The points of issue
First edition (Connolly canon): Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, New York, 1931. Copyright page reads 'First published, 1931' with no later-impression notice. Binding is light gray cloth over magenta paper-covered boards, the spine lettered in magenta, with a black-stained top edge (the record's 'red cloth lettered in black' is incorrect). First-issue dust jacket carries 'A Check List for the Discriminating Reader' printed on the back panel. Faulkner heavily revised the galleys, but the published 1931 text is the standard collected first.
Is this the true first?
The US Cape and Smith 1931 edition is the true first; the UK Chatto and Windus edition (1931) follows. No precedence question beyond US-first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add impression statements on the copyright page; the Modern Library reissue is a clear 'first thus'. Confirm the 'First published, 1931' statement and the back-panel checklist on the jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sanctuary a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition (Connolly canon): Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, New York, 1931. Copyright page reads 'First published, 1931' with no later-impression notice. Binding is light gray cloth over magenta paper-covered boards, the spine lettered in magenta, with a black-stained top edge (the record's 'red cloth lettered in black' is incorrect). First-issue dust jacket carries 'A Check List for the Discriminating Reader' printed on the back panel. Faulkner heavily revised the galleys, but the published 1931 text is the standard collected first.
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 US Cape and Smith 1931 edition is the true first; the UK Chatto and Windus edition (1931) follows. No precedence question beyond US-first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add impression statements on the copyright page; the Modern Library reissue is a clear 'first thus'. Confirm the 'First published, 1931' statement and the back-panel checklist on the jacket.
I have a first edition of Sanctuary — 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.