# Is "The Sunshine Boys" by Neil Simon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sunshine Boys by Neil Simon (Random House, 1973) is identified by: First edition, Random House, New York, 1973 (published October 1973), in half-cloth binding over boards, octavo. US Random House is the true first edition; the stated first printing with the Martha Swope photo jacket is the point.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Random House, New York, 1973 (published October 1973), in half-cloth binding over boards, octavo
- First printing is a stated first printing on the copyright page
- First-state dust jacket bears the photograph by Martha Swope with jacket design by Bob Cuevas and should retain its printed front-flap price (price-clipping alone does not unmake a first)
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Simon |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Random House, New York, 1973 (published October 1973), in half-cloth binding over boards, octavo |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Random House, New York, 1973 (published October 1973), in half-cloth binding over boards, octavo. First printing is a stated first printing on the copyright page. First-state dust jacket bears the photograph by Martha Swope with jacket design by Bob Cuevas and should retain its printed front-flap price (price-clipping alone does not unmake a first).

## Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first edition; the stated first printing with the Martha Swope photo jacket is the point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the stated 'First Printing' and typically carry a rear-board blindstamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sunshine Boys* by Neil Simon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sunshine-boys
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.