The points of issue
First impression of 1,500 copies, published 21 September 1937, with black-and-white illustrations only and no color plates. The rear jacket flap blurb misspells the artist's surname as Dodgeson, with the stray e struck through in black ink by the publisher. Tolkien's runic dust jacket is priced 7/6 net on the front flap. Top edge stained green. Frontispiece is the line drawing The Hill: Hobbiton-across-the-Water.
Is this the true first?
The UK Allen & Unwin 1937 printing is the true world first. The US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in 1938. The second impression (December 1937) added four color plates and is frequently mistaken for a first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No early book club issue of note for the 1937 printing. Any 1937 copy containing color plates is a second impression, not a first. The second edition of 1951 carries the revised Riddles in the Dark chapter.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Hobbit, or There and Back Again a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First impression of 1,500 copies, published 21 September 1937, with black-and-white illustrations only and no color plates. The rear jacket flap blurb misspells the artist's surname as Dodgeson, with the stray e struck through in black ink by the publisher. Tolkien's runic dust jacket is priced 7/6 net on the front flap. Top edge stained green. Frontispiece is the line drawing The Hill: Hobbiton-across-the-Water.
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. The UK Allen & Unwin 1937 printing is the true world first. The US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in 1938. The second impression (December 1937) added four color plates and is frequently mistaken for a first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No early book club issue of note for the 1937 printing. Any 1937 copy containing color plates is a second impression, not a first. The second edition of 1951 carries the revised Riddles in the Dark chapter.
I have a first edition of The Hobbit, or There and Back Again — 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.