The Foundation Trilogy First Editions

The original Foundation trilogy — Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952), and Second Foundation (1953) — was published by Gnome Press, a small specialty publisher run by Martin Greenberg and David Kyle. Gnome Press editions are among the scarcest and most valuable science fiction first editions, not because of the books’ initial popularity (which was modest) but because Gnome Press operated on razor-thin margins with tiny print runs.

The Three Volumes

Foundation (1951): Gnome Press. Brown cloth binding. Dust jacket by David Kyle. The most valuable volume. Signed firsts in jacket: $2,000–$6,000.

Foundation and Empire (1952): Gnome Press. Dust jacket by David Kyle. Signed firsts: $1,000–$3,000.

Second Foundation (1953): Gnome Press. Dust jacket by David Kyle. Signed firsts: $1,000–$3,000.

Set Values

A complete signed set of the Gnome Press Foundation trilogy is one of the premier achievements in Golden Age collecting. The set premium adds 20–30% above individual volume values. Complete sets in fine condition with dust jackets are extremely rare — Gnome Press jackets were printed on cheap paper and are highly susceptible to wear, fading, and chipping.

Identification Notes

Gnome Press editions are identified by the Gnome Press imprint on the title page and spine. Later editions from Doubleday, Avon, and other publishers are not first editions regardless of their binding or condition. The Gnome Press dust jackets are the critical differentiator — unsigned copies without jackets trade for a fraction of jacketed values.