The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Grapes of Wrath first edition

The first edition of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck was published in 1939 by The Viking Press in New York. It was published to instant acclaim, is a Pulitzer Prize winner, and remains one of the great highspots in literature.

First Edition Points:

  • Published by Viking Press
  • “FIRST PUBLISHED IN APRIL 1939” on copyright page
  • No mention of later printings
  • Dust jacket has $2.75 price in top corner and stated first edition in bottom corner of front flap

Later printings are stated but Book Club editions do not have any printing statements.
If your copy does not mention “”FIRST PUBLISHED IN APRIL 1939” on the copyright page it is either a book club edition or a much later printing.

Grapes of Wrath first edition copyright page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Value: Fine, $12,500 to $15,000, Very Good, $2000 to $3000

First Editions of this book on Abebooks

First Editions of this book on Biblio

References:
Goldstone, Adrian H.; Payne, John R. John Steinbeck: A Bibliographical Catalogue Of The Adrian H. Goldstone Collection. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1974.


53 Comments

  1. Lynda said:

    We are trying to get some info about a copy of “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinback. We think it may be a 1st edition. Any comments are welcome. We have a photo we can send if anyone can help.

    October 20, 2008
    Reply
  2. gutenburg said:

    I will contact you with my email address so you can send me the photo.

    October 26, 2008
    Reply
  3. Cacy said:

    I have a grapes of wrath that says “copyright 1939, by John Steinbeck printed on the united states of America.” but there is nothing else printed. How can I tell if it would have any value

    January 9, 2011
    Reply
  4. Stephan said:

    We have a copy that doesn’t have a dust jacket, but it’s a hardcover in pristine condition, the spine says The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck, Viking Press, and the cover has the family looking towards the mountains what looks like carved into the cover. It states copyright, 1939, printed in the United States. No mention of later printings.

    Is this a first edition, and if so, without the dustjacket, what would be the approximate value?

    February 7, 2011
    Reply
  5. gutenburg said:

    Stephan: You have a Book Club Edition which is worth about $5.

    February 11, 2011
    Reply
  6. Hello,

    I have a series of four books published by Collier, one book for distribution in Canada. No dust covers. Books are in really good shape with a few pages that have been corner folded but I don’t believe dog earred. I see no tears. Bindings are intact. Overall good condition.

    Book cover is brown John Steinbeck written in red with a blue house, fence and billowy clouds or mountains with snow.

    The 4 books are

    1. The Moon is down and short stories
    2. In dubious battle
    3. Of mice and men and short stories
    4. The grapes of wrath (Canadian distribution)

    I’ve checked EBAY and see only one copy Of mice & men 1937 same Collier book cover reprint for $14.

    Is there any additional value for these books because of Canadian distribution.

    Thanks for your response.

    Danny Van Meter
    St. George UT

    March 13, 2011
    Reply
  7. gutenburg said:

    Danny: I don’t think Canadian distribution would be any difference as this is a reprint publisher with little value. They are likely worth between $15-$30 for the set.

    March 13, 2011
    Reply
  8. Bart Jurgens said:

    I have a copy that states Book Club edition but is in a brown cover which mentions the Nobel Prize. It states next to the Book Club notation at the bottom of the dust jacket the number 592. The back flap has 8 reviews. States copyright 1939. Not interested in selling it but more curious about the fact that I cannot find any info on this cover.

    March 13, 2011
    Reply
  9. Jeff said:

    I have a Viking Press 1939 Grapes of Wrath. On the Copyright page it has the following:

    Copyright, 1939, by John Steinbeck
    Printed in the United States of America

    Can anyone offer any insight as to what version this book is? Is it a first edition?

    June 10, 2011
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Jeff: I am pretty certain that you have a book club edition. Definitely not an early printing.

      July 22, 2011
      Reply
  10. jayne mcconnell said:

    Hello, I have a copy of The Grapes of Wrath, no dust jacket and was told by a book store owner that it was a 1st edition copy. I’ve looked on the internet but can’t find an exact match. On the title page it has: The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck The Viking Press New York & then the following page has: To Carol who willed this book To Tom who lived it & at the bottom of that page it has: Copyright, 1939, by John Steinbeck Printed in the United States of America. Can you provide me any information regarding this book and what the value might be? It is in very good condition and I could send you pictures if that would help.

    Thank you very much,
    Jayne McConnell

    June 30, 2011
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Jayne: If it doesn’t have the line “FIRST PUBLISHED IN APRIL 1939” on copyright page it is either a book club edition or perhaps a later printing after the 1940’s. But it sounds like yours is a book club edition.

      July 22, 2011
      Reply
  11. Colleen said:

    I have a verified first edition, “First Published in April 1939” with a very good dust jacket. I have someone who wants to take it on consignment to a show in Baltimore. How exactly does that work?

    August 4, 2011
    Reply
  12. Brandi R said:

    I have a question about a copy of The Grapes of Wrath that I own – I can’t seem to find any reference to a edition that has the following dedication/copyright page –

    To
    CAROL
    who willed this book.

    To
    TOM
    who lived it.

    Copyright, 1939, by John Steinbeck
    Printed in the United States of America

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    October 20, 2011
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Brandi: You have a book club edition.

      October 20, 2011
      Reply
  13. Jeremy said:

    I have a copy of Grapes. It is a blue hard cover with “JS” stamped on the front and the side, with gold decorative. It is wrapped in shrink wrap so I don’t want to open it. Any information on this.

    October 28, 2011
    Reply
  14. wallace weatherford said:

    I have The Grapes of Wrath Viking Press Printed inside the COPYRIGHT 1939 BY JOHN STEINBECK
    PRINTED IN U.S.A. BY STRATFORD PRESS
    DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA
    BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD.
    FIRST PUBLISHED IN APRIL 1939
    SECOND PRINTING BEFORE PUBLICATION

    The Book is in great condition. It does not have a cover jacket. Can anyone tell me what the average value of this book is since it is a first publication with the April 1939 printed inside. Thank You

    November 26, 2011
    Reply
  15. helen said:

    what is the “first state ” of the dust jacket? My copy has the correct price and the “first edition” on the flap but appearently there is another point about advertizing. Would you know? thank you

    March 6, 2012
    Reply
  16. Shorty Red said:

    Hello,

    I have a question. I am like many others that have the “Book Club Edition”, I know it is not the first edition but it was published the same year as the first print, why doesn’t it hold atleat a little more value than the $5.00 so many place on it? It has been around for atleast the same amount of time and it is a treasure story? I don’t know if later editions had changes or not, but I would think that every year fewer of these copies are around.

    I truly hope to receive a reply, I am quite curious.

    Sincerely,
    Jeff

    March 12, 2012
    Reply
  17. sarah said:

    I have a copy of the Grapes of Wrath that includes copyright 1939, By John Steinbeck, and it also says random house publishing – the modern library. Is this a book club edition?

    April 21, 2012
    Reply
  18. greg barker said:

    I have a book that says copyright 1939 by john steinbeck,printed in USA by stratford press,distributed in Canada, by the macmillan company of canada, ltd, first published in april 1939, second printing before publication.. it has no cover on book, but is in good shape.. can you tell me what it is worth? thanks

    April 22, 2012
    Reply
  19. Paul Bedard said:

    I have a copy of “The Grapws of Wrath by John Steinbeck”. The copywright page says copywright 1939 first published in April 1939…….fourth printing 1939 through ninth printing 1939. The next page says to Carol who willed this book to Tom who lived it. The book is in excellent condition. Can you tell me its value?
    Thank you,
    Paul Bedard

    April 29, 2012
    Reply
  20. susan said:

    Hi,

    I have a Grapes of Wrath book that says is was published by Random House, copywright 1939. Also says Random House is the publisher for The Modern library.
    It does seem to be a book for a library as it still has the check out log in the back.
    It is in very good condition, but no dust cover.

    Can you tell me what it may be worth?
    Thanks
    Susan

    May 30, 2012
    Reply
  21. Hello, my daughter found for $2.00 at a garage sale a book w/o the dust jacket called The Grapes of Wrath. It’s in amazing shape, on the cover is: dark brown with blue outline of clouds, and the top of a cabin. In the center is John Steinbeck in a dif brown. It says COPYRIGHT, 1939, BY JOHN STEINBECK DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANANDA, LTD. PA. On the bottom of the page it says MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Can you tell me what the value of this book is? Thank you very much for your time…. 🙂

    July 1, 2012
    Reply
  22. Dustin said:

    I Have a copy of Grapes of Wrath it is signed by an Eleanor Jomrsten or something and dated under the signature June 1939…. the copyright says…

    Copyright 1939 By John Steinbeck
    Printed In USA By Stratford Press
    Distributed in Canada
    By the Macmillan Company of Canada
    First Published in April 1939
    Second printing before publication
    third printing before publication
    forth printing April 1939

    What is this worth it is wore out pretty bad on the outside and has some damage

    July 20, 2012
    Reply
  23. gutenburg said:

    Jeremy:
    It sounds like an Easton Press edition. If so they are quite collectible. You should be able to get at least $75 out of a shrinkwrapped one.

    Wallace:
    A Second Printing in nice condition without a dust jacket might be worth about $50. That is what I would try to get if I were selling it.

    Helen:
    If it has the “First Edition” stated on the front flap of the dust jacket that is all that matters. It is a “First State” if it has that. The paragraphs on the flap did change but that doesn’t matter because it is stated “First EDition” on the front flap, making it the “First State”.

    Jeff:
    The reason why Book Club Editions do not have much value even though they have the same 1939 copyright date is because none of them were printed in 1939. I am not sure the exact date when the first Book Club Edition came out but it was probably 10 or 15 years later. The copyright date doesn’t change. Book Club editions rarely identify what year they were printed.

    Sarah (and Susan):
    No, it is the Modern Library edition. The Modern Library printed classics in a smaller format at cheaper prices. The value isn’t much, maybe a couple of dollars.

    Greg:
    Since your second printing sounds a bit worse than Wallace’s I would say $30 or $40 but you may be able to get a little more.

    Paul:
    If it doesn’t have a dust jacket you are looking at probably $15 or $20 for a Ninth Printing. With a dust jacket maybe $75 or $100 for a nice one.

    Sheri:
    You have a book club edition and unfortunately they are only worth $5 or so.

    Dustin:
    You may be able to get $10 on Ebay but it sounds like it is pretty worn so it may not find a buyer.

    October 4, 2012
    Reply
  24. Frank said:

    I have a first edition grapes of wrath which is signed by Steinbeck. I’d like to determine its value. Any help is appreciated.

    February 21, 2013
    Reply
  25. Joe said:

    I recently purchased a first edition first printing of The Grapes of Wrath with all the bells and whistles (excluding the dust jacket!) On the spine it has the Viking Press indicated, followed by Viking New York on the cover page and First Printed in April 1939 with the Battle Hymn of the Republic scores on the front and back inside covers. I’m not interested in selling it, but just out of curiosity how much would it be worth? The spine and cover are very clear, very minimal staining, no pencil or other markings in the book and no board separation. Overall a Very Fine copy.

    February 25, 2013
    Reply
  26. Joe said:

    How much would a first edition first printing without the dust jacket be worth? No internal writing, bright boards, very little scuffs or marks.

    February 26, 2013
    Reply
  27. gutenburg said:

    Frank:

    It depends on whether it has a dust jacket and what the condition is. I think if the condition is good and there is no dust jacket perhaps it would be worth $5,000. The buyer would probably buy another copy of the first printing with a nice dust jacket and marry the dust jacket from the unsigned one to the signed one. A nice copy signed in dust jacket would probably be worth $20,000 to $25,000. If you are not a well known dealer, you may be able to sell it for $15,000. These prices are only if it is the first printing.

    Joe:
    It sounds like a pretty nice copy but definitely not Very Fine. Very Fine indicates basically as new. An as new copy without the dust jacket would sell for probably $1,000 but it sounds like you have a Very Good copy which might sell for $250 to $300. I sold a slightly lesser one on Ebay for about $200.

    March 29, 2013
    Reply
  28. stephen j said:

    hava a first edition,9th printing of grapes of wrath,signed,Happy birthday,from John and Elsie,1939,what is it worth?

    September 1, 2013
    Reply
  29. Simon said:

    Hi there! I have a boxed 1967 reprint of ‘Grapes’, the box is very clean with very small wear to the front and back picture. The dust jacket and book are absolutely mint. It says inside it is a facsimile produced by ‘Collectors reprints inc NY’. Does this book have any value or should I not worry about keeping out of reach of my little one?! Thanks in advance
    for your knowledge!

    September 26, 2014
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Simon: They go for about $20 on Abebooks but maybe $10 or $15 on Ebay.

      April 23, 2015
      Reply
  30. desta cheatham said:

    I have The Grapes of Wrath, Viking Press. Copyright 1939 John Steinbeck. First Published in April 1939, fourth printing April 1939. Can anyone tell me what edition, info on this means.

    November 19, 2014
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Desta: It would be the fourth printing. The last printing mentioned is the print run from which it is from. It might be worth $20 without dust jacket or $120 with a dust jacket.

      April 23, 2015
      Reply
  31. Susana Ramirez said:

    My first edition (not sure which printing) of a hard copy of Grapes has a big coffee cup ring on the cover. Would this completely take away any value it might otherwise have? Thank you.

    December 30, 2014
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Susana: A first edition would be worth something in any condition. Maybe $25 if it was a first printing. Any later printing would be just about worthless.

      April 23, 2015
      Reply
  32. Tyler b said:

    I have a grapes of wrath without dust jacket the picture on the hard cover is printed in red what’s the value ??

    February 6, 2015
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Tyler: Not much. Maybe $5.

      April 23, 2015
      Reply
  33. Gene said:

    What is a 10th addition worth? No dust cover but in good shape.

    June 22, 2015
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Gene:

      Probably about $10 or $15 for a tenth printing in fairly good shape without a dust jacket.

      June 22, 2015
      Reply
  34. Salpi said:

    Hi, I would like some information on a copy of Grapes of Wrath. It has a brown dust jacket and on the inside it says “Book Club Edition 592”. The copyright page says copyright 1939, renewed copyright 1967. Printed in the United States of America. Could you tell me the value of this book? Thank you.

    September 3, 2015
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Salpi:

      Sounds like a book club edition. In any case it isn’t worth more $5 or $6.

      October 2, 2015
      Reply
  35. liz said:

    Good evening,

    I found “The Grapes of Wrath” at a thrift store. I wanted to see if it is worth anything. It says

    Copyright by John Steinbeck
    Printed in U.S.A by Stratford Press
    Distributed in Canada
    By the McMillan company of Canada, Ltd.
    First Published in April 1939
    Second Printing before publication
    Third printing before publication
    fourth printing in April 1939
    Fifth printing in May 1939

    when you open the cover someone wrote Copy 162

    anything helps thanks

    September 8, 2015
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Liz:

      A fifth printing might be worth $25 in good shape and maybe a bit more if it is really nice. If it has a dust jacket about $100 or more.

      October 2, 2015
      Reply
  36. Jesse Hill said:

    Have 1st edition,6th printing of The Grapes of Wrath annotated “copy 423” on Battle Hymn of the Republic page. Any value?

    November 16, 2015
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Jesse: Maybe $20.

      March 18, 2016
      Reply
  37. Tara Rice said:

    I have grapes of wrath , red cover, title and author in blue box, framed in gold print. Copyright, 1939, first modern library edition, 1941 manufactured in the US printed by parkway printing company. Any idea of its value?

    January 17, 2016
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Tara:
      Unfortunately, it isn’t worth much without a nice dust jacket. The first modern library edition with a dust jacket sells for between $25 and $50 depending on condition.

      March 18, 2016
      Reply
  38. Thomas ament said:

    Love just found a
    Colt of appears to be a first edition of the grapes of wrath. On titlempage it says p
    Tthe grapes of
    Wrath John steimneck Viking Press New York On copywright it
    Says copywright 1939. BY John Steinbeck printed
    In USA. Do you have an Emil address I can send a few pictures to. There are
    No mentions of other publishing’s or
    Editions. No dust
    Cover but hard Bach of people looking at the mountains in the distance. Trying
    To figure out if it is true first edition. Thanks in advance

    February 24, 2018
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Thomas: It isn’t a First Edition because it doesn’t match the points detailed above. It’s probably a book club edition.

      July 24, 2018
      Reply
  39. Kanani Stevens-Whitted said:

    Hello!
    I have a “Grapes of Wrath” book that says 1st Edition on the front flap and then the copyright page says “copyright 1939 by John Steinbeck Printed in the U.S.A. By Stratford Press and then goes on to the bottom of the page by saying Copyright renewed John Steinbeck 1967
    This facsimile of the first edition of the work is published by collectors reprints inc N.y. N.y. By arrangement with Viking Penguin. Is it worth anything except sentimental value?

    March 20, 2022
    Reply
    • gutenburg said:

      Facsmiles ofthis title are worth about $30 in nice condition.

      May 13, 2022
      Reply

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