Stephen King's It is one of those books where the phrase "first edition" can be a little more slippery than people expect. There are a lot of copies out there, and not every copy that looks right is equally interesting to collectors.
For the U.S. first edition, collectors are looking at the 1986 Viking hardcover. The jacket price should be $22.95, and the copyright page should include the statement "First published in 1986 by Viking Penguin Inc." Grey endpapers are another expected feature.
The point that trips people up
The first edition of It had a very large print run, and several early printings/states were produced around publication. That is where people can get tangled up: a copy can be an early Viking hardcover and still not be the copy most collectors are chasing.
In practice, the copy collectors usually want is the unstated first printing: the copyright page has the Viking first-publication statement, but no later printing statement beneath the Garamond 3 line. Stated second, third, fourth, or fifth printings can still be early and collectible, but I would describe them that way rather than simply calling them "the first printing."
What matters after the points
Condition matters a great deal with this book. The dust jacket is large, dark, and prone to visible rubbing, edge wear, and surface scratches. A sharp copy with the correct jacket is a different animal from a tired copy with the same basic bibliographic points.
What I would check
- Viking hardcover, 1986
- $22.95 price on the dust jacket
- "First published in 1986 by Viking Penguin Inc." on the copyright page
- Grey endpapers
- No later printing statement beneath the Garamond 3 line, if you are trying to confirm the first printing
- Jacket wear, rubbing, price clipping, and restoration
If you have a copy of It or another Stephen King first edition and are not sure what you have, you can send photos to The Rare Book Sleuth. Clear photos of the jacket, copyright page, and any defects are the most useful.
Sources and further reading
- Justin Brooks, Stephen King: A Primary Bibliography of the World's Most Popular Author (Cemetery Dance Publications, 2008)
- StephenKingCollector.com: It first edition guide
- StephenKingCollector.com: Stephen King first editions index
- StephenKing.com: official bibliography
Kevin Sell, The Rare Book Sleuth, ABAA / ILAB