The points of issue
The Dial Press/Doubleday, Garden City, NY, 1985. True first is bound in black cloth over white boards with silver spine lettering and a deckled fore-edge, states the first printing on the copyright page, and carries a dust jacket priced on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
The US Dial Press/Doubleday edition of 1985 is the true first; it won the 1986 PEN/Faulkner Award.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Doubleday/BCE book-club printing exists; it is typically thinner, lacks the stated first-printing line, may show a blind-stamp to the rear board, and has an unpriced jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Old Forest and Other Stories a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The Dial Press/Doubleday, Garden City, NY, 1985. True first is bound in black cloth over white boards with silver spine lettering and a deckled fore-edge, states the first printing on the copyright page, and carries a dust jacket priced on the front flap.
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 US Dial Press/Doubleday edition of 1985 is the true first; it won the 1986 PEN/Faulkner Award.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
A Doubleday/BCE book-club printing exists; it is typically thinner, lacks the stated first-printing line, may show a blind-stamp to the rear board, and has an unpriced jacket.
I have a first edition of The Old Forest and Other Stories — 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.