The points of issue
True first is the 1934 Knopf HARDCOVER (Cain's debut). Caution title. Knopf first states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Borzoi device; the jacket has the original price. The later Pocket Books paperback (1947, an early Pocket number) is a famous reprint, not the first.
Is this the true first?
Caution: hardcover precedes the paperback by 13 years. The Pocket Books edition is a reprint/first-thus.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Knopf hardcover first says 'FIRST EDITION'; book-club lacks it, has rear-board blind-stamp and no-price jacket; the Pocket paperback is clearly a later mass-market.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Postman Always Rings Twice a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the 1934 Knopf HARDCOVER (Cain's debut). Caution title. Knopf first states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the Borzoi device; the jacket has the original price. The later Pocket Books paperback (1947, an early Pocket number) is a famous reprint, not the first.
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. Caution: hardcover precedes the paperback by 13 years. The Pocket Books edition is a reprint/first-thus.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Knopf hardcover first says 'FIRST EDITION'; book-club lacks it, has rear-board blind-stamp and no-price jacket; the Pocket paperback is clearly a later mass-market.
I have a first edition of The Postman Always Rings Twice — 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.