The points of issue
First printing has the Scribner's seal 'A' and the 1925 Scribner's imprint on the copyright page. First-issue text points: 'chatter' (p.60), 'northern' (p.119), 'sick in tired' (p.205), 'Union Street station' (p.211), and the famously corrected 'echolalia' (p.60); the jacket has 'Jay Gatsby' corrected from a lowercase 'jay Gatsby' on the rear panel.
Is this the true first?
US Scribner's 1925 is the true first. The dust jacket (Francis Cugat's 'Celestial Eyes') is the single most valuable point; jacketed first-issue copies are landmark. No signed/limited trade issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No legitimate book-club edition of the 1925 first; later Scribner's printings drop the 'A' seal and correct the text points. Modernist Library/Grey Walls and facsimile jackets are tells of made-up copies.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Great Gatsby a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing has the Scribner's seal 'A' and the 1925 Scribner's imprint on the copyright page. First-issue text points: 'chatter' (p.60), 'northern' (p.119), 'sick in tired' (p.205), 'Union Street station' (p.211), and the famously corrected 'echolalia' (p.60); the jacket has 'Jay Gatsby' corrected from a lowercase 'jay Gatsby' on the rear panel.
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 Scribner's 1925 is the true first. The dust jacket (Francis Cugat's 'Celestial Eyes') is the single most valuable point; jacketed first-issue copies are landmark. No signed/limited trade issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No legitimate book-club edition of the 1925 first; later Scribner's printings drop the 'A' seal and correct the text points. Modernist Library/Grey Walls and facsimile jackets are tells of made-up copies.
I have a first edition of The Great Gatsby — 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.