What do you look for ...

[Nicola]

when you've bought a first edition? How do you know it's a first edition? Something I've always wondered!

 

[RaVeN]

Most of the time you'll see a numbering system at the bottom of the copyright page. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. The last number(1) being the 1st edition and 1st printing . I think that if it had the same numbering system but ended in 4 for example, it would be a 1st edition, fourth printing.
It may also state first edition.
There are a few publishers though that use a different system but I don't remember off hand who or what they are.
But then again, I may be wrong.

 

[Nicola]

Cheers, Raven - I think!

I've got two books that have (1) at the end with no other wordings to show that they have been reprinted, so I presume that's what I have