The points of issue
True first: print line reads '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'; '1 Wand' listed TWICE in the equipment list on p.53; 'Philosopher's Stone' on the title page and rear cover credits 'Joanne Rowling'. First issue: 500 copies (300 to libraries) in hardback, the rest paperback. Copyright page has 'Joanne Rowling' and the bar-code/ISBN points.
Is this the true first?
UK Bloomsbury 1997 is the true first; the US title is 'Sorcerer's Stone' (Scholastic, 1998), a separate first. The hardback first-issue of ~500 is the apex; signed first issues are landmark but heavily forged.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US/'Sorcerer's' copies are not the first; later printings have a full number line without the duplicated 'Wand' and no '1' at the start. Any copy lacking the '1' in the number line is not a first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first: print line reads '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'; '1 Wand' listed TWICE in the equipment list on p.53; 'Philosopher's Stone' on the title page and rear cover credits 'Joanne Rowling'. First issue: 500 copies (300 to libraries) in hardback, the rest paperback. Copyright page has 'Joanne Rowling' and the bar-code/ISBN points.
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. UK Bloomsbury 1997 is the true first; the US title is 'Sorcerer's Stone' (Scholastic, 1998), a separate first. The hardback first-issue of ~500 is the apex; signed first issues are landmark but heavily forged.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
US/'Sorcerer's' copies are not the first; later printings have a full number line without the duplicated 'Wand' and no '1' at the start. Any copy lacking the '1' in the number line is not a first printing.
I have a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — 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.