SCARCE US TRUE FIRST STATE BOOK of HARRY POTTER and the SORCERERS STONE SEE THE GUIDE WITH PHOTOS of 1ST STATE, Plus BUYER BEWARE ALERTS and COMPLETE DETAILS TO HELP YOU DETERMINE AUTHENTICITY OR FRAUD

Sorcerer's Stone First State Guide

Run and get your book, we'll wait for you..  :)

 Ok, let me begin by saying when you see the words "ISSUE POINT" that means your book needs to have this particular detail and this detail MUST MATCH EXACTLY.

Your book will need to have "ALL" of the following issue points to be a True First State!

• ISSUE POINT- ISBN 0-590-35340-3
• ISSUE POINT- 309 pages
• ISSUE POINT- The hard boards should be purple, and have a diamond-embossed/quilted pattern, with red cloth spine.

• ISSUE POINT- The full number line as it appears on the copyright page Should Read, and in this order ....

• ISSUE POINT- The  "1" must be present and in the Very FIRST POSITION in the number line. (The arrow is pointing to where the "1" should be. The number "1" indicates a First Printing.

BOOK CLUB EDITIONS SECTION:

THE JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD IS A BOOK CLUB. The Junior Library Guild is a unique service that provides libraries with new-release childrens books from the lists of the foremost childrens publishers at a discount of up to 55% off the publishers prices. These JLG books are reproductions of the original versions. (Source Credits to Jr Library Guild Web Site) This is one of the earliest known BCE's. This book may have gone to print prior to the release of the First State book, however was published after its release.

Though the BCE book pictured below is an exceptional BCE,  it is one of the rarest, most difficult to locate and continues to be highly sought after. This book has a pictorial cover that features the Guardian Blurb on the rear, as well as the Guardian jacket which does differ from the First State.

JLG Book Club Edition ---->

3 Other Book Club Editions of the Sorcerers Stone:

Solid Red Boards & Spine..No Price on the jacket...book is slightly smaller in size, it has NO number line and is not marked "First Edition". This BCE is a Scholastic Press Exclusive by arrangement of the Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Scholastic. The copy right is 1997.

Black Spine with Maroon Hard Boards ...nearly the same size as the first state trade ..just a hair smaller, (not a noticeable difference), same number line as the trade. Copyright page and quality of pages are lighter in weight and more transparent. The diamonds bleed through from the title page and are visible. Publishers Weekly Quote, this BCE never had a Guardian Jacket.

Solid Black hard boards and spine, very close to trade size. Same number line as the first state trade nearly the same quality if paper. $17.95 price on dust wrapper. I have also found this version without a price on the jacket.

These 3 Book Club Editions are NOT Trade Copies and will never be Trade copies.  Certain sellers have tried, and will say just about anything to make a buck, including degrading this guide and others.   I offer this guide free of charge with no strings attached.  Don't fall for their line of crap!  BUYER BEWARE : A  BCE, in this case,  is a mass produced "COPY" from an original that was published well after the trade was released. Remember, the original issue price was $16.95 and this price remained on all TRADE jackets to about the 14th printing, at which time the price changed to $17.95. Simply put, early printings and early states of AUTHENTIC TRADE COPIES wore a $16.95 price on their jacket. Any of these $16.95 jackets are still highly sought after for this very reason. (jacket switching to cover BCE's)  Do your homework, you'll see for yourself who is giving you honest, sound advice. . For additional information contact the book club or the publisher of the printing to confirm.

FYI AREA

Did you know a Trade Copy of any book almost always wears a "Price" on it's jacket?

Did you know that most Book Club Editions don't?...but some do.
 

....At this point, most of you are going to slam your book shut and scream!...Or...some might want to jump into a car and nonchalantly venture down to the nearest sporting goods store and explain to the clerk that you are going on a hunting trip to an undisclosed location where you just spent a hefty portion of your income on a book that promised to be.."The Rare One" !!

Or..you might want to read on.. 

What printing is your book section:

The examples given below are from an actual Sorcerer's Stone First State Book. Printings in general are the same basic concept and should be considered a First Printing if the Number "1" appears in the number line. USE CAUTION: Don't mistake the Publishing year for the printing, and do not confuse the number ten "10" for a 1 or a 0

The LOWEST number... in the first run of numbers... BEFORE the open space ...INDICATES THE PRINTING

Example Shown: Lowest number in this first run is (one)... or A First Printing

---> 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 ... Note that the "10" in the center is the number ten.

The FIRST number in the second run of numbers AFTER the open space ....indicates the first year of publication.

Example: First number in the second run is (eight)-----> 8  9/9  0/0  01  02   or...    (Published in 1998)

Please know that any run of numbers may NOT be in a specific order. But, if the Number "1" is present, then it indicates a first printing of that book's publication, weather it be a Trade Copy or a Book Club Edition.  Also, "Letters", instead of numbers are sometimes used to indicate a printing as well. "A" being a First Printing.

The years of Publication may not always be present in a full number line and could be documented on the copyright page in another format. It should be present on this first state book as pictured above.

MORE ISSUE POINTS SECTION CONTINUED

• ISSUE POINT- The copyright page should state "Printed in the U. S. A. 23 First American Edition, October 1998
• ISSUE POINT- The jacket price "MUST" be present in order to confirm your copy is a trade copy. Most Book Club Editions are not priced.  
• ISSUE POINT- A TRUE FIRST, original jacket price, if not price clipped, should read $16.95 and be located on the inside flap of the front of the jacket. If no price is present, question seller to see if the price has been gift/price clipped, or if book is a Book Club Edition. (BCE)

• ISSUE POINT- ANY Gold lettering found on the jacket cover... should be "raised and or recessed" Gold Lettering. ( If you close your eyes and run your finger tips over the lettering, it SHOULD be felt).
• ISSUE POINT- A true First State of this book,  SHOULD NOT HAVE the number "1" on the Spine of the (JACKET or... the BOOK). The number "1" was added to later printings and was meant to indicate the first year in a series of seven years or... 7 books, with 6 books to follow the first. AGAIN, The number "1" should be absent on the spines of the jacket and book. This is very important!
• ISSUE POINT- The jacket should be softly textured. If you close your eyes and run your finger over the jacket, you should be able to feel the texture. The texture is also visible.

Note: Some BCE (Book Club Editions) DO NOT HAVE the number "1" on the spines of the jacket or book, but you now know that a jacket price should be present, and the hard boards on a true first should be purple and red. 

• ISSUE POINT- The UPC bar code on the back of the dust jacket should have a white/cream (not pink) backing and the number 51695 (in black), above the SMALLER bar code. Years ago this white bar code was referred to as the "cream"  bar code, but is actually white, they are one in the same.  This should be located in the lower left hand corner on the back of the jacket, and not across the back.

• ISSUE POINT- The quote on the rear of the dust jacket should be from (-The Guardian London), and not, I repeat, NOT from Publishers Weekly. This is very important, if your book says Publishers weekly, then it is not a First State Jacket, but may contain a First State Printing of the book. It must have the Guardian Blurb present in order to be a First State Jacket. (MORE ISSUE POINTS BELOW)

"The Guardian Blurb"SECTION

This is the original quote which was made by the Guardian of London and the way it SHOULD HAVE appeared on all jackets originally, but didn't: "And Harry Potter, the hero of the tale, could assume near-legendary status as Roald Dahl's Charlie, of the chocolate factory fame." (This correct quote never appeared on any of the books)

This is the miss-quoted error (Blurb) and the way it ACTUALLY APPEARS on all First State Jackets.  "Harry Potter could assume the same near-legendary status as Roald Dahl's Charlie, of chocolate factory fame." (This uncorrected error should appear on your jacket for a First State Status)This review error distinguishes the jacket from all others making it a First State Jacket.

Notice the missing word... ((("And"))) 

Also missing is this segment: ((("the hero of the tale")))

• ISSUE POINT- Must have the initials (J K) Upper Line, (Rowling) lower line, printed (in Gold) on the top of the spine of the book and jacket. (if only "Rowling" is present and not J K), it is quite possible that your book, and or jacket is a second state or later.... in some cases... much later.

(TRUE FIRST STATE-Spines Correctly Matched)

This concludes the issue points needed. I counted at least 14 that should be present in order to secure a True First State US Trade Copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

If your book has ANY differences, even a single difference...It is a good possibility that it is NOT a True US First State book.  There are so many editions and variations of this book that it is very difficult to determine which printing of which state one might actually have. I have honestly lost count of the many printings and states.

*****

.....If your book matches ALL of the above issue points, Congratulations!...You have in your possession one of the most sought after books in the world today.  Do protect it, professionally, and insure it. It is a very rare book indeed, but worth much more in its original First State Jacket!

If you are one of the lucky few to have found a book with the First State Jacket, Congratulations!....Now double check all the issue points to see if your book is worthy of it's cover!

Together....they are Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone...FIRST STATE BOOK

 NEW FINDINGS SECTION

Although all second printings I seen, early and near the release date, were covered with Publishers Weekly Jackets, recent findings indicate the possibility of some 2nd printings being covered with FIRST STATE JACKETS.

A special "Thanks" to Greg for helping me keep you up to date. This is an unconfirmed and undocumented finding, but certainly possible.

BUYER'S BEWARE SECTION

FRAUD UNCOVERED!!

READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY!

This section is reserved for recent FRAUD or questionable activity

It seams the "Varmints" are definitely at it again. Thanks to the help of another eBayer, this has been brought to my attention. After viewing some photos and confirming with the actual buyer(s)... This is the discovery: Books have been found with chopped up, cut or replaced copyright pages that were not original to the book. Slashed bindings and teal end papers were found with razor cuts along the spine and clear evidence that the entire front leaf stack (which includes the copyright page), had been glued and switched without notice. These fake books began to surface ( Feb 14, 2008) and were sold and bought around Christmas 2007. In most cases, 100% feedback had been exchanged with few complaints...  DIG DEEP INTO PROFILES- NO ONE IS SAFE!  

THAT HAVING BEEN SAID- Please double check your book for glued in , stuck, or uneven copyright pages. Submit your findings to eBay ASAP and make contact with your seller! Let them know what you have discovered.

TO BE CERTAIN: AVOID ALL BOOKS THAT HAVE ANY CUTS TO THE SPINE OR BINDING AREA. ANY CUTS ARE RED FLAG MATERIAL!

ANY GLUE ALONG THE SPINE, INNER BOARDS OR ALONG THE COPYRIGHT PAGE IS QUESTIONABLE!

ALWAYS Ask for CLEAR, CLOSE UP, overhead images from all sides of the book to help determine authenticity.  

If you suspect your book may have issues, my advice is to Black Light test it for glued in or excess adhesive along copyright pages and bindings. Fresh glue will stick out like a sore thumb and glows like nothing else under black lighting, especially on paper! You might even be able to pick up a finger print or 2.  Note: Some books may contain actual repairs, so use good judgment to determine your book's condition.  

It seams some sellers have a stock pile of the very early, very rare printings. How is that possible you ask? Deception! If the book is so rare, how are they able to list them on a weekly basis? It's Simple-RED FLAG!  (Some sellers just don't like this part of my guide, and have told me so) lol

ALWAYS.. question a "Private" auction. Ask yourself..."Why would this auction be "Private" if the seller has nothing to hide! WHY? There has to be good reason...lol

NOTE: The original jacket price of $16.95 remained on jackets up through about the 14TH PRINTING.  Publishers Weekly Jackets with a $16.95 jacket price are very prized among the varmints who switch jackets because it's difficult to prove what printing that jacket originally covered.

Always remember-The 1/1/1 was published in a heavier weight paper. The First Printing BCE copyright page is thinner and obviously transparent. The back side bleeds through and the diamonds are clearly visible without much lighting. Always look at the QUALITY of the copyright page. If you are not happy with what you see, ask for additional photos of overhead shots. You should not be able to see the diamonds in an overhead shot.

Use caution when sellers use excuses for where the book was bought to try to release themselves of any possible deception. That to me, is an instant RED FLAG.

Advice: Be certain that the jacket's condition is consistent with the book's condition.  Always ask if the jacket is original to the book. If you get no response, keep shopping.

 REVIEW SIGNATURE SECTION

 I do not know how many actual US First State (Guardian) Printings exist. It has been estimated or rumored to be around 5000 copies. I personally believe it to be much less.  Here's why....

After much effort, time, and research, I have discovered that an estimated 250 "First State" copies were handed out during the Author's FIRST American Debut.... at a book extravaganza in New York. Many have speculated that this event was the actual American Review of the book. The event took place sometime late in 1997?... Oddly enough, I can find NO documentation of the fact that this event was the actual Review. Further more,  it has been reported that No review sheets were made available, nor handed out during the event. To this day it remains uncertain if those first state printings were actually review copies. These 250 said books were US Hardback Trade Copies, not paper back ARC or Galley Readers. The actual US release date of this book was late in 1998. I am still researching this event for documentation, and will update this section as new information is found.

INTERESTING TIME LINE...either before, during or shortly after the so called "Review" event, came the discovery of the jacket error, AKA the "Guardian Blurb". Those estimated 250 books handed out at the event, were said to contain the Guardian Blurb on the rears of the jackets. Future publications were corrected a short time later.

A note about signatures and the debut :

In addition to the above information and during this event, very few copies were signed by the Author.... It is not known if any were "signed and then hand dated" and if so...it would be difficult to prove authenticity without a review sheet. 

In my opinion, a true "Review" copy of this book would have to be: a True First Printing/ True First State/ True First Edition, with all the issue points listed above, along with a First State jacket and....proof that the signature was obtained that night in question, and....be flat-signed and... hand dated by the Author! Interestingly enough.... no review sheets were handed out with the book,..so I'm told. To this date, I have not been able to locate a single signed copy that dates back to the US Debut or further more, with any type of review sheet, any documentation, or even a receipt for the purchase of a book linking the event. Was this intentional?...I don't know, you call it! So... if you see that someone is selling a review copy of this book, signed with documentation....be very cautious and question its authenticity.  Ask for proof and more proof, before making your purchase. If you have one...please share it, the world would love to see it!

PRICELESS

THIS BOOK IS PRICELESS TO ME! Ironically, for those of you who are wondering where the book in the photos came from... well....believe it or not, I found it sitting on a bookshelf in my sons bedroom, long after my quest to obtain a copy of the book, and long after my search had been exhausted. When I asked him, "where did this book come from?".. he said to me, and I quote, "Grandma gave me the money and I bought it at a yard sale down the street for one dollar and 50 cents a long time ago, why mom?"....I nearly fell to the floor with tears in my eyes. Grandma is long gone....but she left him something he could treasure for a lifetime.... her love for books, and the reading they shared...Don't ya just love Grandma's?... she had not yet read the book to him and it had been sitting on his shelf all this time.. untouched and unnoticed by me... Go figure!

I was able to locate the original owner a few years later. They do, still live in the house where the book was bought. I was told the book was purchased in New York while on Vacation. She said the book had never been read and was of no interest to her or her husband... so she put it in the yard sale hoping it would sell. Originally, she had bought the book for her nephew but didn't say why she still had it. I left the conversation at that, thanked her for her time, and left with a smile. I didn't have the heart to tell her about the rarity of the book, but I had a feeling she already knew.

PS. I do have my own copy, thanks to a very nice ebayer :)

Please... do not cut, copy, paste, or duplicate in anyway, any portion of the photos or written text in this guide without my consent. This is copy right  material. This guide was meant for informational purposes only and is my own personal research.  The information obtained above was based on my own research as an owner and as a victim.

Copyright 2005-2009 Asbestos Avenue, All rights reserved.

Current VALUES:

This guide has created quite a stir with the release of last book and final chapter. Please don't ask me to place a value on your book. If your book matches the above issue points then my advice to you is to have the book evaluated by your local professional. Do not ship the book out to be appraised , and never let the book leave your sight if getting a written appraisal.

Personal Comments:

Emails continue to come in from all over the country and I am very excited to see such an interest. Thank you, to all of you who have written to me in gratitude, in tears, in desperation and with helpful information.  I appreciate and invite all your comments and questions.

This guide is a work in progress, and is updated from time to time...You are invited to stop back and check out any new information that may have surfaced.

Collectors Corner:

Early printings under 10... have also become very scarce and valuable as collector's continue to stash them away. So don't pass up one of these early copies waiting for the rare one. Recently, any stated First Edition Trade Copies with printings under 50, are being bought up as quickly as they are listed and being placed into private collections. All early versions of Book Club Editions are also being tucked away as their values continue to climb, and are also becoming more and more scarce. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, continues to break all publishing records. Can you imagine what would happen to the market if this book suddenly went into "Out of print" status? Wow! ...and it will happen, some day, its just a matter of time =)

Educate yourself and know for certain, that you have made a sound investment in a book that continues to climb in value. Use this guide to help you in your search to secure the real thing.

Good luck in your search, I hope this guide has been inspirational as well as helpful to you.

If this guide was helpful, please click "yes" at the bottom.

Thank you for taking the time to read our guide on Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone, ....First State Book.

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Check out my other guide on how to properly prepare your book for shipping: http://reviews.ebay.com/SHIPPING-TIPS-TRICKS-and-HELPFUL-HINTS-FOR-PACKING_W0QQugidZ100000000018833