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First-Edition Identification · John O'Hara

Is My Sweet and Sour a First Edition?

Random House, 1954

The points of issue

First printing stated on the copyright page. Collection of O'Hara's Sweet and Sour columns originally written for the Trenton Times-Advertiser. Russet paper-covered boards with brown cloth backstrip, navy topstain, in the dust jacket.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · Random House first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

US first edition.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Reprints are stated as later printings on the copyright page.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Sweet and Sour a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: First printing stated on the copyright page. Collection of O'Hara's Sweet and Sour columns originally written for the Trenton Times-Advertiser. Russet paper-covered boards with brown cloth backstrip, navy topstain, in the dust jacket.

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 first edition.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Reprints are stated as later printings on the copyright page.

I have a first edition of Sweet and Sour — 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.

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