How to identify a first printing
- 1898–c.1930s (reprint house): founded 1898 and primarily a reprint publisher. For reprinted titles, the Grosset & Dunlap imprint itself signals a reprint, not a first edition — the true first is the original trade publisher's edition. For G&D's own first-published titles, first printings may state 'First Printing' on the copyright page, but most G&D books carry no printing statement at all, so the printing is surmised from the copyright-page date and the rear-endpaper or jacket title list.
- Series books (Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins), c.1910s–1970s: early states are identified not by a printing statement but by the advertised-title-list point system — the list of titles advertised in the series ends with the latest title available at the time of printing, so a jacket or endpaper listing titles only through book N dates that printing to when book N was newest. Format points (jacket art, wraparound versus white-spine jackets, frontispiece versus internal illustrations, tweed/cloth versus picture-cover boards) further pinpoint era. When no jacket is present, use the last title in the pre-text or post-text list inside the book. Specialist guides (Farah's for Nancy Drew; Carpentieri for the Hardy Boys) detail every printing.
- 1930s–1960s originals: genuine G&D firsts (e.g., the King Kong photoplay and Lone Ranger titles) state 'First Printing' or similar on the copyright page; absence of any later-printing note plus the earliest title list indicates first issue.
- 1982 onward: acquired by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982; thereafter first-edition practice follows the Putnam/Penguin group conventions (number line, lowest digit indicating the printing).
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1898 by Alexander Grosset and George Dunlap; built the inexpensive cloth-reprint market.
- Home of the Stratemeyer Syndicate series (Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins) — collected via the advertised-title-list and format-point system, not edition statements.
- Because it was chiefly a reprinter, a G&D imprint on a famous title usually means a reprint, not the first edition.
- Gained control of Wonder Books (1949) and acquired Platt & Munk (1957); itself bought by Putnam in 1982 and now within the Penguin lineage.
- Some genuine G&D firsts exist (the King Kong photoplay, Lone Ranger titles) and state 'First Printing.'
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Grosset & Dunlap, Tempo Books, Illustrated Junior Library. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Grosset & Dunlap (children's / series books) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1898–c.1930s (reprint house): founded 1898 and primarily a reprint publisher. For reprinted titles, the Grosset & Dunlap imprint itself signals a reprint, not a first edition — the true first is the original trade publisher's edition. For G&D's own first-published titles, first printings may state 'First Printing' on the copyright page, but most G&D books carry no printing statement at all, so the printing is surmised from the copyright-page date and the rear-endpaper or jacket title list. Series books (Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins), c.1910s–1970s: early states are identified not by a printing statement but by the advertised-title-list point system — the list of titles advertised in the series ends with the latest title available at the time of printing, so a jacket or endpaper listing titles only through book N dates that printing to when book N was newest. Format points (jacket art, wraparound versus white-spine jackets, frontispiece versus internal illustrations, tweed/cloth versus picture-cover boards) further pinpoint era. When no jacket is present, use the last title in the pre-text or post-text list inside the book. Specialist guides (Farah's for Nancy Drew; Carpentieri for the Hardy Boys) detail every printing.
Does Grosset & Dunlap (children's / series books) use a number line?
Series books (Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins), c.1910s–1970s: early states are identified not by a printing statement but by the advertised-title-list point system — the list of titles advertised in the series ends with the latest title available at the time of printing, so a jacket or endpaper listing titles only through book N dates that printing to when book N was newest. Format points (jacket art, wraparound versus white-spine jackets, frontispiece versus internal illustrations, tweed/cloth versus picture-cover boards) further pinpoint era. When no jacket is present, use the last title in the pre-text or post-text list inside the book. Specialist guides (Farah's for Nancy Drew; Carpentieri for the Hardy Boys) detail every printing.
Is a book-club edition a Grosset & Dunlap (children's / series books) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1898 by Alexander Grosset and George Dunlap; built the inexpensive cloth-reprint market.
What era does this cover?
This covers Grosset & Dunlap (children's / series books) (1898–present (as imprint)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.