The points of issue
The seminal hardboiled-crime pulp. Key collectible issues by date/contents: the serialization of Hammett's 'The Maltese Falcon' (1929-30) and 'Red Harvest,' and Raymond Chandler's first published story 'Blackmailers Don't Shoot' (Dec. 1933). Single printing per issue; identification by cover date, volume/number and contents.
Is this the true first?
Original issues are the first appearances of these landmark texts; no edition states. Value depends on the specific issue's first appearances and condition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club analog. Distinguish original issues from rebound volumes and reprints; correct date and intact original wraps define the collectible first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Black Mask (pulp magazine) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The seminal hardboiled-crime pulp. Key collectible issues by date/contents: the serialization of Hammett's 'The Maltese Falcon' (1929-30) and 'Red Harvest,' and Raymond Chandler's first published story 'Blackmailers Don't Shoot' (Dec. 1933). Single printing per issue; identification by cover date, volume/number and contents.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Original issues are the first appearances of these landmark texts; no edition states. Value depends on the specific issue's first appearances and condition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club analog. Distinguish original issues from rebound volumes and reprints; correct date and intact original wraps define the collectible first.
I have a first edition of Black Mask (pulp magazine) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.