UK Uncorrected Proofs - The Definitive Guide

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Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
31,019
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#21
Re: ebay

sp1600 uk said:
well tried ebay and only reached 52 quid ,to be honest i would rather leave it on my bookshelf for that ,as i am not giving it away its worth more to me than that
I can't say I blame you at that price. I think this is rather an unusual collecting area as far as books go and therefore it's possible to get bargains.

I think this may be a growth area is the future though. :)
 

Ohnhai

Lance-Constable
Sep 17, 2009
11
1,650
#22
Still amazed that a friend gave me a copy of the Guards Guards Uncorrected Proof.

Mind you he was reciprocating my unsolicited gift of the first two Guitar hero games and their associated hardware....

Not selling my UP ever... Might give it away, but not sell it.
 

poohcarrot

Sergeant-at-Arms
Sep 13, 2009
8,317
2,300
NOT The land of the risen Son!!
#23
poohcarrot said:
UK UNCORRECTED PROOFS - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE

UK Uncorrected proofs should not be confused with the US Advanced Readers Copy (ARC). The US ARCs are not as rare and while I have no figures of quantity, I believe they number in the thousands.

Some people call the UK Uncorrected proofs "the true first editions". While they are correct, they are also talking pretentious claptrap. An uncorrected proof comes out prior to the first edition and is given to book critics, people to proof read etc.

The Colour of Magic First Edition Hardback is one of the most prized Discworld books to own. Only 506 copies were published and they go for mega-bucks. I know of this one at Wrigley Cross books which is on sale for $18,000.

http://www.wrigleycrossbooks.com/?CLSN_ ... rch=Search

The thing about Uncorrected proofs is that they are actually rarer than First Edition Discworld books, including the limited edition slip-cased publications and even the COM Hardback itself.

The following figures are from the Colin Smith site and show how many proofs of each book were printed and which ones are available;

The smilie denotes proofs I own.

The Colour of Magic 0
The Light Fantastic 0
Equal Rites (Between 50-100)
Mort 100 :p
Sourcery ? 61 page sampler
Wyrd Sisters 100 :p
Pyramids 100 :p
Guards! Guards! 100 :p
Eric 0
Moving Pictures 100
Reaper Man 150
Witches Abroad 100
Small Gods 100 :p
Lords and Ladies 116 :p
Men At Arms 150 :p
Soul Music 146 :p
Interesting Times 250 :p
Maskerade 189 :p
Feet of Clay 167 :p
Hogfather 196 :p
Jingo 170 :p
The Last Continent 100
Carpe Jugulum 148 :p
The Fifth Elephant 155 :p
The Truth 370 :p
Thief of Time 100 :p
The Last Hero ? 16 page sampler :p
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents 430 :p
Nightwatch 140 :p
The Wee Free Men 200 :p
Monstrous Regiment ?
A Hat Full of Sky 490 :p
Going Postal 727 :p
Thud! 108 :p
Wintersmith ? :p
Making Money 150
Unseen Academicals 120 :p
I Shall Wear Midnight 140 :p
Ladt Hero sampler :p
Good Omens Less than 100 :p
Good Omens Sampler ? :p
Nation 120 :p
The Science of Discworld 500 (88 page sampler) :p
The Science of Discworld II: the Globe 500 :p
Sea and Little Fishes 1000 (2 story double sampler, 200 double signed) :p
The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch 0
Discworld Companion ?
Truckers ?
Diggers ?
Wings ?
Johnny and the bomb ?
Johnny and the dead ?
Only you can save mankind ?

Using the Wyrd Sisters Uncorrected proof as an example.
It was printed in 1988 and was limited to only 100 copies.
How many copies still exist today, 22 years later? Who knows?
How many copies are in pristine, unread condition? Who knows?
How many copies are signed and dedicated by Sir Pterry? Who knows?
Needless to say, the figure is probably very small indeed.

Up to Jingo (and possibly Last Continent - though I don't have that proof so I'm not sure) Discworld books were published by Gollancz. They then changed to Doubleday. The Gollancz proofs are plain white, blue, purple or cream, whereas the later ones are oversized Softbacks with the same cover as the First Edition.



Because they are "uncorrected", they contain spelling and grammar mistakes and bits which are not in the published First Edition.

I started collecting them a year ago, they are fun to track down (keep your eyes on ebay), haggle over the price, and each one you get is an historic piece of Discworld memorabilia. I now have 30, a lot are signed and inscribed, the most I paid for one was 500 pounds for a Nation proof. A lot of money I hear you say, but the money went to Alzheimers and my Nation proof is signed and dedicated to my two daughters with the inscription "Imo made YOU clever enough to work out that he doesn't exist." It also came with a letter of autheticity signed by the man himself, stating it is one of only 120. If I ever were to sell it in ten years' time, what sort of price do you think it would fetch?

They are not cheap to buy. Prices start from around 50 pounds going up to $2,000 for the Equal Rites proof (see the Wrigley Cross link), but they are still relatively unknown to most collectors, so should you wish for a possibly excellent investment, I would highly recommend getting your hands on as many as possible.
 

The Mad Collector

Sergeant-at-Arms
Sep 1, 2010
9,918
2,850
62
Ironbridge UK
www.bearsonthesquare.com
#24
I only have one early proof and as it is unusual in having an illustrated cover it is worth including here. I only bought it because it has an article by Terry in it describing the Discworld and how it has developed over the first 5 books which has never been reproduced. It was even left out of Once More With Footnotes.

 

The Mad Collector

Sergeant-at-Arms
Sep 1, 2010
9,918
2,850
62
Ironbridge UK
www.bearsonthesquare.com
#32
poohcarrot said:
Ha! Just Paypaled the dosh to the seller. :laugh:

Very soon I will be in possesion of one signed and inscribed Sourcery proof PLUS a promotional poster for the book.

She will be mine. Oh yes, she will be mine! :laugh:
I knew you would get it eventually. Terry's article about Discworld up to then and where he thinks it is going is quite interesting :)
 

poohcarrot

Sergeant-at-Arms
Sep 13, 2009
8,317
2,300
NOT The land of the risen Son!!
#38
David is my middle name. :laugh:

I've now bought 5 signed and inscribed proofs from the same seller and each one is dedicated to David. He was obviously someone close to TP, otherwise why dedicate 5 early DW proofs to him? o_O
Good Omens
Guards Guards
Wyrd Sisters
Pyramids
Sourcery

Who is/was he? o_O
 

The Mad Collector

Sergeant-at-Arms
Sep 1, 2010
9,918
2,850
62
Ironbridge UK
www.bearsonthesquare.com
#40
poohcarrot said:
David is my middle name. :laugh:

I've now bought 5 signed and inscribed proofs from the same seller and each one is dedicated to David. He was obviously someone close to TP, otherwise why dedicate 5 early DW proofs to him? o_O
Good Omens
Guards Guards
Wyrd Sisters
Pyramids
Sourcery

Who is/was he? o_O
More importantly has the seller got any more o_O: :)
 

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