Originally published by Robert Ballou, who printed 1,498 copies but only bound 598. In 1935, the remaining 900 sets of sheets were purchased and bound by Covici with a cancel title page after they became Steinbeck's publisher.

First edition, second issue; 8vo; cancel title page, ownership initials to front free endpaper, faint red smudge to lower right corner of half-title; publisher's pale brown cloth, titles to spine green, green topstain faded, bookseller's ticket to rear pastedown, darkening to rear free endpaper and pastedown from something formerly laid in (affecting jacket flap), with the price-clipped dustjacket, slightly toned, some chipping to spine tips (not costing lettering), slight rubbing and creasing to extremities; very good.