The points of issue
First edition: Random House 1971; first-issue text contains the line 'I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie' (page with the Humming-Fish) — REMOVED from printings after ~1980s. First-issue jacket priced the printed price with rear-panel title list ending appropriately for 1971.
Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first. The presence of the 'Lake Erie' line is the defining textual first-issue point; the line was deleted in later printings at the request of Ohio researchers.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later printings remove the 'Lake Erie' line, drop the jacket price, advance the rear-panel title list, and (club copies) add a board blind-stamp.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Lorax a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition: Random House 1971; first-issue text contains the line 'I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie' (page with the Humming-Fish) — REMOVED from printings after ~1980s. First-issue jacket priced the printed price with rear-panel title list ending appropriately for 1971.
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 Random House is the true first. The presence of the 'Lake Erie' line is the defining textual first-issue point; the line was deleted in later printings at the request of Ohio researchers.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club and later printings remove the 'Lake Erie' line, drop the jacket price, advance the rear-panel title list, and (club copies) add a board blind-stamp.
I have a first edition of The Lorax — 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.