My $35 thrifted book turned out to be a first edition I nearly donated

I picked up a beat-up copy of Dune at a Goodwill in Denver for $3, but it sat on my shelf for two years. Last month I noticed the copyright page had a weird line and checked online. Turns out it's a 1965 first edition with a typo that only the first printing has. I almost tossed it in a donation bag three times. Got it appraised for around $350 at a local shop, but I think I'll keep it. Has anyone else accidentally scored a valuable book from a thrift store?

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.leo8d ago

Got a pic of that typo? Im curious what made you recognize it was special over the other beat-up books in the bin.

patricia5588d ago

$3.50 for a book with a typo, @ellis.leo? I see those as more valuable, not beat up.

diana_west278d ago

Oh yeah, I've bought plenty of books with typos or printing errors. They're actually kind of cool if you ask me. I found one where a whole paragraph was repeated twice on the same page and another where the chapter numbers jumped from 5 to 7. Usually they're worth more if you find the right collector. Just check eBay sold listings for the specific error before you sell it or pass it up.