The points of issue
'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page; Doubleday, Doran imprint; original blue cloth stamped in white and pink; first-issue dust jacket retaining its original price. Welty's first novel (a novella retelling of a Grimm tale set in the Natchez Trace country).
Is this the true first?
US Doubleday, Doran (1942) is the true first; the UK first is John Lane The Bodley Head (1944), with illustrations by James Holland.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the stated 'First Edition'; confirm the blue cloth, the stated first, and the price-intact first-issue jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Robber Bridegroom a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page; Doubleday, Doran imprint; original blue cloth stamped in white and pink; first-issue dust jacket retaining its original price. Welty's first novel (a novella retelling of a Grimm tale set in the Natchez Trace country).
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 Doubleday, Doran (1942) is the true first; the UK first is John Lane The Bodley Head (1944), with illustrations by James Holland.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings drop the stated 'First Edition'; confirm the blue cloth, the stated first, and the price-intact first-issue jacket.
I have a first edition of The Robber Bridegroom — 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.