An Honest Obsession of Collectors: First Edition

The word “first” itself always creates a superior meaning, doesn’t it? Being first in something makes that thing special for us, while making the second one less important. When it comes to first edition books, it is the same for many collectors. Or, should I say obsessive collectors?

First edition is literally means the first printed version of the book without major editorial works. For a regular reader, it might be hard to understand the importance of first edition. But, for collectors, first edition is the closest bond that they can build with their favorite authors. It is a way to actually posses the work. It is an obsession, but an honest one.
However, does that really have to change the value of the book? Or, who decides a certain kind of book’s first edition is so expensive, while another book’s first edition doesn’t cost very much. When I had my interview with Ahmet Yüksel- Sanat Kitabevi’s owner- he said that he doesn’t understand how people estimate a price for first editions. However, he sells them anyway.

Sabahattin Ali says in his great book “İçimizdeki Şeytan” (The Devil Inside of Us), “Milyonlarca senelik dünyada en eski şey yirmi bin yaşında” (In this millions years old world, the oldest thing is twenty thousand years old). So, having something special is very important for collectors because it links them with the original, with the youngest version of the book they love. As a book-lover, I felt something evoking in me when I look at the first editions. Who knows, I might become a collector as well!