Can 1st edition books be book club?

I'm looking to buy a book for my Dad, and I don't want to get a book club book. Only thing is, I have no way to tell on Ebay. Does 1st edition mean that a book is not a book club book? It seems like 1st edition would be the first released or something, and since book club's usually print the book themselves it wouldn't be a 1st edition, right?



Thanks for the help!Can 1st edition books be book club?
If a book is advertised as a 1st edition, it would not be a book club book. Even on eBay, book club editions should be advertised as such.Can 1st edition books be book club?
Once upon a time, there were book club editions that were also first editions. These were promotional books, meaning that they were put together to help market the book club. They were compilations -- kitchen sink affairs with a little bit of everything -- often written by a relative of the book club owner. So you got "The Encyclopedia of Wisdom" or "A History of The Great War" (First World War). They were offered for very little by the book clubs in an attempt to lure new members. Often they were given away as "dividends" or "bonuses".These books were never sold in bookshops, but still can be found in second-hand bookshops were they're usually used to hold up a sagging table. They are the illegitimate orphans of publishing.