by Marijoyce Porcelli

Created on: January 15, 2009

So you are saving that 1936 copy of Margaret Mitchell's book Gone With the Wind?

Why?

Because you are sure that it is a rare book? Because you know this book was originally published in 1936 so you are absolutely positive you are holding onto a first edition of GWTW that will only increase in value?

If you are stowing your 1936 copy of Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, with its confederate gray colored covers, for sentiment, great. It is, after all, a famous historical Civil War novel, a wonderful work of literature, that is worthy of being handed down to others someday.

However, if you have tucked away that 1936 edition of Gone With the Wind, assuming it is a first edition and that it will only increase in value, take a look first at the copyright page.

Does it say there, Set Up and Electrotyped, Published June 1936? Good. Before you get too excited, though, while the June 1936 printings of the book Gone With the Wind can sometimes be valuable, the rare gem of this collectible book is really the May, 1936, edition.

Why?

Because Gone With the Wind was actually ready for early publication in May, 1936. In fact, 10,000 copies were actually printed and distributed then.

However, the publisher then learned that Book of the Month Club had chosen GWTW for one of their selections, to be issued in July, 1936.

The publisher, MacMillan, decided to put off the official publishing date to June 30, 1936, to better coincide with the Book-of-the Month's release date. So that the publisher recalled the May, 1936, editions of Gone With the Wind.

Still, a lot of those May editions had already been sold before the recall so that many of them still survive today. That's why the May, 1936, edition is so much more valuable than the other later editions of this same book.

A true May, 1936, edition, with original dustjacket, sold recently on eBay for around $830 (and that market fluctuates, sometimes this same title can go for higher than that, as long as it is a true May, 1936, edition)` A June, 1936, edition of GWTW, at that same time, sold for around $355.

A 1936 November printing was offered then as well on eBay for around $149, but there were no takers (although there could have been several factors contributing to this, perhaps it wasn't an original dustjacket - many of these 1936 copies have facsimile dustjackets - or perhaps there were other considerations here by buyers).

That is not to say, though, that your 1936 copy of Gone With the Wind will not someday be valuable. You never know what is going to happen in the collectible and rare book department.

Bottom line, though, if you want to collect a genuinely rare first edition first print copy of Gone With the Wind, try to find one that on the copyright page says, Set Up and Electrotyped, Published May 1936. Be sure that it is a genuine copy and has the original dustjacket (some companies do make facsimiles now of this famous novel, but they tend to look much newer)`

You can click on the link below to see how I came to love books so much`

http://www.helium.com/items/1238996-growing-up-with- books-the-importance-of-books-why-i-love-books-so-mu ch[/

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