Finding a book to search for

To explain that paradoxical subject heading: I think I am reasonably competent at using the various search and meta-search engines to to find a copy of a book.
But let's suppose that I would like a fine press edition of one of my favorite novels, Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. The first question to ask is does such an entity exist? In other words is there some way I can find whether any fine press has produced Sons and Lovers, without just slogging my way through their historic list of publications, assuming that such a list exists?

I don't Know the answer to your question but if you're really looking for a nice copy of Sons and Lovers I'd check out the LEC edition.

>1 scunliffe: a few strategies:

1. Consult Will Ransom's work:
   
   
   
   • Ransom, W. (1945). Selective check lists of press books: a compilation of all important & significant private presses or press books which are collected. New York: Philip C. Duschnes.
     
   • Ransom, W. (1963). Private presses and their books. New York: Philip C. Duschnes.
     
   
   (Obviously these will exclude anything published after they were released. They also have an unavoidable editorial bias, but they are good lists.)


2. Search this forum specifically for titles.


3. Search Abe, sorting by highest price and excluding print on demand titles. You will need to wade through some dross, but for many titles there are not so many options that skimming the possibilities takes more than several minutes. Obviously this will only capture what is on the market, but I have used this approach to good end a number of times.

Biblio.com has a rare book search feature that I use sometimes: https://www.biblio.com/rare-books.html. "Rare" of course doesn't equal "fine," but the results do often turn up some fine press offerings.

When searching for authors I'm interested in on Abe I'll also include keywords like 'limited', 'letterpress', 'leather', etc.

Thank you all, you have been most helpful