The points of issue
Iconic pulp. Key collectible issues are identified by date and contents rather than 'edition': e.g., the first issue (March 1923); issues with first Conan/Robert E. Howard appearances ('The Phoenix on the Sword,' Dec. 1932); first Cthulhu Mythos appearances by H. P. Lovecraft ('The Call of Cthulhu,' Weird Tales Feb. 1928). Each pulp issue exists in a single printing; identification is by cover date, volume/number, and verified contents.
Is this the true first?
Pulps were not reprinted, so the original issue IS the first appearance of its stories. Value hinges on the specific issue (first appearances of major characters/authors) and condition, not edition state.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club analog. Beware later facsimile reprints of famous issues (clearly marked reproductions) and bound/rebound volumes; original newsstand issues with correct date and intact spine/edges are the collectible firsts.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Weird Tales (pulp magazine) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Iconic pulp. Key collectible issues are identified by date and contents rather than 'edition': e.g., the first issue (March 1923); issues with first Conan/Robert E. Howard appearances ('The Phoenix on the Sword,' Dec. 1932); first Cthulhu Mythos appearances by H. P. Lovecraft ('The Call of Cthulhu,' Weird Tales Feb. 1928). Each pulp issue exists in a single printing; identification is by cover date, volume/number, and verified contents.
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. Pulps were not reprinted, so the original issue IS the first appearance of its stories. Value hinges on the specific issue (first appearances of major characters/authors) and condition, not edition state.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club analog. Beware later facsimile reprints of famous issues (clearly marked reproductions) and bound/rebound volumes; original newsstand issues with correct date and intact spine/edges are the collectible firsts.
I have a first edition of Weird Tales (pulp magazine) — 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.