GONE WITH THE WIND Ultra Rare 1st Ed May 1936 Printing
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:919126 | Year Printed: 1936 |
| Special Attributes: 1st Edition |
In the PBS Great American Read contest last year, Americans voted the epic saga GONE WITH THE WIND as the 6th most loved book of all time.
If you don't know the gripping story contained in these 1, 037 pages, PBS summarized it this way:
"The definitive story of love and war in the South, Gone with the Wind won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled, manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, arrives at young womanhood jus...t in time to see the Civil War forever change her way of life. A sweeping story of tangled passion and courage, in the pages of Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia and brings to life unforgettable characters that have captured readers for more than eighty years."
Published on 30 June 1936, GONE WITH THE WIND instantly became a phenomenon and mega seller. Even though the country was deep in the Great Depression, people eagerly paid the $3 cover price to experience Margaret Mitchell's matchless gift as a mesmerizing storyteller. The millionth copy rolled off the presses in mid-December of that year.
You'll find many examples of those first million books here on eBay. However, the rarest first printing of 10, 245 copies has a MAY 1936 publication date and is the most coveted volume by collectors!
Originally, Macmillan planned to release the book in May 1936 and ordered the first 10, 000+ copies. However, the Book of the Month Club wanted to offer this exciting debut novel from an unknown author to its members in June.
In order to accommodate Book of the Month's hefty order of 50, 000 copies, Macmillan delayed the release until 30 June 1936. The book's copyright date matches the release date.
Since the Depression still was ongoing, Macmillan didn't want to destroy those first 10, 245 copies with the May date and lose the money invested in them. The executives decided to distribute those copies in the June release.
Finding a true first printing of GWTW isn't easy, and finding one in such terrific condition as this one is even more difficult. The binding is tight, and the pages are crisp and clean. Although the pages are yellowed with age, I didn't notice any foxing, stains, or writing as I thumbed through the book. Note that I did not look at every page.
I would think the book hadn't been read except that I found page 506 had been lovingly and carefully taped by a previous owner decades ago. The adhesive tape has long since turned brown and discolored pages 505, 507, and 508 -- in other words, the taped page, its reverse, and the front and back of the next page are affected.
The cover has 2 tiny stains and shows very little wear aside from some scuffs at the top and bottom, especially on the spine. It has a small ding at the bottom of the back cover. The spine doesn't have tears but could become torn if not handled carefully. The dark area on the copyright page is a shadow from the light. It is not stained.
As a bonus in this auction, I am also including the special 25th Anniversary edition of GWTW published in 1961, which also was the 100th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. This lovely edition features gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations by Ben Stahl. The pages are unmarked and crisp, but a few pages toward the end have tiny crimped corners at the bottom. The binding is tight and unsoiled.
Imagine your joy to FINALLY own a true 1st edition, 1st printing of this great American classic literature! Not only would you get the extremely collectible 1st printing for display, but you could then settle into your favorite and most comfortable chair to savor reading or re-reading the highly detailed, realistic, and historically accurate story from the luscious 25th Anniversary volume!
Remember, only 10, 245 copies are known to exist of this May 1936 first printing, making it ultra rare! People who bought the first edition of GWTW in June 1936 read it, held on to it, and passed it down to their families. If you don't buy this book NOW, you may not get another chance to own such a fantastic copy.
Shipping is FREE and will be INSURED for the purchase price. I use eBay's Global Shipping Program to sell internationally so if there is a fee for that, I have no control over it.
Payment is expected within 3 days after the listing ends.
If you don't know the gripping story contained in these 1, 037 pages, PBS summarized it this way:
"The definitive story of love and war in the South, Gone with the Wind won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled, manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, arrives at young womanhood jus...t in time to see the Civil War forever change her way of life. A sweeping story of tangled passion and courage, in the pages of Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia and brings to life unforgettable characters that have captured readers for more than eighty years."
Published on 30 June 1936, GONE WITH THE WIND instantly became a phenomenon and mega seller. Even though the country was deep in the Great Depression, people eagerly paid the $3 cover price to experience Margaret Mitchell's matchless gift as a mesmerizing storyteller. The millionth copy rolled off the presses in mid-December of that year.
You'll find many examples of those first million books here on eBay. However, the rarest first printing of 10, 245 copies has a MAY 1936 publication date and is the most coveted volume by collectors!
Originally, Macmillan planned to release the book in May 1936 and ordered the first 10, 000+ copies. However, the Book of the Month Club wanted to offer this exciting debut novel from an unknown author to its members in June.
In order to accommodate Book of the Month's hefty order of 50, 000 copies, Macmillan delayed the release until 30 June 1936. The book's copyright date matches the release date.
Since the Depression still was ongoing, Macmillan didn't want to destroy those first 10, 245 copies with the May date and lose the money invested in them. The executives decided to distribute those copies in the June release.
Finding a true first printing of GWTW isn't easy, and finding one in such terrific condition as this one is even more difficult. The binding is tight, and the pages are crisp and clean. Although the pages are yellowed with age, I didn't notice any foxing, stains, or writing as I thumbed through the book. Note that I did not look at every page.
I would think the book hadn't been read except that I found page 506 had been lovingly and carefully taped by a previous owner decades ago. The adhesive tape has long since turned brown and discolored pages 505, 507, and 508 -- in other words, the taped page, its reverse, and the front and back of the next page are affected.
The cover has 2 tiny stains and shows very little wear aside from some scuffs at the top and bottom, especially on the spine. It has a small ding at the bottom of the back cover. The spine doesn't have tears but could become torn if not handled carefully. The dark area on the copyright page is a shadow from the light. It is not stained.
As a bonus in this auction, I am also including the special 25th Anniversary edition of GWTW published in 1961, which also was the 100th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. This lovely edition features gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations by Ben Stahl. The pages are unmarked and crisp, but a few pages toward the end have tiny crimped corners at the bottom. The binding is tight and unsoiled.
Imagine your joy to FINALLY own a true 1st edition, 1st printing of this great American classic literature! Not only would you get the extremely collectible 1st printing for display, but you could then settle into your favorite and most comfortable chair to savor reading or re-reading the highly detailed, realistic, and historically accurate story from the luscious 25th Anniversary volume!
Remember, only 10, 245 copies are known to exist of this May 1936 first printing, making it ultra rare! People who bought the first edition of GWTW in June 1936 read it, held on to it, and passed it down to their families. If you don't buy this book NOW, you may not get another chance to own such a fantastic copy.
Shipping is FREE and will be INSURED for the purchase price. I use eBay's Global Shipping Program to sell internationally so if there is a fee for that, I have no control over it.
Payment is expected within 3 days after the listing ends.
