Collecting, Identifying, and Valuing First Edition Childrens Books

Do You Own $1,000's In Collectible Children's Books?

Welcome to the Children's Picturebook Price Guide website and blog!

Childrens Picturebook Price Guide This website offers free information for the beginning and advanced collector of contemporary children's picturebooks. We provide a solid introduction to the hobby, children's book values, and first edition identification points for key picturebooks, including Dr. Seuss and Caldecott Medal books.

I am the author of the Children's Picturebook Price Guide, and have been a passionate collector of first edition children's books for thirty years. My passion and this website concentrate on first edition picturebooks published from 1930 to present, including illustrators active today. See About Us for more than you want to know.

The focus of the book and website is more on illustrators than authors, which might at first seem strange. Upon consideration this makes sense since the picturebook's initial impression upon readers is due to the form and quality of the illustrations. In many cases the distinction is superfluous since the illustrator and author are often the same person.

'Picturebooks' and not 'Picture Books?'

People often ask why we use the word 'picturebooks,' rather than the more familiar and generally accepted two word 'picture books.'

We consciously use the one word term as an homage to Barbara Bader, whose American Picturebook: From Noah's Ark To The Beast Within is considered the definitive treatment of the picturebook form. Bader's book provides information on the history of the contemporary picturebook, and detailed coverage of many of the great illustrators, from 1930-to-1970.

Site Organization & Overview

First Edition Books The navigation menu to the left is straightforward. The main categories are:

  1. Childrens Book Values
  2. Identifying First Edition Books
  3. Factors Affecting A Book's Collectibility
  4. Miscellaneous Book Collecting Information
  5. Childrens Picturebook Collecting Blog

The navigation categories are repeated at the bottom of the page.

As you can see, each of the main categories have self explanatory sub-categories. The entry page for Identifying First Edition Books is just an introductory treatment.

The most extensive set of pages are the blog posts, which are mainly first edition identification points for key children's books. Since the navigation in the blog can be a bit cumbersome, we have indexed the posts on a webpage First Edition Identification Points

Most Valuable Books

Childrens Book ValuesFirst Edition Books
Lists the forty-four picturebooks (first edition books!) with market value over $1,000.

Caldecott Medal Values
Lists the value for each first edition Caldecott Medal book. The illustrator links to eBay search auctions for collectible books. The book's title links to its first edition points.

Dr. Seuss Values
Lists the value for first edition Dr. Seuss books. The book's title links to its first edition points.

Beginner Book Values
Lists the value for the first fifty Beginner Books. The values are for first edition books. The book's title links to its first edition points.

Completed eBay Auctions
Lists fifty completed eBay auctions for first edition children's picturebooks. Covers some of the actual auctions with final values over $200, from 1999 to 2006.

Newbery Award Books, with illustrations.
Lists the value for first edition Newbery Medal or Honor award books which have illustrations by one of the illustrators covered in the Children's Picturebook Price Guide.

Identifying First Edition Books

Identifying First Editions
An introductory guide to identifying contemporary first edition books (post-1970 publication) from various children's book publishers.

First Edition Identification Points
Index of links to first edition identification points (often called 'points of issue') for key children's picturebooks, including Dr. Seuss and Caldecott award books.

On each of the web pages, the title of the book links to its first edition identification points. In many cases, the points will include photographs of the book's essential identifying points. Our intention is to post first edition points for Dr. Seuss, Caldecott award, and other key children's picturebooks at the rate of two to three per week.

Factors Affecting A Book's Collectibility & Desirabillity

First Edition Books Factors Affecting A Book's Collectibility
Identifies six key factors which affect first edition books' collectibility and value, in no particular order.

  1. Aesthetic Quality of the Illustrations and the Story
  2. Eminence of the Illustrator
  3. Book's Illustration Awards
  4. Pop Culture
  5. Copies Sold / High Printings
  6. Franchise Books

Book Collecting Information

Price Guide Reviews
Reviews of the Children's Picturebook Price Guide from those kind enough to provide their thoughts and time. Sincere thanks to all!

Prolific Illustrators
Lists the one hundred most prolific children's picturebook illustrators.

Grading Books
A beginner's guide to book grading terminology.

Links
Many links to bookselling associations, children's booksellers, and other informative book collecting web sites and blogs. "Learn, learn, learn!" is the book collector's mantra.

About Us
A web page providing more than you would like to know about Stan Zielinski.

Childrens Picturebook Collecting Blog

Childrens Picturebook Collecting Blog
Blog with first edition idenfication points for key books, notes on book prices, and general topics related to collecting children's picturebooks.

Book Collecting
Blog posts on the state of the children's book hobby and other general book collecting related information.

Children's Book Values
Blog posts on the most valuable first edition children's books, updated valuations, and other book valuation related information.

First Edition ID Points
Blog posts on first edition identification points (points of issue) for key children's books.

Seuss First Editions
Blog posts on first edition identification points (points of issue) for Dr. Seuss books.

Caldecott First Editions
Blog posts on first edition identification points (points of issue) for Caldecott Medal books.





© Stan Zielinski
A serious collector having fun with fun books.


Attribution

© Stan Zielinski. Author of the Children's Picturebook Price Guide Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

In layman's terms, that means you may excerpt, share, and use this material as long as you credit Stan as the author and provide a link back to the specific content page. And do not sell it or use it for commercial purposes.

The information offered on 1stedition.net and the blog is offered free of charge. Any uses, references, and or copies of this website in whole or in part must include the bibliographic citation, including author attribution, article title, date (in the case of blog posts) and link to the URL 1stedition.net. Include the copyright notice.


In no event shall a Creative Commons Attribution License or Stan Zielinski be liable for any damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the use of the articles on this website. This website is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Descriptions of, or references to, persons, websites, or businesses does not imply endorsement of that person, website or business.