Identifying the elusive 1st edition 2001 hardcover

A word to the wise: the first edition hardcover of 2001: A Space
Odyssey was published in 1968 by NAL, and did NOT bear a 1969 code on
its dustjacket. That should make obvious sense, right? It bore a
code pertaining to the month and year it was published. A 1969 code,
specifically H0269 on the back of the dustjacket, indicates a later
edition dustjacket, or February 1969. If you see a hardcover of 2001
that says First Edition on the title page, but bears a dustjacket that
says H0269, then it is a First Edition that has been reclothed in a
later edition dustjacket. That should make a big difference to the
value of the book, except if you don't know any better, I suppose.

There have been previous posts in this newsgroup over the years asking
how to identify the first edition. That's one clue. Beware also the
dustjacket that has no date code on the back and has been mysteriously
clipped at the upper and lower front flaps, because that's a book club
edition jacket with the incriminating words snipped away. There are
other differences inside the flaps to distinguish where the dust
jacket came from. I learned the hard way by buying a First Edition
that had been reclothed in a book club jacket, and then I was sold a
2nd edition H0269 jacket that was purported to be the 1st edition
jacket.

Currently there is an item on eBay touted to be a first edition in a
first edition dustjacket, but it appears to be a first edition in a
later edition dustjacket. Again, that should make a big difference to
the value of the book. I pointed that out to the seller a couple of
times, but the seller apparently wasn't interested in correcting the
listing. Buyer beware.

[mun.ca not mac.com]