Is My The Stepford Wives a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page beneath a Random House number line reading '98765432' (the line ending in 2 is correct when accompanied by the First Edition slug)
• The binding is cream cloth-backed tan boards (half cloth) lettered in gold on the spine, 145 pages, in the Paul Bacon-designed dust jacket with the author photo on the rear panel (name lower left, ISBN lower right) and no review blurbs
• A documented quirk: the publisher clipped the jacket flap corners and applied small round price stickers beside the clip before release, so an as-issued first jacket looks 'price-clipped' — this is normal for this title, not a fault

How Random House marked a first edition

• Stated-edition era (c.1936–1975): trade first printings are plainly marked with the words 'First Edition' (or, on some earlier titles, 'First Printing') on the copyright page, with NO number line yet in use; a copyright…
• Classic paradox era (c.1970–2002/03) — THE famous Random House rule: a true first printing states 'First Edition' AND carries a number line whose lowest digit is 2 — the line ENDS (or begins) in 2 and NEVER reaches 1, e.…

Full Random House first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

True first is the US Random House edition (New York, October 1972); the first UK edition (Michael Joseph, London, 1972) followed the same year and is collected separately.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Book-club hardcovers dated 1972 are common: they lack the number line and stated First Edition and use cheaper materials. Do not confuse the trade first's publisher-clipped, stickered flap with a club copy's plain unpriced jacket — check the copyright page first.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Stepford Wives a first edition?

A first edition of The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (Random House) is identified by: First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page beneath a Random House number line reading '98765432' (the line ending in 2 is correct when accompanied by the First Edition slug).

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). True first is the US Random House edition (New York, October 1972); the first UK edition (Michael Joseph, London, 1972) followed the same year and is collected separately.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Book-club hardcovers dated 1972 are common: they lack the number line and stated First Edition and use cheaper materials. Do not confuse the trade first's publisher-clipped, stickered flap with a club copy's plain unpriced jacket — check the copyright page first.

I have a first edition of The Stepford Wives — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.