The points of issue
The true first book appearance is the Urizen Books volume 'Buried Child & Seduced & Suicide in Bb' (New York, 1979), ISBN 0-89396-011-X, issued in hardcover (the only hardcover of the Pulitzer-winning play) and in wrappers. The hardcover is the desirable state. The play is collected here with two other Shepard plays rather than published standalone.
Is this the true first?
There is no standalone US trade-hardcover first of Buried Child alone; the true first book text is the 1979 Urizen collection. The play also appears later in the Bantam collection 'Seven Plays' (1981, trade paperback). Set expectations toward the Urizen 1979 hardcover as the collectible first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Samuel French and Dramatists Play Service acting editions are reference texts, not the collectible first. Bantam 'Seven Plays' (1981) is a trade paperback, not a book-club issue; later Vintage 'Seven Plays' reprints differ.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Buried Child a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The true first book appearance is the Urizen Books volume 'Buried Child & Seduced & Suicide in Bb' (New York, 1979), ISBN 0-89396-011-X, issued in hardcover (the only hardcover of the Pulitzer-winning play) and in wrappers. The hardcover is the desirable state. The play is collected here with two other Shepard plays rather than published standalone.
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. There is no standalone US trade-hardcover first of Buried Child alone; the true first book text is the 1979 Urizen collection. The play also appears later in the Bantam collection 'Seven Plays' (1981, trade paperback). Set expectations toward the Urizen 1979 hardcover as the collectible first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Samuel French and Dramatists Play Service acting editions are reference texts, not the collectible first. Bantam 'Seven Plays' (1981) is a trade paperback, not a book-club issue; later Vintage 'Seven Plays' reprints differ.
I have a first edition of Buried Child — 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.