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First-Edition Identification · Graham Greene

Is My The Bear Fell Free a First Edition?

Grayson & Grayson, 1935

The points of issue

Limited edition of 285 copies signed and numbered by Greene, issued in publisher's brown cloth gilt with a full-page illustration by Joy Lloyd and a pictorial dust jacket. A separately issued short story; part of the Grayson Books series.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder.

Is this the true first?

Sole edition; signed limited issue.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No trade or book-club issue.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Bear Fell Free a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: Limited edition of 285 copies signed and numbered by Greene, issued in publisher's brown cloth gilt with a full-page illustration by Joy Lloyd and a pictorial dust jacket. A separately issued short story; part of the Grayson Books series.

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. Sole edition; signed limited issue.

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

No trade or book-club issue.

I have a first edition of The Bear Fell Free — 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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