Search Results: the case of velvet claws by gardner

William Morrow, 1933. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. One of the great rarities, and a cornerstone, of American mystery fiction, the true first edition, in dust jacket, of Erle Stanley Gardner's first book and first Perry Mason mystery. The book is very good, previous owner's name handwritten on front free end paper, book shop name stamped and crossed out also on front free end paper, little bit of soiling on verso of front free end paper. The partial jacket is in good condition, with the original price of $2 still present on the front flap, and the missing spine supplied in facsimile. 1933 on title page and no mention of later printings on the copyright page. Housed in a custom-made collector's clamshell case.

This is a FIRST EDITION of the extremely rare first Perry Mason mystery.  The front and the blurb columns of the non-facsimile DUST JACKET have been cut to neatly paste into the inside cover and f.e.p..  This copy was rented by Wills, a famous Greensboro, NC book store at around its Morrow release date (3-33), and a pastedown sheet inside the rear cover records this rental activity through November 15, 1934  At that point, it was likely sold to Carl F. Caveness, whose name is scripted atop the f.e.p., and who passed away near to fifty years ago.  The book looks to be well-tended by Carl and its remaining provenance.
All in all, an exceedingly rare original copy of the FIRST PERRY MASON story, with much of its valuable original jacket preserved within, in very good basic shape, though, like many of Mason's desperate clients, with a history all its own.
Photos on request.

William Morrow & Co, 1933. first. hardcover. very good. First edition, 1933 on title and copyright page. Book very good. Minor wear and sminor soiling, 2 stickers on front paste-down, rear cover partially detached on inside from binding. Housed in custom-made slipcase.

New York: William Morrow and Company, 1933. First Edition. First Printing. Octavo (19.5cm); black cloth, with titles stamped in red on spine and front cover; red topstain; [vi],310pp. Modest wear and soil to cloth, a few vertical ridges to spine, some board exposure to upper and lower board edges, with hinges cracked and re-glued at some early date, and some scattered staining to margins; Good to Very Good, lacking the rare dustjacket. The first Perry Mason novel, and one of the great debuts in American crime fiction. "The mainspring of this first of the Perry Mason tales is a blackmail sheet. A woman tries to get Mason to buy its silence. Her husband is murdered, she is suspected, then Perry as well" (Barzun & Taylor 941). A Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone title, and basis for the 1935 William Clemens film of the same name, starring Warren William and Claire Dodd. HUBIN, p.163.

London: Pan Books. 1st printing (1960). 188pp. VG+ copy . Very Good. Soft cover. 1st Edition. 1960.

Barcelona: Biblioteca Oro / Editorial Molino, 1935. First Illustrated Edition . Large Format Paperback. Near Fine. 9 3/8" Tall. 96 pp. Stated first edition. Large format paperback with striking color lithographed cover . This is Erle Stanley Gardner's own copy. Pages square, unread, as new.

Praze / Praha / Prague: Odeon / Klub Ctenaru, 1974. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 364 Pp. Black Cloth, Gilt. First Czech Edition. Very Good In Very God Dust Jacket. Very Good In Very Good Dust Jacket.

William Morrow / Book Club, January 1966. Book Club. Hardcover. Used - Good/Good.