How to identify a first printing
- Travel guides are identified mainly by the EDITION number stated on the cover and title/copyright page (e.g. '5th edition'); the earliest edition of a given destination guide is the collectible point.
- The copyright page carries the edition number and the month/year of that edition, which is the reliable dating tool for a series revised on a short cycle.
- Number lines are secondary to the explicit edition statement for this series.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded in 1972/73 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler; the debut 'Across Asia on the Cheap' (1973) began as a homemade, stapled production, and early copies of it and 'South-East Asia on a Shoestring' are genuinely scarce.
- Ownership passed from the Wheelers to BBC Worldwide (2007/2011), then NC2 Media, then Red Ventures; the owner era can show on later printings but does not change the edition-number identification logic.
- Because guides are revised every year or two, collectors want the first edition of a given country or region guide; later editions hold little collectible interest.
- Surviving copies are often heavily used travel companions, so clean early firsts are uncommon.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Lonely Planet book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Travel guides are identified mainly by the EDITION number stated on the cover and title/copyright page (e.g. '5th edition'); the earliest edition of a given destination guide is the collectible point. The copyright page carries the edition number and the month/year of that edition, which is the reliable dating tool for a series revised on a short cycle.
Does Lonely Planet use a number line?
The copyright page carries the edition number and the month/year of that edition, which is the reliable dating tool for a series revised on a short cycle.
Is a book-club edition a Lonely Planet first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded in 1972/73 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler; the debut 'Across Asia on the Cheap' (1973) began as a homemade, stapled production, and early copies of it and 'South-East Asia on a Shoestring' are genuinely scarce.
What era does this cover?
This covers Lonely Planet (1973-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.