The points of issue
True first is the 1946 Rinehart HARDCOVER. Caution title. Not a PBO despite its noir/carny reputation. Rinehart first has no later-printing statement and the original jacket; later Signet/popular paperbacks are reprints.
Is this the true first?
Caution: hardcover precedes the paperback. The mass-market reprints are first-thus.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish the Rinehart hardcover first from book-club editions and from paperback reprints (and modern NYRB editions).
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Nightmare Alley a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the 1946 Rinehart HARDCOVER. Caution title. Not a PBO despite its noir/carny reputation. Rinehart first has no later-printing statement and the original jacket; later Signet/popular paperbacks are reprints.
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. Caution: hardcover precedes the paperback. The mass-market reprints are first-thus.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Distinguish the Rinehart hardcover first from book-club editions and from paperback reprints (and modern NYRB editions).
I have a first edition of Nightmare Alley — 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.