AI identification & appraisal estimate

Hardcover Copy of 'A Brief History of Time' by Stephen W. Hawking

Submitted photo of Hardcover Copy of 'A Brief History of Time' by Stephen W. Hawking
Photo submitted by the user — not generated by AI

User's notes

With jacket in great condition

These notes were written by the person who submitted this item. Appraiser.AI has not verified them, and the AI's identification and estimate may rely on them.

AI Estimated Value

Not an official valuation

$5 - $15

AI estimate as of July 22, 2026 · verify with a professional before acting

AI-Generated · Verify before acting

Everything on this page is generated by AI for informational purposes only. AI can make mistakes — the AI may misidentify items or misattribute them (artist, maker, brand, designer, origin, era). This is not an official valuation and should not be used for insurance, sale, tax, estate, legal, or lending purposes — or any decision requiring a certified appraisal. It is not an authoritative claim about any person, brand, or rights holder — do not share or rely on it as a factual statement about a third party. Always consult qualified professionals before making financial decisions.

This analysis also relies on unverified notes provided by the user, which may be incomplete or inaccurate and could affect the result.

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AI Item Analysis

This item appears to be an open hardcover book displaying the copyright page and dedication page for 'A Brief History of Time'. The text explicitly reads 'Copyright © 1988 by Stephen W. Hawking', with 'A Bantam Book / April 1988' indicated, and notes that it was printed in the United States of America. A line near the bottom mentions BOMC (Book-of-the-Month Club), which is consistent with a book club printing edition. The visible page features standard black printing on white paper stock. The paper appears relatively clean and intact with minor handling wear, though full physical inspection would be required to verify complete binding integrity and page count. The user notes that the book comes with a dust jacket in great condition, though the jacket itself is not fully visible in the image and remains unverified. The presentation is consistent with late-20th-century commercial trade/book club publishing.

AI Appraisal Report

Based on the provided image, I am looking at the copyright page of A Brief History of Time, bearing an attribution to Stephen W. Hawking. The text indicates copyright 1988 by Bantam Books. Crucially, I can see a reference to BOMC, which suggests this is a Book-of-the-Month Club edition rather than a standard trade first edition printing. The visibly printed pages appear intact with minor handling wear. Per user submission, the book comes with a dust jacket in great condition; however, I cannot examine the jacket, the overall binding integrity, or the full text block from the photo alone, so this remains an unverified claim. In the general book collecting market, Book-of-the-Month Club editions are typically produced in massive quantities and usually do not carry the premium associated with true trade first printings. While it remains a very popular reading copy, comparable late-20th-century book club printings of this title generally trade in the $5 to $15 range. This estimate assumes the owner's assessment of a great condition dust jacket is accurate. If the jacket is missing, heavily worn, or damaged upon physical inspection, the value would sit at the absolute lower end of this spectrum. To fully evaluate the edition state and overall physical condition, an in-person examination of the binding, boards, and complete jacket would be required.

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