# Is "The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events 1)" by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events 1) by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) (HarperCollins, 1999) is identified by: First printing shows the full ascending number line '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' on the copyright page (this Harper imprint ends the true first at 10; later printings drop the low numbers). US HarperCollins true first (30 September 1999).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing shows the full ascending number line '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' on the copyright page (this Harper imprint ends the true first at 10; later printings drop the low numbers)
- Illustrated three-quarter semi-gloss pictorial boards with navy cloth spine lettered in white; issued WITHOUT a dust jacket
- Illustrated by Brett Helquist
- ISBN 0064407667
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing shows the full ascending number line '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing shows the full ascending number line '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' on the copyright page (this Harper imprint ends the true first at 10; later printings drop the low numbers). Illustrated three-quarter semi-gloss pictorial boards with navy cloth spine lettered in white; issued WITHOUT a dust jacket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. ISBN 0064407667.

## Is this the true first?
US HarperCollins true first (30 September 1999). First printing is scarce, especially signed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings advance the number line (the low numbers drop away) and add tie-in / Netflix-series wrappers. Book-fair and club issues differ.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events 1)* by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bad-beginning-a-series-of-unfortunate-events-1
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.