The points of issue
UK first edition, Methuen, October 1927. The standard trade issue is maroon cloth with gilt vignette and lettering, top edge gilt. First printing carries no later-impression notation on the verso. A deluxe limp-leather issue (the special blue sheep binding among them) and a small signed limited issue on Japanese vellum were also produced.
Is this the true first?
The UK Methuen edition is the true first, ahead of the US Dutton 1927 edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints carry an edition or impression statement on the verso. A printed ISBN indicates a modern reprint.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Now We Are Six a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: UK first edition, Methuen, October 1927. The standard trade issue is maroon cloth with gilt vignette and lettering, top edge gilt. First printing carries no later-impression notation on the verso. A deluxe limp-leather issue (the special blue sheep binding among them) and a small signed limited issue on Japanese vellum were also produced.
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. The UK Methuen edition is the true first, ahead of the US Dutton 1927 edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Reprints carry an edition or impression statement on the verso. A printed ISBN indicates a modern reprint.
I have a first edition of Now We Are Six — 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.