Identification
Photo reference
4 uploaded photos
Overview
The copyright page explicitly states 'First Edition' and lists the copyright year as 1980, published by Alfred A. Knopf. This provides definitive proof of the edition, publisher, and era. The presence of the dust jacket is confirmed by the first image.
Story
Published in 1980 by Alfred A. Knopf, 'China Men' is Maxine Hong Kingston's acclaimed follow-up to her groundbreaking debut, 'The Woman Warrior'. The book won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, cementing Kingston's status as a pivotal figure in Asian American literature. The secondary market for modern first editions of acclaimed late-20th-century literature is steady but heavily dependent on condition. Standard unsigned reading or collectible copies of 'China Men' are readily available and trade modestly.
Maker / Origin
Alfred A. Knopf
Condition & Value
The book presents well from the front, with the original dust jacket intact. A modern retail price sticker is visible on the front panel of the jacket, which may leave residue or cause peeling if removed improperly. The book appears structurally sound with clean interior pages.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
The secondary market for modern first editions of acclaimed late-20th-century literature is steady but heavily dependent on condition. Standard unsigned reading or collectible copies of 'China Men' are readily available and trade modestly. Value scales significantly for pristine, unclipped copies, and jumps sharply for author signatures or notable association copies.
▲ Stated First Edition confirmed by the copyright page, appealing to modern literature collectors.
▲ Original dust jacket is present, a strict requirement for modern first edition collectibility.
▲ National Book Award-winning title ensures baseline literary and academic demand.
▼ Unverified front flap — a clipped original publisher's price would cap the value at the lower end of the range.
▼ Front panel retail sticker — improper removal could tear the jacket or leave residue, degrading the grade.
▼ Unverified spine and back panel — fading or tears would push the value toward a reading-copy floor.
Best Venue
Given the modest retail value for unsigned copies, this is best suited for direct-to-consumer online marketplaces like eBay or AbeBooks. Carefully remove the front sticker with a specialized adhesive remover (like Bestine) to improve presentation, and ensure the listing includes photos of the front flap and spine to maximize buyer confidence.
Upside Potential
If the book is discovered to have a flat signature or inscription by Maxine Hong Kingston on the title page or front endpaper, the value would shift into the $40-$100+ range depending on the nature of the inscription.
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.