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First Editions Rare Books

How to Buy Rare Books by William Rees-Mogg, First Edition
How to Buy Rare Books by William Rees-Mogg, First Edition

How to Buy Rare Books by William Rees-Mogg, First Edition

Located in valatie, NY

Oxford: Phaidon, 1985. First edition hardcover with dust jacket. 155 pp.

Category

20th Century English Books

Materials

Paper

Rare First Edition Book by Max Ernst, Paris, Original Lithographs
Rare First Edition Book by Max Ernst, Paris, Original Lithographs

Rare First Edition Book by Max Ernst, Paris, Original Lithographs

By Max Ernst

Located in Milano, IT

Rare First Edition “Max Ernst”, Paris, René Drouin Éditeur, 1950, with Two Signed Lithographs An exceptional and highly collectible first edition of Max Ernst, published in Paris by...

Category

Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Books

Materials

Paper

The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon – FIRST EDITION
The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon – FIRST EDITION

The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon – FIRST EDITION

Located in Middletown, NY

New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc., 1959. First Edition. 8vo, 8 3/ 8 x 5 5/8 inches (213 x 140 mm); (5), 311, (1) pp. Original cloth-backed speckled paper boards with white spi...

Category

Mid-20th Century English Books

Materials

Paper

The History of the World by Sir Walter Raleigh – FIRST EDITION
The History of the World by Sir Walter Raleigh – FIRST EDITION

The History of the World by Sir Walter Raleigh – FIRST EDITION

Located in Middletown, NY

[PMM 117; Pforzheimer 820; Lowndes V, 2039; ESTC S116300]. A RARE FIRST EDITION of Sir Walter Raleigh's best-known and and most extensive book, a landmark work of Jacobean scholarsh...

Category

Antique Early 17th Century English Books

Materials

Gold Leaf

First Trade Edition of Winnie-the-Pooh signed by Author & Illustrator, with Orig
First Trade Edition of Winnie-the-Pooh signed by Author & Illustrator, with Orig

First Trade Edition of Winnie-the-Pooh signed by Author & Illustrator, with Orig

Located in Middletown, NY

(Alan Alexander): Winnie-the-Pooh An Exceptionally rare copy of the FIRST TRADE EDITION of Winnie-the-Pooh signed by both the Author and the Illustrator, with Original dust-jacket.

Category

Vintage 1920s English Books

Materials

Paper

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey - First Edition, second issue DJ
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey - First Edition, second issue DJ

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey - First Edition, second issue DJ

Located in Middletown, NY

Publisher's green cloth with orange title on spine; spine is a touch color faded compared to the front and back panels, and the bottom outside corner of back cover has 1/4 inch water...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Books

Materials

Paper

Recent Sales

Rare Book-First Edition-Le Fete Marriage Le Dauphin
Rare Book-First Edition-Le Fete Marriage Le Dauphin

Rare Book-First Edition-Le Fete Marriage Le Dauphin

By Henri Cohen, Seymour de Ricci

Located in New Orleans, LA

Incredible Complete First Edition (1726-1746)of Two Books Bound Together with important Historical Engravings.They commemorate the two marriages of the Dauphin,son of Louis XV to Ma...

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Louis XV Books

Materials

Paper

Washington’s Letters to Congress, Rare First American Edition, Two Volumes, 1795
Washington’s Letters to Congress, Rare First American Edition, Two Volumes, 1795

Washington’s Letters to Congress, Rare First American Edition, Two Volumes, 1795

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

“Official Letters to the Honourable American Congress Written During the War Between the United Colonies and Great Britain”. Rare first edition of Washington’s letters to members ...

Category

Antique 1790s Books

Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes First Edition Books
Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes First Edition Books

Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes First Edition Books

By Paige Rense

Located in New York, NY

A set of the rare first edition books, Architectural Digest's CELEBRITY HOMES and CELEBRITY HOMES II.

Category

American Books

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition
Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition

Located in valatie, NY

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac. Hachette, 1973. First edition hardcover with dust jacket. 288 pages. Illustrated throughout with mainly color photos and some b&w...

Category

Vintage 1970s French Books

Materials

Paper

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition
Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition

Located in valatie, NY

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac. Hachette, 1973. First edition hardcover with dust jacket. 288 pages. Illustrated throughout with mainly color photos and some b&w...

Category

Vintage 1970s French Books

Materials

Paper

Lighting from Concealed Sources by J.L. Stair, Rare First Edition
Lighting from Concealed Sources by J.L. Stair, Rare First Edition

Lighting from Concealed Sources by J.L. Stair, Rare First Edition

By J.L. Stair

Located in valatie, NY

Lighting from concealed sources. New York: National X-Ray Reflector Company, 1919. First edition hardcover. 246 pp. An early guide to the satisfying effects of indirect lighting by J...

Category

Vintage 1910s American Books

Materials

Paper

Rare Disney's Mickey Mouse Annual #4 1933 First Edition Book U.K. Pressing
Rare Disney's Mickey Mouse Annual #4 1933 First Edition Book U.K. Pressing

Rare Disney's Mickey Mouse Annual #4 1933 First Edition Book U.K. Pressing

By Walt Disney Productions

Located in Hamilton, Ontario

Mickey Mouse Annual #4 (London: Dean & Son, Ltd., 1933) This book was published at the end of 1933 for the 1934 year, produced with the consent of Walter E. Disney. Cricket cover tit...

Category

Vintage 1930s English Books

Materials

Paper

James Joyce - Ulysses. First edition, with Joyce inscription
James Joyce - Ulysses. First edition, with Joyce inscription

James Joyce - Ulysses. First edition, with Joyce inscription

By James Joyce

Located in New York, NY

FIRST EDITION, number 611 of 750 copies on handmade paper, of the most celebrated novel of the 20th-century. INSCRIBED AND SIGNED by Joyce on supplied bound-in sheet: "To Percy Beaum...

Category

Early 20th Century French Books

Andy Warhol Index Book, First Edition, Signed Twice
Andy Warhol Index Book, First Edition, Signed Twice

Andy Warhol Index Book, First Edition, Signed Twice

By Andy Warhol

Located in New York, NY

FIRST EDITION, SIGNED TWICE BY WARHOL (on upper cover and opposite title); WITH THE RARE ORIGINAL PRINTED CELLOPHANE BAG. Complete with pop-up castle; a paper accordion (still with a...

Category

Vintage 1960s American Books

Signed by Andy Warhol Blinds and Shutters, First Edition, Stunning Illustrations
Signed by Andy Warhol Blinds and Shutters, First Edition, Stunning Illustrations

Signed by Andy Warhol Blinds and Shutters, First Edition, Stunning Illustrations

By Michael Cooper 1

Located in New York, NY

First edition, one of a very small number signed by Andy Warhol. Generally considered the most beautiful book to document the rock-and-roll era. A fine copy in the original shipping ...

Category

Vintage 1970s English Books

Signed Limited First Edition of Derrière Le Miroir No. 149: Ellsworth Kelly
Signed Limited First Edition of Derrière Le Miroir No. 149: Ellsworth Kelly

Signed Limited First Edition of Derrière Le Miroir No. 149: Ellsworth Kelly

Located in New York, NY

“I think what we all want from art is a sense of fixity, a sense of opposing the chaos of daily living. This is an illusion, of course. What I’ve tried to capture is the reality of ...

Category

Vintage 1960s French Books

Signed First Edition of Andy's Warhol's Ten Portraits of Jews, 20th Century
Signed First Edition of Andy's Warhol's Ten Portraits of Jews, 20th Century

Signed First Edition of Andy's Warhol's Ten Portraits of Jews, 20th Century

By Andy Warhol

Located in New York, NY

The original catalog of illustrated cards for the 1980 exhibition at the Jewish Museum of New York, signed by Warhol on the portfolio sleeve. A collection of illustrated plates r...

Category

Vintage 1980s American Books

Joseph Heller - Catch-22: Signed First Edition
Joseph Heller - Catch-22: Signed First Edition

Joseph Heller - Catch-22: Signed First Edition

By Joseph Heller

Located in New York, NY

FIRST EDITION, SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY HELLER: "To Eve, With sincere good wishes. Joseph Heller 11/25/68 The Ambassador Theater".

A rare signed first edition of Heller...

Category

Vintage 1960s American Books

"Theodore Roosevelt: The Rough Riders, " Signed First Edition
"Theodore Roosevelt: The Rough Riders, " Signed First Edition

"Theodore Roosevelt: The Rough Riders, " Signed First Edition

By Theodore Roosevelt

Located in New York, NY

First Edition, signed by Roosevelt on front free endpaper. A best-seller upon its release, The Rough Riders, Roosevelt's stirring account of his adventures during the Spanish-Amer...

Category

Antique 1890s American Other Books

Materials

Paper

"Winston Churchill The Second World War", First Editions
"Winston Churchill The Second World War", First Editions

"Winston Churchill The Second World War", First Editions

By Winston Churchill

Located in New York, NY

FIRST ENGLISH EDITIONS (the preferred editions) in original dust jackets of Churchill's masterpiece.

Category

Mid-20th Century British Books

First Edition of Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
First Edition of Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

First Edition of Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

By Ulysses S. Grant

Located in New York, NY

"What General Lee's feelings were I do not know. As he was a man of much dignity, with an impassible face, it was impossible to say whether he felt inwardly glad that the end had fi...

Category

Antique 1880s American Books

Very Rare First Edition "The Prints of Paul Klee" MOMA
Very Rare First Edition "The Prints of Paul Klee" MOMA

Very Rare First Edition "The Prints of Paul Klee" MOMA

By James Thrall Soby

Located in Pittsburgh, PA

Black cloth portfolio. The plates were printed by the Meriden Gravure Company with eight color plates reproduced in stencil by Esther Gentle, and a 24-page booklet that contains five...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Rare First Edition Zane Grey, "An American Angler in Australia" 1937
Rare First Edition Zane Grey, "An American Angler in Australia" 1937

Rare First Edition Zane Grey, "An American Angler in Australia" 1937

By Zane Grey

Located in Quechee, VT

This is a scarce Zane Grey book published by Harper & Brothers Publishers in New York in 1937, with thirty-five black-and-white photographs taken by the author and his team of photog...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Books

Rare "Picasso Theatre" Book, First Edition, 1968

Rare "Picasso Theatre" Book, First Edition, 1968

Located in Washington, DC

Rare "Picasso Theatre" book, first edition, 1968.

Category

Vintage 1960s American Books

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Manly P Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Facsimile XL book with 4 Prints
Manly P Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Facsimile XL book with 4 Prints

Manly P Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Facsimile XL book with 4 Prints

By TASCHEN

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The classic encyclopedia of the arcane in an expanded edition. Renowned philosopher and lecturer Manly P. Hall’s masterful encyclopedia of ancient symbols, hidden rituals, and arcan...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Books

Materials

Foil

Baroque Solar System & Zodiac Map – Homann Doppelmayr, Hand Colored c.1742
Baroque Solar System & Zodiac Map – Homann Doppelmayr, Hand Colored c.1742

Baroque Solar System & Zodiac Map – Homann Doppelmayr, Hand Colored c.1742

Located in Langweer, NL

Baroque Solar System & Zodiac Map – Homann Doppelmayr, Hand Colored c.1742 This impressive celestial engraving depicts the Copernican heliocentric solar system and is titled “Sy...

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century German Maps

Materials

Paper

1889 The Blue Fairy Book
1889 The Blue Fairy Book

1889 The Blue Fairy Book

$3,761

H 7.5 in W 2 in D 5 in

1889 The Blue Fairy Book

By Andrew Lang

Located in Bath, GB

A superb copy of this sought-after fairy book by Andrew Lang, the first volume in his colourful series. The sought after first edition, first impression. Illustrated with a frontis...

Category

Antique 1890s British Books

Materials

Paper

C20th Decorative Glass Bonsai Tree
C20th Decorative Glass Bonsai Tree

C20th Decorative Glass Bonsai Tree

$666Sale Price|35% Off

H 15.75 in W 27.56 in D 5.91 in

C20th Decorative Glass Bonsai Tree

Located in London, GB

Beautiful Decorative Bonsai Tree Porcelain Pot included Very Colourful

Category

20th Century Modern Natural Specimens

Materials

Glass

Goodbye Picasso Book, First Edition, New York, 1974
Goodbye Picasso Book, First Edition, New York, 1974

Goodbye Picasso Book, First Edition, New York, 1974

Located in New York, NY

A First Edition 'Goodbye Picasso' coffee table or library book, by author David Douglas Duncan, 1974, New York. An amazing book covering an intimate look at the relationship between ...

Category

20th Century Swiss Modern Books

Materials

Linen, Paper

East Indonesian Rare Exotic Butterflies Taxidermy Display Celebes Islands
East Indonesian Rare Exotic Butterflies Taxidermy Display Celebes Islands

East Indonesian Rare Exotic Butterflies Taxidermy Display Celebes Islands

Located in Nottingham, GB

East Indonesian Exotic Butterflies Taxidermy Display Celebes Islands Good condition Free international shipping.

Category

20th Century Taxidermy

Materials

Glass, Wood

Magnificent Large Vanadinite Table top, Decorative Sculpture object
Magnificent Large Vanadinite Table top, Decorative Sculpture object

Magnificent Large Vanadinite Table top, Decorative Sculpture object

Located in London, GB

An exceptional large specimen of vanadinite from Morocco, covered entirely with brilliant, deep red crystals of varying sizes. The crystals are densely packed together, forming a con...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier Moroccan Organic Modern Natural Specimens

Materials

Crystal, Rock Crystal, Quartz

17th Century Memento Mori Vanitas Skull Old Master Oil Ex-Christie’s
17th Century Memento Mori Vanitas Skull Old Master Oil Ex-Christie’s

17th Century Memento Mori Vanitas Skull Old Master Oil Ex-Christie’s

Located in Yardley, PA

This wonderful 17th-century French School vanitas painting is a meditation on mortality and the transience of earthly pleasures. The composition centers on a finely rendered human sk...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Holy Bible" By Rev. John Brown, 1870s
"The Holy Bible" By Rev. John Brown, 1870s

"The Holy Bible" By Rev. John Brown, 1870s

$1,168

H 13.39 in W 10.63 in D 3.94 in

"The Holy Bible" By Rev. John Brown, 1870s

Located in Palermo, IT

"The Holy Bible" By Rev. John Brown, 1870s Old and new testaments. Marginal references and illustrations; An exact summary of the several books; A paraphrase on the most obscure or i...

Category

Antique 1870s British Religious Items

Materials

Paper

Exceptional Large Gothic English Victorian Burr Walnut Dressing Table Vanity
Exceptional Large Gothic English Victorian Burr Walnut Dressing Table Vanity

Exceptional Large Gothic English Victorian Burr Walnut Dressing Table Vanity

$2,735Sale Price|20% Off

H 70.87 in W 85.44 in D 21.26 in

Exceptional Large Gothic English Victorian Burr Walnut Dressing Table Vanity

Located in Leicester, GB

An exceptional large vanity with six drawers, two cabinets and triple dressing mirrors. Circa 1900's. Made in England to the highest quality with fully panelled wooden back mirrors, ...

Category

Antique Early 1900s English Victorian Vanities

Materials

Mahogany, Walnut

Our Bodies Ourselves: A Course By and For Women (1st edition, 2nd printing)
Our Bodies Ourselves: A Course By and For Women (1st edition, 2nd printing)

Our Bodies Ourselves: A Course By and For Women (1st edition, 2nd printing)

By Yoko Ono 1

Located in New York, NY

First edition, second printing of a foundational text of the women's liberation movement, radical both in its political messaging and because it was written “by women for women.” Ari...

Category

Vintage 1970s American Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Salvador Dali Art Recipe Book, Les Diners de Gala, 1971 France, First Edition
Salvador Dali Art Recipe Book, Les Diners de Gala, 1971 France, First Edition

Salvador Dali Art Recipe Book, Les Diners de Gala, 1971 France, First Edition

Located in New York, NY

A rare, collectable, first edition, Salvador Dali art and recipe cookbook, 'Les Diners de Gala', 1971, Paris, France. (Copy/text is in English language.) A great piece to add to a co...

Category

20th Century French Books

Materials

Paper

The Complete Works Of Charles Dickens - 36 vols. - IN A FINE LEATHER BINDING !
The Complete Works Of Charles Dickens - 36 vols. - IN A FINE LEATHER BINDING !

The Complete Works Of Charles Dickens - 36 vols. - IN A FINE LEATHER BINDING !

Located in Hillsborough, NJ

AUTHOR: DICKENS, Charles. TITLE: The Complete Works Of Charles Dickens. PUBLISHER: NY: Chas. Scribner's Sons, 1902. DESCRIPTION: 36 vols., 8-1/4" x 6", all illustrations after th...

Category

Antique Early 1900s American Books

Materials

Leather

A. A. Milne. The Four Winnie The Pooh Books - ALL IN FINE BINDINGS
A. A. Milne. The Four Winnie The Pooh Books - ALL IN FINE BINDINGS

A. A. Milne. The Four Winnie The Pooh Books - ALL IN FINE BINDINGS

Located in Hillsborough, NJ

AUTHOR: MILNE, A. A. TITLE: When We Were Very Young - Winnie The Pooh - House At Pooh Corner - Now We Are Six. PUBLISHER: London: Methuen & Co., Ltd., 1960-1. DESCRIPTION: 4 vols....

Category

Vintage 1960s British Books

Materials

Leather

18th Century Hand Carved Life Size Corpus Christi Skull
18th Century Hand Carved Life Size Corpus Christi Skull

18th Century Hand Carved Life Size Corpus Christi Skull

Located in London, GB

18th Century Hand Carved Life Size Corpus Christi Skull A rare Lifesize religious artifact of which we have never seen the like. Carved from pine wood with hand painted detail. This...

Category

Antique 1780s Italian Victorian Religious Items

Materials

Pine

Life in London – ILLUSTRATED by G. & I. R. Cruikshank, text by P. Egan - 1822
Life in London – ILLUSTRATED by G. & I. R. Cruikshank, text by P. Egan - 1822

Life in London – ILLUSTRATED by G. & I. R. Cruikshank, text by P. Egan - 1822

Located in Middletown, NY

Brilliantly illustrated comic work in exquisite full morocco, gilt. Egan, Pierce; Isaac Robert Cruikshank & George Cruikshank, illustrators Life in London; Or, The Day and Night Sce...

Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Books

Materials

Leather, Paint, Paper

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First Editions Rare Books For Sale on 1stDibs

There is a range of first editions rare books for sale on 1stDibs. Frequently made of paper, animal skin and leather, all first editions rare books available were constructed with great care. First editions rare books have been produced for many years, with earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. There are many kinds of first editions rare books to choose from, but at 1stDibs, Louis XV and Mid-Century Modern first editions rare books are of considerable interest. There have been many well-made first editions rare books over the years, but those made by Henri Cohen, J.L. Stair and James Thrall Soby are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

Finding the Right Books for You

Antique and vintage books add a sense of culture and style to any room. Displaying these types of books in your living room or reading nook can warm a space with a distinguished feel.

Several factors make antique books highly desirable. Original jackets, ornate binding, illustrations and quality of the print all contribute to making a vintage book special. Rare books are of great interest to collectors in the know and can command high prices at auction. In 2021, an important early artist book by Andy Warhol sold at auction for more than $106,000. Somewhere between all the commercial work he did as an ambitious young graphic designer in the early 1950s and his first real debut as a Pop artist a decade later, Warhol produced a trove of incredibly charming drawings. His illustrated self-published artist books from the 1950s are very rare.

Many collectors seek the first edition of certain books. Fewer copies of a book and higher demand make it a rare find. A book that contains the author’s signature also makes it much more prized than other examples of the same title.

Collectors and designers decorate rooms with vintage books for a cozy feeling in a home. Coffee-table books, such as those featuring photography and design, serve as conversation pieces or offer a relaxing moment when leafed through.

Interior designers look for vintage books when they want to add color or detail. For instance, leather-bound books can create a scholarly air while mid-century titles offer a modern edge. Vintage international books or first editions can provide a sense of history.

No matter the genre, there is a book for you. You can find rare, one-of-a-kind antique books on 1stDibs. Browse by authors, like celebrated architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright and Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as by period, including mid-century modern, Art Deco and Victorian.

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