First Edition Hunt: Neuromancer

 

     This is one of the few books I've sold and had no replacement. I owned one that was given to me as a gift when i was 18 from a family member. I put it in a box in a storage area that later got a little bit of water on it from a tropical storm. (massive storms hit here about once a year) The other copy i got at a paper back exchange for about a dollar, but later picked it as one of the books i would sell when i had to raise money to move about 5 years ago. A long story short, but my wife had to stay home and watch after my son, who had recently been diagnosed with Autism. Sad story, but i needed money to downsize, and had spent the remainder of my savings on medical bills. Sold my vintage game collection to a mutual collector from upstate Florida, and sold about ten of my medium-high level books to make up the difference. This was one of them.

 

     Few paperbacks have the distinction of being a a true first edition with no hard cover counter part. There are first edition hardbacks, but they came out a few years after the paper back and should be discounted on that fact. I sold my copy in "good" condition for around $150.00 on EBay. The book market declined some since then, or leveled out.. i guess. The economy was better then, people had more money to spend on books. A similar book now can go from $75-$125 on a good day. The cover is unique, but has nothing to do with the book really. It's the book the coined the term "Internet", "World Wide Web", "Virtual Reality", and so on. One of his bests for sure. Signed copies of this book easily hit $500.00. One auction i saw was well over $1000, because before he signed, he dated the signature, and said something to the effect of. "Hope to see you on the 'Internets' in the future." - 1984.

 

     I have a few books signed by him, Mona Lisa Overdrive and some other book he wrote recently that my mom sent to me. She found it at a Dollar General store in Arizona. Being an author and book collector herself, she spotted it right away and called me.

 

     Anyways, uncommon to rare book, easy to spot in a paperback exchange, and getting more scarce as time goes by.

 

**UPDATE** Found the original pictures I took when I sold my copy on eBay. I took them in my bathroom!