“The thing that strikes me as most ridiculous about first editions (or first printings, if we’re being as anally exact as many of their collectors) is that they should be worth so much more than other almost identical versions of the same book. Very often all that distinguishes a valuable first printing from a near worthless second is one small digit on the title page. It’s a strange way of distinguishing worth and there’s something unappealing about the way book collecting prioritises the rarity of a book over its contents or even its appearance.”