A Song of Ice and Fire
A Game of Thrones – Advanced Reader Copy (ARC)
U.K., Voyager Harper Collins, 1996
by David “Lodengarl” McCaman
Overview:
This is the premiere “Holy Grail” for any serious A Song of Ice and Fire collector.
The Advanced Reader Copy/Uncorrected Proof of the first edition (U.K.) A Game of Thrones.
The United Kingdom first edition of A Game of Thrones is more valuable than its U.S.
counterpart mainly because of print-run and general scarcity. There are conflicting
reports about which edition truly hit the streets first, and whether the print dates
on each genuinely reflect distribution. Regardless, finding yourself with a copy of
this prize will crown your collection.
Description:
Large trade paperback format, with red and white decorated wraps. No dustjacket unlike
the U.S. A Game of Thrones trade paperback ARC.
Estimated Cost or Value:
$1,000 - $1,500 – Fine
$500 - $800 – NF, VG+
Collector’s Caution:
Because this is an advanced reader copy of a small print-run first-novel in a series,
one can imagine the scarcity of the item, but also the scarcity of finding this item
in Fine or Near Fine condition. Because of the unprotected nature of the trade paperback,
merely opening the book widely will put stress marks on the spine and cover. The thickness
of the book makes it very susceptible to corner dings, marks, and flaring as well.
Do not be fooled into purchasing a U.K. A Game of Thrones ARC if the cover looks like this.
This is NOT the prized collectible, but a widely distributed “teaser” PREVIEW of the U.K. edition
of A Game of Thrones. While still a nice collectible, it is not the rare and expensive UK AGOT ARC.
Some book dealers may confuse this preview with the ARC – but a quick comparison of size and the
99p call-out will stop any chance of error, or a possible letdown.
Collector’s Angle:
There is a large contingent of book dealers that do not value Advanced Reader Copies as much
as first editions. Some also think that despite the smaller print run, the U.S. first edition of
A Game of Thrones is the “true” first edition, and therefore the U.S. A Game of Thrones ARC is the
bigger prize. Others simply do not realize the prize that they have and may sell it at a price
comparable to the U.S. A Game of Thrones ARC (~$70 - $125). Spending a good amount of time
researching this title on the Internet, and making contact with book sellers, it shouldn’t
take too terribly long to uncover one of these for a cheaper price than what they sell for on
Abebooks.com (~$1,400).
Top Shelf:
If you are lucky and very persistent you might be able to uncover this treasure for a mere
$50-$100 from a book dealer. If you have the cash and want to add the rarest item to your
collection, make sure you get a copy in the best condition possible. If you don’t care about
advanced reader copies, uncorrected proofs, or galleys, take joy in not feeling the need to
add this beauty to your collection. If you have to have it all – this is the big one. Good luck!
A Game of Thrones – Preview Edition
U.K., London: HarperCollins Voyager, 1996
by David “Lodengarl” McCaman
Overview:
Published in the U.K. in 1996 and preceded only by the U.K. AGOT ARC, this Collector’s Preview Edition features the first 124 pages of the novel up to where Bran takes a tumble. The preview edition shows the confidence HarperCollins had in George’s work – offering up the first part of the book for a mere 99p – those who purchased the preview edition could return to the bookshop where they purchased the preview and purchase the AGOT hardcover for a special price. The small softcover features the same Jim Burns wrapper art, except Ned’s portrait is replaced by the preview offer.
Description:
4 ½” x 7” softcover. No dustjacket. 124 pages.
Estimated Cost or Value:
$35 - $100 – Fine
$25 - $50 – NF
$15 - $20 – VG
Collector’s Caution:
This Preview Edition is constantly sold on eBay and touted as the “U.K. AGOT ARC” – which it definitely is not. Do not get fooled into thinking this little collectible is the “Holy Grail” of GRRM collections. Some may even sell this at a high price hoping collectors think they are getting a cheap price on the real ARC.
Collector’s Angle:
Not as scarce as they probably should be, these Preview Editions are very easy to hunt down and for patient collectors, can be found at cheap prices, sometimes $10-$15 for a Fine copy. A novel way to draw readership for an amazing series, this is a must-add piece to anyone who considers themselves an ASOIAF collector.
A Game of Thrones – First Edition
U.K., London: HarperCollins Voyager, 1996
by David “Lodengarl” McCaman
Overview:
Published in the U.K. in “1996” – this first edition is the scarcest trade hardcover in existence. Reported to have been on sale prior to Bantam’s September 1996 U.S. edition, the U.K. AGOT is a beautiful title, with wraparound cover art by Jim Burns, depicting King’s Landing, with inset portraits of Daenerys and Ned.
Description:
6 ¼” x 9 ½” hardcover with dustjacket. Book is red cloth and gold lettering on the spine. 694 pages.
Estimated Cost or Value:
$350 - $1,500 – Fine
$250 - $850 – NF
$170 - $300 – VG+
$150 - $300 – VG / G+
Collector’s Caution:
There is not much to be worried about when adding this copy to your collection. The paper used for this novel was extremely low quality, giving into browning and yellowing quite easily. The U.K. book club edition looks exactly the same, but is a much smaller hardback and worth a fraction of the first edition.
Collector’s Angle:
A large portion of the small print run was put into library copies, which means nice editions are even harder to come by. Fine/Fine copies are not impossible to find, but they will run you nearly or over $1,000. Many deals can be found on eBay with people wanting to sell their editions, and a savvy collector can find a near-mint copy of this book for $250-$350 given time.
A Game of Thrones – Advanced Reader Copy (ARC)
U.S., New York: Bantam Spectra, 1996
by David “Lodengarl” McCaman
Overview:
Much easier to locate than the U.K. ARC counterpart, the U.S. A Game of Thrones Advanced Reader
Copy/Uncorrected Proof is a great piece to add to one's ASOIAF collection. Two areas make
this collectible enticing. First, the price range makes this collectible attainable by those
who put in some time and research. Second, this is the only A Game of Thrones U.S. cover to
feature the original artwork from Stephen Youll, showcasing Catelyn and the Blackfish in the
Vale. The 1997 two-part Swedish hardcovers use this cover art as well. The decision was made to
change the U.S. cover to the embossed silver Iron Throne – adding more sophistication and less
obvious "fantasy" elements. This decision still causes debate today amongst fans.
Description:
Large trade paperback format, with rust and white decorated wraps. Dustjacket (not common on
trade paperbacks) unlike the U.K. A Game of Thrones ARC, features Stephen Youll cover art.
Estimated Cost or Value:
$175 - $450 - Fine
$50 - $150 - NF, VG+
Collector's Caution:
Like the U.K. A Game of Thrones ARC, this is a very large page-volume to be published as a soft cover. The edges, cover, and spine are very easily marked or stressed. Adding the dustjacket to the soft cover means there is much more opportunity to damage the overall product and reduce value.
Beware of those selling this collectible without the dustjacket. With so many copies available to buy, there is no reason, if you are going to spend the money, to buy a copy without the jacket featuring the originally planned Stephen Youll art. If a seller shows you only a cover image with text and not the picture, ask them about the dustjacket.
There is wide debate as to which A Game of Thrones first edition was truly released first (U.S. vs. U.K.), which means speculation on which ARC is first will cause the pricing and value to fluctuate. The fact remains that there are easily 5X-10X more of the U.S. ARCs available to buy than U.K. ARCs.
Don't let the "Not For Sale" on the front cover get you down. These ARCs are sent to bookstores as a teaser to get them to make larger orders. They aren't intended for sale, but obviously, when a book or series succeeds, these ARCs become collectible and valuable.
Collector's Angle:
Because these editions are not scarce, the collector who does a bit of research and follow-up can find this ARC in Fine/Fine (dustjacket/book) condition. Some might even get lucky and receive their ARC with the original letter from Bantam discussing A Game of Thrones. Keep your eyes out on eBay or abebooks.com and don't settle for a lower-quality copy of this collectible. Fine/Fine editions are fairly easy to find and afford, despite the ease at which they can be nicked or stressed.
Top Shelf:
Adding this beauty to your collection makes you a true seasoned ASOIAF collector. Hunting down a fine copy of this ARC at a reasonable price will be both challenging and rewarding. This ARC is easily the nicest ARC of the series, U.K. or U.S., and the only one with a dustjacket with unused art.
A Game of Thrones – First Edition
U.S., New York: Bantam Spectra, 1996
by David “Lodengarl” McCaman
Overview:
Published in the U.S. in September 1996, this first edition the primary piece for anyone’s GRRM or ASOIAF collection. Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, California sold the most copies of this edition in the U.S., and is where I purchased my copy. There is constant debate as to which edition is the true first edition, but both are sought after. The U.K. version is much scarcer due to a smaller print run.
Description:
6 ½” x 9 ½” hardcover, silver foil dustjacket with embossed blue lettering and iron throne. Book is black cloth with impressed George R. R. Martin signature, and silver lettering on the spine. 694 pages.
Estimated Cost or Value:
$150 - $350 – Fine
$100 - $185 – NF
$75 - $150 – VG+
$50 - $100 – VG / G+
Collector’s Caution:
There was an extended period of time between 1996 and 2000 where copies of this edition were still in book stores, some in bargain bins. A lot of these copies can be found as ex-library copies or remainder marked – where the dustjacket pricing is clipped, or marks are made to the pages. The silver foil of the cover is very susceptible to scratches, marks, and scraping and the black cloth of the book can dirty easily. Also confusing is the second edition release of AGOT with the Stephen Youll cover painting of Jon Snow and Ghost. This edition was mistakenly marked “First Edition” even though it was released years after the 1996 first edition.
Collector’s Angle:
This is a must collectible first edition, and collectors have the great opportunity to wait and find their fine copy. Because of the long time between A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows a lot of book dealers have been selling off their U.S. AGOT first editions on Abebooks and eBay. Fine/Fine copies without a blemish are hard to find however – but an active collector could find an almost mint copy for $100 - $200. Some collectors have two, five, or even boxes full of this edition, having sought them out when they were on bookshelves or when they were selling for $35 - $75.
An Appetizer Before the Feast – Collector's Limited Edition
U.S., New York: Bantam Spectra, 2005
by David “Lodengarl” McCaman
Overview:
Given away as a freebie (an appetizer before A Feast for Crows) to tradeshow attendees of BookExpo America in New York in June of 2005, this collectible features three Daenerys chapters. The interesting thing is that shortly after this collectible went to print, the structure of AFFC changed, and Dany's chapters were transferred from AFFC to the fifth novel in the series, A Dance with Dragons. Attendees and collectors were getting an excerpt from a book not set to be published for another two years.
Description:
6” x 9” softcover, with red, white, and gold wraps. No dustjacket. 43 pages.
Estimated Cost or Value:
$5 - $30 - Fine
Collector’s Caution:
George mentioned that signed copies of this collectible hit eBay before he even signed a copy. In the first days of being sold on eBay, rabid fans were paying upwards of $50, $100, or more for a copy of this limited edition. Once the market flooded, copies were going unsold for $9.99.
Collector’s Angle:
There is no reason any collector shouldn't be able to add this to their collection for a cheap price, and get a look at three great Dany chapters. Now that the market is flooded in the months following the BookExpo, copies are cheap and easy to find in mint condition and even signed. Now is the best time to get a copy, before more and more of them make their way into the hands of GRRM collectors, and the prices gradually increase again. Thanks to the Internet, it no longer requires attending a show across the country to get a special freebie giveaway. Enjoy your first AFFC collectible, with chapters from ADWD.
