The points of issue
True first: US Covici-Friede (NY, 1937) is the recognized true first edition; the UK Heinemann edition is also 1937 but later/secondary — CONFIRMED. First-issue point (CORRECTED): the point on p.9 is TEXTUAL, not "broken/cropped type." The first issue (first printing, first state) CONTAINS the nine-word phrase at the bottom of p.9 reading "...and only moved because the heavy hands were pendula." Roughly 2,500 copies were bound with this uncorrected reading; the page was then reset to delete those nine words, so the second issue/state ends the sentence at "...hung loosely." Thus the first state has the original (longer) uncorrected reading — it is not that it "lacks a correction" so much as it predates the deletion. A second corroborating point is the bullet (raised period) between the two 8's of the page number on p.88 in the first issue (claim omitted this). Binding (CORRECTED/refined): publisher's beige/tan cloth, but stamped in terracotta/orange and black with a blue top-edge stain — NOT gilt. Dust jacket: the printed price on the upper front flap — CONFIRMED. Reference: Goldstone & Payne A7.a.
Is this the true first?
US Covici-Friede is the true first; UK Heinemann is later. The recognized first-issue point is the broken/cropped type on p.9 ('pendula') and the absence of the second-issue correction.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later printings reset the p.9 line and carry other imprints; Covici-Friede later printings note additional printings on the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Of Mice and Men a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first: US Covici-Friede (NY, 1937) is the recognized true first edition; the UK Heinemann edition is also 1937 but later/secondary — CONFIRMED. First-issue point (CORRECTED): the point on p.9 is TEXTUAL, not "broken/cropped type." The first issue (first printing, first state) CONTAINS the nine-word phrase at the bottom of p.9 reading "...and only moved because the heavy hands were pendula." Roughly 2,500 copies were bound with this uncorrected reading; the page was then reset to delete those nine words, so the second issue/state ends the sentence at ".
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 Covici-Friede is the true first; UK Heinemann is later. The recognized first-issue point is the broken/cropped type on p.9 ('pendula') and the absence of the second-issue correction.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club and later printings reset the p.9 line and carry other imprints; Covici-Friede later printings note additional printings on the copyright page.
I have a first edition of Of Mice and Men — 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.