Greetings!
Was the ArM3 core book ever released in hardback form? Thanks!
Not that I'm aware of, the first hardback Ars book to the best of my knowledge was one of the printings of the 4th edition core.
As I recall, ArM3 in spanish was published in Hardback
I heard somewhere that it was but I seriously doubt it. WW published Vampire second edition in hardback, I think because it was pretty much the flagship of their RPGs. The other Storyteller first edition core rulebooks were published in softback, and Ars Magica third edition preceded three of them (Mage, Wraith and Changeling, IIRC).
Thanks, folks!
You could always have it rebound in hardback. I know mine is losing pages here and there.
(I love bookbinders' sense of time. "There, dear, now it'll keep for another century.")
Yep, in Spanish the edition was released in Hardback. Calebais was also a hardback book. I have both sitting on my shelf as we talk 
They were my introduction to the wonderful world of Ars Magica
Cheers,
Xavi