Identification
Photo reference
2 uploaded photos
Overview
The copyright page explicitly states 'First Edition-1997' and includes the full number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2', definitively identifying this as a first edition, first printing by Henry Holt and Company. The dust jacket is present (bearing a modern retail sticker).
Story
Thomas Pynchon is a highly regarded American postmodernist author, and 'Mason & Dixon' is considered one of his major works. Published in 1997 by Henry Holt and Company, the first printing is easily identified by the full number line on the copyright page. The secondary market for modern first editions of Thomas Pynchon's work is active but highly condition-dependent. 'Mason & Dixon' had a relatively large initial print run, meaning standard copies are readily available and trade frequently in the $15 to $40 range.
Maker / Origin
Thomas Pynchon (Author) / Henry Holt and Company (Publisher)
Condition & Value
The provided images definitively confirm the edition and printing state, and the exterior of the dust jacket appears intact, though it bears a modern retail sticker.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
The secondary market for modern first editions of Thomas Pynchon's work is active but highly condition-dependent. 'Mason & Dixon' had a relatively large initial print run, meaning standard copies are readily available and trade frequently in the $15 to $40 range. Premium prices are strictly reserved for pristine, unread copies, signed editions, or copies with notable provenance.
▲ Confirmed first edition, first printing via the full number line on the copyright page.
▲ Presence of the original dust jacket, a necessity for modern first edition collectors.
▲ Strong literary significance of Thomas Pynchon's postmodern epic maintains steady baseline demand.
▼ Unverified dust jacket flap — a clipped publisher's price would immediately relegate the book to a reading copy rather than a collector's copy.
▼ Visible retail sticker on the front cover detracts from display appeal and carries a risk of damage upon removal.
Best Venue
List on a broad secondary market platform like eBay or AbeBooks if selling as a standard collectible copy. To maximize return, carefully remove the retail sticker from the dust jacket if it can be done without leaving residue or tearing the paper.
Upside Potential
If the dust jacket is confirmed to be unclipped, the pages are entirely free of remainder marks or writing, and the overall condition is pristine ('Fine/Fine'), the value could push toward the $50-$75 range in a specialized retail setting.
Also found — market-range context
Surfaced during research but not used to anchor the valuation — wrong form, species, era, or no published price. Shown so the market range around this item is visible.