# Is "The Case of the Velvet Claws" by Erle Stanley Gardner a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner (William Morrow, 1933) is identified by: William Morrow, New York, 1933 first printing. The US Morrow edition is the true first; UK editions followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- William Morrow, New York, 1933 first printing
- Gardner's first book and the first Perry Mason novel
- First-printing convention: 1933 on the title page and no mention of later printings on the copyright page
- Black cloth, titles stamped in red on spine and front cover
- Very scarce, especially in jacket
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erle Stanley Gardner |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1933 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | William Morrow, New York, 1933 first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
William Morrow, New York, 1933 first printing. Gardner's first book and the first Perry Mason novel. First-printing convention: 1933 on the title page and no mention of later printings on the copyright page. Black cloth, titles stamped in red on spine and front cover. Very scarce, especially in jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The US Morrow edition is the true first; UK editions followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Morrow printings note additional printings on the copyright page; the Grosset & Dunlap reprint and book-club editions follow. Both the 1933 Morrow and Grosset & Dunlap issues are now scarce.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Case of the Velvet Claws* by Erle Stanley Gardner a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-case-of-the-velvet-claws
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.