The points of issue
Identify the first by a STATED "First Edition" on the copyright page (confirmed by ABAA dealers), NOT by a "number line ending 1" — that claim is unsupported and misleading for this Knopf title. The the printed price front-flap price is CONFIRMED. The Borzoi colophon is present but is not a point of issue distinguishing printings. The "signed limited edition exists" claim is UNSUPPORTED and should be removed: all signed copies are trade firsts signed in person (e.g., "Raymond Carver / 10/31/83"); no separate numbered/limited issue exists. The true-first note is correct (US Knopf 1983 over UK 1984), but the UK publisher is Collins Harvill / Harvill Press, not "Collins" alone, and there is no signed/limited state — the premium is simply a fine signed trade first in a fine unclipped the printed price jacket.
Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first; UK Collins (1984) is later. The signed/limited issue is the premium state.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the full Knopf number line, has a blind-stamp, and a price-absent jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Cathedral a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Identify the first by a STATED "First Edition" on the copyright page (confirmed by ABAA dealers), NOT by a "number line ending 1" — that claim is unsupported and misleading for this Knopf title. The the printed price front-flap price is CONFIRMED. The Borzoi colophon is present but is not a point of issue distinguishing printings. The "signed limited edition exists" claim is UNSUPPORTED and should be removed: all signed copies are trade firsts signed in person (e.g., "Raymond Carver / 10/31/83"); no separate numbered/limited issue exists. The true-first not
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. US Knopf is the true first; UK Collins (1984) is later. The signed/limited issue is the premium state.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club edition lacks the full Knopf number line, has a blind-stamp, and a price-absent jacket.
I have a first edition of Cathedral — 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.