The points of issue
Copyright page carries the words 'First Printing'. Bound in tan/oatmeal cloth with brown spine lettering; Random House house device on the title page and spine. Dust jacket priced on the front flap. Later printings remove the 'First Printing' statement.
Is this the true first?
The US Random House 1940 trade edition is the true first. Do not confuse it with the later Modern Library edition (running-torchbearer colophon), which is a separate first-thus reprint.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Modern Library and later trade reprints, plus any copy lacking the 'First Printing' statement, are not the trade first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Ox-Bow Incident a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page carries the words 'First Printing'. Bound in tan/oatmeal cloth with brown spine lettering; Random House house device on the title page and spine. Dust jacket priced on the front flap. Later printings remove the 'First Printing' statement.
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 Random House 1940 trade edition is the true first. Do not confuse it with the later Modern Library edition (running-torchbearer colophon), which is a separate first-thus reprint.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Modern Library and later trade reprints, plus any copy lacking the 'First Printing' statement, are not the trade first.
I have a first edition of The Ox-Bow Incident — 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.