth.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; the crux is the scarce 1988 cloth first versus wrappers and the later (1996) reissue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Apple That Astonished Paris a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Billy Collins's first full collection, University of Arkansas Press, 1988, first printing (no later-printing or additional-edition statement on the copyright page); issued in both cloth and wrappers. The hardcover first is genuinely scarce given the small pre-fame print run. Includes 'Introduction to Poetry' and other later-anthologized poems.
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 true first; a pre-fame small-press debut and among the scarcest Collins titles, especially in cloth.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition; the crux is the scarce 1988 cloth first versus wrappers and the later (1996) reissue.
I have a first edition of The Apple That Astonished Paris — 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.