So, when you see a book you like how do you decide which edition to buy? Obviously sometimes there isn’t a choice, at least in actual bookstores other than maybe hardcover or paperback, but when there is a choice what makes you pick one edition over another?
Take Harry Potter for example, there are so many editions! I actually don’t have a matching set of all seven books, I have a boxset of the first four and then bought the rest as they came out. I want a matching set of hardcovers and I have just picked the ones I find the prettiest, well the two sets actually and in each set I like all the covers. Two sets I suppose isn’t crazy but what if you like say five or six sets, what do you do? Buy them all? Just buy one set? How do you pick that one set? What if you love some of the covers in one edition, but don’t like others in the same edition? Do you buy some books in one edition and others in another?
Why am I thinking about this? Well, I have started getting a few classics. Classics, like Harry Potter come in a huge number of editions. Some are just boring and I would only buy them if I just wanted a really cheap one to see if I like the story, but there are a lot of really nice editions too.
I decided a while ago that I liked the Penguin clothbound covers, so I bought a few of them.
Then, this happened.
I love this cover and really wanted the book so I had to get this one, it’s the Penguin deluxe edition and obviously doesn’t match the other classics I have. So, should I buy this in the clothbound cover so I have a matching set with just an extra one? It seems like a waste of money, but I do love a good matching set.
Maybe you are thinking just doubling up on one book or having one book that doesn’t match the others is ok? Well, this just happened…
Another deluxe edition…. Maybe now you’re thinking I obviously like these editions, so why don’t I replace my clothbound ones with these and switch to collecting everything in the deluxe editions instead? Well, I don’t like the deluxe editions for every book. I wish they were all beautiful, then I would switch but there are a couple I’m not that keen on, one in particular looks far too modern for me.
For now I am sticking with a mixed collection and when I decide I want a new classic I will go with the edition of that individual book that I think is prettiest. Maybe eventually I will decide to swap out some books to make a matching set, I don’t know.
So, how do you decide which edition to buy? Particularly if you only like some covers, but not others in a particular edition? For those with classics, which editions do you like best and why?
bookdrblog 
I love the Penguin clothbound covers but I don’t own any. Lots of my classics are collected secondhand, either from family/friends or from secondhand bookshops – so none of them match!
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I still like the clothbound ones but there are some other editions with such nice covers!
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It depends on the book. 🙂 I have no less than 6 different editions of “The Secret Garden” (probably more than that, but I can think of 6 off the top of my head on my bookshelves) because it’s my favorite book ever. I have HP 3-7 in hardcover but 1 & 2 in paperback still. I’d *LOVE* to get the set with the house color covers but I just don’t have the cash for that. 😛 Sure, I could save up for it, but it’s hard to justify that much money when 1) I have a set of the books and 2) I need new glasses and a couple other health things first.
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I think it’s hard to justify multiple editions too. A single favourite book is different, a whole series would be expensive!
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I actually don’t care if my books match or not. I buy the prettiest cover of the book I can find 😀
You own really nice editions of some books and it would be just a waste of money if you would want to replace them, just because you like some editions more 🙂
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Yeah I feel like it’s a waste of money having multiple copies but I do like things that match!
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[…] recent post was about different editions where I said that I basically pick the edition that is prettiest, but what makes a book […]
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I love that the internet allows me to choose now. As a rule of thumb I prefer the UK editions but this isn’t hard and fast. I HATE it when they change cover design midway through a series, it really irks me. Another reason to be annoyed with GRRM is that he’s taken so long his covers have changed a few times not to mention the tie in’s etc. I will go back and replace books if I need to – case in point I bought the last few Kate Elliott Crown of Stars in the US edition because they came out earlier (again, good old internet has largely eliminated this issue as they tend to marry up) but I’m slowly finding secondhand UK hardbacks to matchy matchy.
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I usually prefer US covers!
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