The points of issue
Reddish-brown cloth lettered in black; illustrated by Arthur William Brown. Title page and copyright page dated 1918 with no later-printing or code statement, and the Country Life Press colophon at the rear. The documented first-issue text point is the transposed reading at page 419, line 14, 'I can't see you why don't,' corrected in later issues to 'I can't see why you don't.' The first-state dust jacket carries the lower original price on the spine; later jackets obscure that price and overprint a higher one.
Is this the true first?
US true first. For Doubleday, Page of this period there is no printed 'First Edition' statement, so rely on matching 1918 title and copyright dates, the absence of any later-printing code, the page-419 transposed-text point, and the first-state jacket price.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Grosset & Dunlap reprint, sometimes photoplay-tied to the 1925 film, is inexpensive and plainly a reprint. No significant book-club edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Magnificent Ambersons a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Reddish-brown cloth lettered in black; illustrated by Arthur William Brown. Title page and copyright page dated 1918 with no later-printing or code statement, and the Country Life Press colophon at the rear. The documented first-issue text point is the transposed reading at page 419, line 14, 'I can't see you why don't,' corrected in later issues to 'I can't see why you don't.' The first-state dust jacket carries the lower original price on the spine; later jackets obscure that price and overprint a higher one.
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 true first. For Doubleday, Page of this period there is no printed 'First Edition' statement, so rely on matching 1918 title and copyright dates, the absence of any later-printing code, the page-419 transposed-text point, and the first-state jacket price.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Grosset & Dunlap reprint, sometimes photoplay-tied to the 1925 film, is inexpensive and plainly a reprint. No significant book-club edition.
I have a first edition of The Magnificent Ambersons — 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.