The points of issue
Expanded edition of roughly 628 pages; first printing of 10,000 copies released May 1, 1936. Copyright page reads 'Copyright 1931, 1936' with no additional printings listed and no printing number on the copyright page. First-state dust jacket lists the price of two dollars seventy-five on the front flap (later changed to two dollars fifty). Plaid-patterned cloth; illustrations and cover (St. Martha and the tarasque) by Marion Rombauer Becker.
Is this the true first?
First Bobbs-Merrill (trade) edition; subordinate in precedence to the 1931 private printing but the earliest widely available form. First state is determined by the higher first-state flap price and the absence of later-printing notations.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Bobbs-Merrill printings add a printing line or revised copyright dates and a lowered (or higher) flap price; numerous mid-century reprints exist. No 'First Edition' statement is used, so rely on the copyright-date string and the flap price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Joy of Cooking (first trade edition) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Expanded edition of roughly 628 pages; first printing of 10,000 copies released May 1, 1936. Copyright page reads 'Copyright 1931, 1936' with no additional printings listed and no printing number on the copyright page. First-state dust jacket lists the price of two dollars seventy-five on the front flap (later changed to two dollars fifty). Plaid-patterned cloth; illustrations and cover (St. Martha and the tarasque) by Marion Rombauer Becker.
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. First Bobbs-Merrill (trade) edition; subordinate in precedence to the 1931 private printing but the earliest widely available form. First state is determined by the higher first-state flap price and the absence of later-printing notations.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Bobbs-Merrill printings add a printing line or revised copyright dates and a lowered (or higher) flap price; numerous mid-century reprints exist. No 'First Edition' statement is used, so rely on the copyright-date string and the flap price.
I have a first edition of The Joy of Cooking (first trade edition) — 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.