The points of issue
UK Methuen first: published October 1926; first issue in green cloth, gilt, with the first-state text and no statement of later printing on the verso. Many first-edition copies exist in a deluxe issue. The ordinary first trade is gilt-decorated cloth. Collation and 'First Published in 1926' with no further printings listed is required.
Is this the true first?
The UK Methuen edition is the true first (Oct. 1926); the US Dutton edition, though same year, followed and exists in trade and a signed limited issue. UK Methuen also issued a deluxe limited (large-paper, signed). For the first US, the Dutton edition with a signed/limited large-paper state commands the premium.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Methuen/Dutton printings add printing statements ('Second Edition,' etc.) on the verso. Reprints in the familiar later jackets and cheaper bindings are not firsts; the gilt-decorated green (Methuen) cloth and absence of any reprint line are key.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Winnie-the-Pooh a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: UK Methuen first: published October 1926; first issue in green cloth, gilt, with the first-state text and no statement of later printing on the verso. Many first-edition copies exist in a deluxe issue. The ordinary first trade is gilt-decorated cloth. Collation and 'First Published in 1926' with no further printings listed is required.
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 UK Methuen edition is the true first (Oct. 1926); the US Dutton edition, though same year, followed and exists in trade and a signed limited issue. UK Methuen also issued a deluxe limited (large-paper, signed). For the first US, the Dutton edition with a signed/limited large-paper state commands
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Methuen/Dutton printings add printing statements ('Second Edition,' etc.) on the verso. Reprints in the familiar later jackets and cheaper bindings are not firsts; the gilt-decorated green (Methuen) cloth and absence of any reprint line are key.
I have a first edition of Winnie-the-Pooh — 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.