What edition to collect?

[MarkusA]

I've read a lot of Discworld novels but they are all paperbacks.
Now I find myself wanting to start collecting them as hard covers.
From what publisher should the books be when I want a nice collectible edition?
Everyone wants 1st editions but which one is that?

Usually I get my books from Orbit, HarperCollins, Voyager and Grafton.
They're all U.K. editions and mostly 1st editions.
When it comes to the disc world novels I'm at a loss, I don't know where to start? I like my book shelf neat and try to get all books from the same serie/publisher.

 

[Tonyblack]

Welcome to the site, MarkusA!

It's a tricky one. For a start it's unlikely that you'll ever get the books in first edition and the same format. A first edition of The Colour of Magic, for example, is a completely different format to the other books.

The paperbacks come with the Josh Kirby covers and you can get a nice collection of those, but then Paul Kidby took over the covers after Josh died and the format changed. And now, with Unseen Academicals, the format has changed again.

A lot of people collect the so-called 'black' covers, and you can get a nice collection of those, except that Eric was published by a different company and they don't do a 'black' version.

A first edition of Colour of Magic is likely to cost you a lot of money. There is a facsimile version available, but it depends on how much of a purist you are.

And then there's the Discworld 'Unseen Library' editions, which are very handsome and would look great on any bookshelf (see example here) but they only ever issued up to Maskerade (I think) and then the company went bust.

So really, it's up to you.

 

[pip]

You can pick up a US book club edition of Colour of MAgic like i did for a lot less than the Facsimile and its the same artwork as the UK and US 1st

 

[michelanCello]

Welcome, Markus!

 

[Tiffany]

Welcome to the forum, Markus.

Like you, I bought & read all the paperback TP books first. I then thought, why not get hardbacks instead. I have found most of my hardback editions of TP's books at car boot sales, some in charity shops. There are a few not found yet. Some were BCA versions & I am now trying to get the 'proper' versions, but I have patience. New editions I get from retailers.

 

[Anonymous]

Or do what I do and collect them all :twisted:

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Welcome to the forum, Markus, Gollanz and Doubleday have been the publishers with Colin Smythe who published the first three.

 

[MarkusA]

Thank you for the warm welcome and you have certainly given me a lot to think about.

The "Unseen Library" editions are indeed handsome books and even if it only applies to the first 18 books it'll still take me a "few" years of active collecting before I will have them all.

I like the traditional cover art found on the paperbacks and I am a little doubtful about books from Doubleday. I can't explain why, it's just a feeling?
It would seem Gollanz is my other option?

Having 1st editions is secondary to me although it's nice if you can get them without ruining yourself.

What are the "black-covers", this is new to me?

 

[Tonyblack]

You can see the 'Black' covers here.

Quite a lot of people collect these as there's a uniformity on their bookshelves.

 

[Macarona]

I never knew the "black" covers were special, if anything I decided not to get them, I don't like the cover art.

 

[Anonymous]

Plus the next batch of Novels in black are out in October: http://bricksandbooks.co.uk/2011/discwo ... september/

 

[meerkat]

You can see the 'Black' covers here.

Quite a lot of people collect these as there's a uniformity on their bookshelves.

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Like...me!

 

[MarkusA]

What to choose, what to choose... I like them all.

 

[Tonyblack]

What to choose, what to choose... I like them all.