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Rare and Antiquarian Books

Modern First Editions

Modern firsts is a category that attracts many collectors and to which a great number of dealers state a specialty, but there isn't a consensus on what is meant by modern firsts. Where does the modern era begin? Some in the rare book trade will set the starting point for modern firsts at the beginning of the 20th century, others push that date back a bit to the later part of the 19th century. Biblio marks the start of modern firsts as 1919, corresponding with the end of WWI.

Results 1 - 15 of 1959
REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE

REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE

by McCULLERS, Carson

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used - Covers soiled and worn, lacking the dustwrapper. Good in a Fine custom morocco-backed clamshell box
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Fleetwood, Pennsylvania
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 25,899.38
SGD 8.00 shipping to USA

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Description:
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1941. First Edition. Hardcover. Covers soiled and worn, lacking the dustwrapper. Good in a Fine custom morocco-backed clamshell box. INSCRIBED and SIGNED by the author for George [Davis] "Who is my Best and Campiest Friend-- /And who, also, is the first/person to really take to this book-/You have helped me and/encouraged me in all ways/that were in your power-/And you know that I love you./Carson." Davis, a magazine editor who later married Lotte Lenya, made his house in Brooklyn into something of an artists colony serving as a home at various times for McCullers, W. H. Auden, Benjamin Britten, Paul Bowles, Gypsy Rose Lee, and others. Davis discovered the manuscript for REFLECTIONS, which according to Virginia Spencer Carr in THE LONELY HUNTER: A BIOGRAPHY OF CARSON MCCULLERS, lay dormant in a dresser drawer for almost a year (page 99), and urged McCullers to let his magazine, Harper's Bazaar, publish it. The author's inscription clearly shows her gratitude to Davis for… Read More
Item Price
SGD 25,899.38
SGD 8.00 shipping to USA
CAMERA OBSCURA. with DESPAIR

CAMERA OBSCURA. with DESPAIR

by Nabokov, Vladimir

  • Used
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
1st Edition
Seller
Montreal, Quebec
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 24,172.75
SGD 10.50 shipping to USA

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Description:
London: John Long, Limited, [1935] & ;1937] Two Volumes, 1935. 1st Edition. Soft cover. 1st Edition. Soft cover. [NABOKOV, Vladimir] NABOKOFF-SIRIN, Vladimir. CAMERA OBSCURA. DESPAIR. Both of the John Long Nabokov Rarities. Translated from the Russian by Winifred Roy & the first translation of any of Nabokov's books into English. [Juliar D14.4] 8vo., 288pp + 16 pp ads. Original black cloth, titles to upper board & spine gilt. Small, neat mostly faded name on the front pastedown. A very good or better copy of the First English Language Edition. The very uncommon first of Long's Nabokov publications. With: DESPAIR. Translated from the Russian by the author. [Juliar A15.2]. 8vo., 288pp. + 24 pp ads. Original black cloth, titles to upper board & spine gilt. A very good or better copy of the First English Edition. The second of Long's publications of Nabokov & almost as uncommon as the first. The first substantial publication by the author in English. Both volumes together. Custom cut stiff Mylar clear… Read More
Item Price
SGD 24,172.75
SGD 10.50 shipping to USA
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. Signed
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THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. Signed

by Salinger, J.D.

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Montreal, Quebec
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 75,971.50
SGD 10.50 shipping to USA

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Description:
Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1952. First Edition. Hardcover. Dust Jacket Included. First Edition. Hardcover. Signed by Author. Salinger, J.D. THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. Signed. Boston: Little Brown, 1952. A fine SIGNED copy of the March, 1952 reprint of the first edition. [The first issue was July, 1951]. 8vo., 277pp., black cloth, gilt. Salinger's remarkable first book, neatly signed in black fountain pen at the top of the title page. An excellent example of Salinger's elusive signature - The binding is fine; the dustwrapper very good or better with the $3.00 price present & nine reviews on the back panel replacing Salinger's photo after the first few early printings at his insistence. Custom clamshell case in very fine condition. The probable High Spot in Modern American Lit collecting, "The Catcher In The Rye is undoubtedly a 20th-century classic. It struck a popular note, particularly with young readers, who strongly identified with Holden Caulfield and his yearning for lost innocence.… Read More
Item Price
SGD 75,971.50
SGD 10.50 shipping to USA
Gravity’s Rainbow.

Gravity’s Rainbow.

by Pynchon, Thomas

  • Used
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used
Seller
Palm Beach, Florida
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 58,014.60
FREE shipping to USA

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Description:
New York: The Viking Press, 1973.
Item Price
SGD 58,014.60
FREE shipping to USA
The Sound and the Fury
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The Sound and the Fury

by Faulkner, William

  • Used
  • near fine
  • first
Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
First Edition
Seller
Portland, Oregon
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 20,719.50
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Description:
New York: Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith, 1929. First Edition. Near Fine/Very Good. First edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's black and white Art Deco style boards over white cloth spine lettered in black. Near Fine with toning to pages and top and bottom edges of covers. In a Very Good first issue dust jacket with Humanity Uprooted priced at $3.00 on the rear panel; toning to spine with fading to red print there, light edge wear, light soiling, and erased pencil notation to rear flap corner. A fantastic copy in the scarce first issue dust jacket.
Item Price
SGD 20,719.50
FREE shipping to USA
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS Signed 1st UK

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS Signed 1st UK

by J. K. Rowling

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Pomona, New York
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 20,303.73
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA

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Description:
London: Bloomsbury. 1998. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. 0747538492 . Near Fine in a Very Good+ dust jacket. Pages are toned and some light edge wear to the jacket. Authenticated by Beckett with the sticker on the page J K Rowling has signed with a matched COA from Beckett. ; Signed by J. K. Rowling on title page. ; 7.9 X 5.1 X 1.1 inches; 251 pages; Original unclipped dust jacket protected by archival Brodart cover. All domestic orders shipped protected in a Box. ; Signed by Author .
Item Price
SGD 20,303.73
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA
Dune - Autographed by Frank Herbert
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Dune - Autographed by Frank Herbert

by Herbert, Frank

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used - Fine Condition
Edition
First Edition, 7th Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Silver City, New Mexico
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 20,719.50
SGD 6.00 shipping to USA

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Description:
This is a 7th printing of the 1st edition by Chilton Book Company from 1965. There were nine such printings of that 1st edition. The book is in Fine Condition. The dustjacket is in Good Condition with slight edge wear and the price clipped from the upper corner. Frank Herbert has autographed the title page. Please refer to the attached photos which show the red cloth binding, the dustjacket, the numerical printing history, the Library of Congress number, and the autograph.This very hard-to-find book will make a fine addition to the personal library of the serious collector.
Item Price
SGD 20,719.50
SGD 6.00 shipping to USA
ON THE ROAD WITH SIGNED CHECK

ON THE ROAD WITH SIGNED CHECK

by Jack Kerouac

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Pomona, New York
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 23,447.50
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA

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Description:
New York: Viking. 1957. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Good+ in a Very Good dust jacket. Owner personalization on title page. Rubbing along panel edges. Light chipping at spine crown/heel. Shelf wear on front/rear boards and spine. ; Check signed by Jack Kerouac laid in. .
Item Price
SGD 23,447.50
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA
ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN 1st Issue

ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN 1st Issue

by Mark Twain

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Pomona, New York
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 25,675.60
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA

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Description:
New York: Charles L. Webster and Company. 1885. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Very Good. Contains the three first printing points: "Huck Decided to Leave" on p. 9; "Him and another Man" listed on p. 87; and "with the was" on p. 57. Photogravure frontispiece of Karl Gerhardt's portrait bust of Clemens, illustrations after E. W. Kemble in the text throughout. Both hinges starting. Rubbing along panel edges. Bumping at panel corners and spine crown. Chipping at spine heel. Light staining on rear end page and both sides of FEP. .
Item Price
SGD 25,675.60
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA
A Bear Called Paddington - Inscribed by the Author
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A Bear Called Paddington - Inscribed by the Author

by Bond, Michael

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Chelmsford, Essex
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 21,497.50
SGD 14.00 shipping to USA

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Description:
First edition, first impression (Collins Clear-Type Press: London and Glasgow, 1958). Signed and inscribed by the author to the front endpaper: "To Nina, with best wishes, Michael Bond". The dedicatee is Nina Froud who was a personal friend of the author and worked at his literary agency. The first book in the Paddington series where one of the most iconic and beloved British fictional characters first appeared, later going on to form the basis of several ongoing TV and successful film adaptations. Publisher's original red cloth with silver lettering to spine containing illustrations by Peggy Fortnum. A beautiful, fine and pristine book throughout, save for a touch of off-setting to endpapers. Appears unread. The original complete dust jacket is not price-clipped and is in unusually superior condition with a chip to spine head - not affecting any lettering - and a closed tear to top of upper panel fore-edge with a couple of tiny and inconspicuous nicks to the top edge of lower panel. A very rare… Read More
Item Price
SGD 21,497.50
SGD 14.00 shipping to USA
GONE WITH THE WIND Signed 1st Issue

GONE WITH THE WIND Signed 1st Issue

by Margaret Mitchell

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Pomona, New York
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 30,235.21
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA

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Description:
New York: MacMillan Company. 1936. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Very Good+ in a Very Good+ dust jacket. First issue with "Published May 1936" on copyright page in first issue jacket with rear panel headed "Macmillan Spring Novels" listing Gone with The Wind as the second title in the second column. Binding tight and square. Original full-bound cloth boards present, in exceptional condition for their age, with slight wear to corners as shown. Minimal wear present to boards and text block, with some wear evident to the original dust jacket, with a repaired tears on both the front and back covers, as well as some chipping losses at spine corners, and wear to the edges at bottom and top. Clipped (as is typical) at the top corner, with original price of $3 not clipped at the bottom left. Overall a very nice example. ; Signed by Margaret Mitchell on the first free end page. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 1037 pages; Signed by Author .
Item Price
SGD 30,235.21
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA
THE LORD OF THE RINGS - THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE TWO TOWERS, THE  RETURN OF THE KING SIGNED

THE LORD OF THE RINGS - THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE TWO TOWERS, THE RETURN OF THE KING SIGNED

by J. R. R. Tolkien

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
Condition
Used
Edition
Second Revised Edition
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Pomona, New York
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 61,868.36
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA

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Description:
London: George Allen & Unwin, Ltd.. 1966-1967. Second Revised Edition. Hardcover. All three volumes Very Good+ in a Very Good+ dust jacket. The Fellowship of the Ring 2nd impresssion, faint stain on FEP. Marring on both The Two Towers and The Return of the King front flaps. ; The Return of the King signed by J. R. R. Tolkien on title page. ; Signed by Author .
Item Price
SGD 61,868.36
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA
THE GREAT GATSBY

THE GREAT GATSBY

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Pomona, New York
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 231,851.20
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA

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Description:
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1925. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Very Good+ in the original third state dust jacket professionally restored Very Good+. Scribners Seal Errors not corrected that verify true first printing: p.60, line 16–“chatter”; p. 119, line 22–“northern”; p. 165, line 29–“away”; p. 205–lines 9-10–“sick in tired”; p. 211, lines 7-8–“Union Street station”. With 3,000 third state jackets printed this is exceedingly harder find than the first two jackets. .
Item Price
SGD 231,851.20
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA
DUNE SIGNED

DUNE SIGNED

by Frank Herbert

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • Signed
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition; Third Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Pomona, New York
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 20,565.97
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA

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Description:
Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company. 1970. First Edition; Third Printing. Hardcover. Very Good+ in a Near Fine dust jacket. Miniscule stain on top text block edge. ; Signed by Frank Herbert on table of contents. ; Signed by Author .
Item Price
SGD 20,565.97
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

by Harper Lee

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition; First Printing
Binding
Hardcover
Seller
Pomona, New York
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 26,106.50
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA

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Description:
New York: J. B. Lippincott. 1960. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Very Good+ in a Very Good dust jacket. Owner imprint on rear end page. Rubbing along panel edges.1/2 inch open tear at top of rear flap fold. Light staining at top of rear gutter. .
Item Price
SGD 26,106.50
SGD 8.95 shipping to USA