How much is the first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous worth?
They were collected over a lifetime by Ken Roberts, who recently chose Profiles in History to sell the original typed working manuscript for The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. It sold for 2.4 million dollars.
Are first editions worth anything?
Speaking generally, first editions will hold the most value if they are first editions, first printings. Depending on who has published the book and what formats it has been published in, you’ll be looking for hardcover books mostly. But don’t assume all hardcovers are first printings!
When was the first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous?
1st Edition. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. New York. 1979.
How do you know if a first edition is a first printing?
The publisher may actually state the words ‘first edition’ or ‘first printing’ on the copyright page. Another common method of identification is the number line – that’s a line of numbers on the copyright page. Usually, if a one is present in the line then it’s a first edition.
How many copies of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous have been sold?
30 million copies
The Alcoholics Anonymous book has stats most authors only dream of: more than 30 million copies sold. Translated into 67 languages.
How many editions of the Big Book are there?
The Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous)
| 2nd edition cover, 1955 | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bill W. |
| Publisher | Alcoholics Anonymous World Services |
| Publication date | April 10, 1939 (1st ed.) 1955 (2nd ed.) 1976 (3rd ed.) 2001 (4th ed.) |
| Media type | Print (hardbound, paperback and online) |
How do I find the value of a first edition book?
Dealers usually pay about 10-30% of the retail price of the book. So, if a dealer plans on pricing your book at $40, he may offer you anywhere between $4 and $12. A few (especially large, chain used bookstores) may pay less.
Are first edition books a good investment?
Determining the value of books, to say the least, is not an exact science. A book’s condition is vital—the closer to the original condition, the better. But a book’s edition is also paramount. Typically, the first edition is the most coveted because fewer copies have been printed than subsequent editions.
What first edition books are valuable?
In Case You’ve Got Some Extra Money Lying Around
- Michael Grant, The Founders of the Western World: A History of Greece and Rome (First Edition) — $700,011.00.
- 1535 Coverdale Bible (First Edition of the First Printed Bible in English) — $695,000.00.
- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (First Edition) — $500,000.00.
Who owns the original AA manuscript?
owner Jim Irsay
Now the original manuscript — lost for decades and containing handwritten notes by Wilson and his friends — has been sold at auction for $2.4 million to billionaire Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who attended his first AA meeting 25 years ago, the Associated Press reported.
What was the original name of the Big Book?
The book “Alcoholics Anonymous,” affectionately known by members as “The Big Book,” is the textbook for the original 12-step recovery program now known by the same name.
Why is a book called Big Book?
The printer, Edward Blackwell of the Cornwall Press, was told to use the thickest paper in his shop. The large, bulky volume became known as the “Big Book” and the name has stuck ever since.
What first edition books are worth the most?
What is the rarest first edition book?
The original Declaration of Independence, signed by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, is easily one of the rarest, most sought after documents of all time. There were only 200 copies of it printed on July 4th, 1776, and only about 26 copies survive to this day.
Did Bill Wilson make money off the Big Book?
At the time of his death, early in 1971, Bill Wilson was earning about $65,000 a year in royalties from the Big Book and three other books he wrote for A.A. Last year, his widow, Lois, received $912,500 in royalties.
Who owns the rights to big book?
LOS ANGELES – The founding document of Alcoholics Anonymous, known to adherents as the “Big Book,” sold at auction Saturday for $2.4 million to billionaire and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.