The points of issue
Trade first: copyright page reads 'Copyright 1939 John Steinbeck / First Published in April 1939' AND 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page; dust jacket has the printed price upper-right of front flap and 'First Edition' in blue ink lower-right of front flap. The endpapers are the correct first-issue (no 'A Limited Edition' notice).
Is this the true first?
A signed/limited issue of 200 numbered copies was bound separately (signed by Steinbeck, in slipcase, distinct from the trade) and precedes/parallels the trade as the deluxe state. The trade US first (Viking) is the true first for the open market; UK (Heinemann, 1939) follows.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack 'First Published in April 1939' and lack stated 'First Edition'; they are often thinner, have blind-stamped rear-board dimple, and a clipped/priceless jacket. Absence of the April 1939 line = not a first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Grapes of Wrath a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Trade first: copyright page reads 'Copyright 1939 John Steinbeck / First Published in April 1939' AND 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page; dust jacket has the printed price upper-right of front flap and 'First Edition' in blue ink lower-right of front flap. The endpapers are the correct first-issue (no 'A Limited Edition' notice).
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. A signed/limited issue of 200 numbered copies was bound separately (signed by Steinbeck, in slipcase, distinct from the trade) and precedes/parallels the trade as the deluxe state. The trade US first (Viking) is the true first for the open market; UK (Heinemann, 1939) follows.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club copies lack 'First Published in April 1939' and lack stated 'First Edition'; they are often thinner, have blind-stamped rear-board dimple, and a clipped/priceless jacket. Absence of the April 1939 line = not a first.
I have a first edition of The Grapes of Wrath — 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.