No Country for Old Men, first edition, limited issue
Knopf, New York, 2005
First edition, first printing with “First Edition” and no mention of further printings on the copyright page. One of an unknown number of copies signed in black ink by McCarthy on a publisher’s tipped-in page. Hardcover, 22 x 15 cm, 309 numbered pages. Publisher’s black paper covered boards, lettered in gold on the spine with “Borzoi books” imprint and logo embossed on the lower right corner of back panel. Photographic first issue dustjacket designed by Chip Kidd on the basis of a photo by Matt Lindsay. Red panels lettered in white and white flaps lettered in black. The front flap shows a price of “U.S.A. $24.95 Canada $32.95”, the back flap the code “7/2005” and a photo of McCarthy by Derek Shapton. The back panel has six blurbs and a white box with the printed ISBN number.
CONDITION: near fine in a fine dustjacket. A gorgeous copy.
PROVENANCE: purchased from Burnside Rare Books in 2023.
Issued on July 25, 2005, at $24.95, in 200-250 copies
This issue is usually told to be produced in 300 copies. In spite of that, Gary Fisketjon who was the book’s editor at Knopf, told me that no more than 200-250 sheets were signed by McCarthy.
The signed issue was most probably intended as a gift for main bookstores, so it was possibly sent out before the first trade edition copies. However, there are no clues to establish a clear priority.
SOPHISTICATED COPIES: a copy with a signed tipped-in page was offered in late 2023. As the signature is in a very late hand the signed page was most probably excised by the signed edition of The Passenger and Stella Maris or it was an unused page belonging to that stock. It is not one of the copies issued by the publisher [see photo]
COLLECTING TOPICS: although copies are usually available in the market, prices have tripled in the past fifteen years. Fine copies could be purchased for $350 around 2010. Today, it is difficult to find copies in such a condition for less than $1,000-1200. However, they are by far more common than first trade edition copies inscribed by the author.
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