The Catcher In the Rye

by Salinger, J D

Published in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye has become a common part of high school and college curricula throughout the English-speaking world and has been translated into all major languages. Since its publication with a $3.00 sticker, it has reportedly sold more than 65 million copies. The novel's antihero, Holden Caulfield, has become a cultural icon for teenage rebellion. Due to its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst, it has frequently been met with censorship challenges in the United States making it one of the most challenged books of the 20th century.

First Edition Identification

Catcher in the Rye was published in simple black cloth with gilt spine lettering and decorative devices.  As is the custom for Little, Brown, first editions are so stated on the copyright page. The most important point of issue regards the jacket, for which the first state has a photographer credit for Lotte Jacobi under the picture of Salinger and lacks any statement about book of the month club on the front jacket flap.

Other Collectible or Notable Editions

Because of it's demand and relative scarcity, many collectors opt for later printings that still share the same basic aesthetic as the first printing at a fraction of the cost. The first book club printing is often sought after as it came out at the same time as the true first. These are also available at discounted prices, although still rather high comparatively for a book club edition. Collectors of vintage paperbacks may find the first paperback edition, issued by Signet Books in 1953 appealing as well.

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ciolan1, Jun 18, 2007

Available Copies

The Catcher in the Rye
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The Catcher in the Rye

by J.D. Salinger

Condition
Used - Very Good Minus
Jacket Condition
Very Good Minus
Edition
Tenth Printing
Published
1951-09-01
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Elk Grove Village, Illinois, USA
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$499.99

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Little, Brown and Company, 1951-09-01. Tenth Printing. Hardcover. Very Good Minus/Very Good Minus. Very good minus first edition tenth printing in very good price unclipped dust jacket ($3.00). Binding is solid and just ever so slightly cocked. Very small hole/tear at front hinge. Lettering on spine is worn, boards with some scuffing/rubbing/soiling. Dust jacket is overall nice… Read more about this item
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$499.99
The Catcher in the Rye.
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The Catcher in the Rye.

by SALINGER, J. D.

Condition
Used
Published
1951
Quantity Available
1
Seller
London, GBR
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Item Price
$290,565.00

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Description:
Boston: Little, Brown and Company,, 1951. The reclusive author makes a rare presentation to the teenage son of his childhood friend First edition, first printing, extremely rare presentation copy, inscribed by the author to the teenage son of his childhood friend Ada on the front free endpaper: "To Charles Kirtz with every good wish from J. D. Salinger (extra… Read more about this item
Item Price
$290,565.00
The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

by Salinger, J. D.

Condition
Used - Very Good+ in Very Good- dust jacket
Published
1951
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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Item Price
$195.00

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Description:
Little, Brown and Company. Very Good+ in Very Good- dust jacket. 1951. Hardcover. Hardcover. 1951. Little, Brown and Company. 277 pages. Book club edition. Dates match from title page and copyright page. Book is in Very Good Plus condition. Dust Jacket has some wear and chips, else Very Good Minus. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall;… Read more about this item
Item Price
$195.00
The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

by SALINGER, J.D.

Condition
Used - Near Fine
Jacket Condition
Very Good
Published
1951
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Hadley, Massachusetts, USA
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Item Price
$1,250.00

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Description:
Boston: Little, Brown. 1951. The second printing (July, 1951; same month as the first printing) of Salinger's classic first book, which stands as one of the great fictional accomplishments of 20th century American literature. Small strips of black tape attached to black boards, possibly from a previous jacket protector; still a near fine copy in a very good, supplied, early… Read more about this item
Item Price
$1,250.00
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
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THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

by Salinger, J. D

Condition
Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition
Good
Published
1952
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
CARLSBAD , California, USA
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Item Price
$225.00

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Description:
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1952. Early March, 1952 printing (the first printing was the previous year, 1951). Very good in full black cloth with gilt titled spine. The dust jacket has some wear and chipping but is unclipped with the original $3.00 price on the jacket flap. A nice place holder for the expensive first printing. See photos. .… Read more about this item
Item Price
$225.00
The Catcher in the Rye
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The Catcher in the Rye

by Salinger, J. D.

Condition
Used - Fair
Edition
First Edition
Published
1951
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA
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Item Price
$2,400.00

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Description:
Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1951. First Edition. Hardcover. Fair. Octavo. Publisher's black cloth, titles in gilt on spine, lacking the dustjacket. Spine titles quite faded, cloth on the upper board with a pronounced vertical crease, but otherwise a crisp, clean, square copy. Stated first edition with no additional printings listed.
Item Price
$2,400.00
The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

by SALINGER, J. D. (1919-2010)

Condition
Used
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, GBR
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Item Price
$2,130.81

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Description:
Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1951. FIRST EDITION. Octavo., pp.277. Elegantly bound in black full morocco, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, original spine bound in at rear. A clean, fresh copy with one faint mark to half-title, in a fine, unmarked recent leather binding. Callil & Toibin; Modern Library. (200 Best… Read more about this item
Item Price
$2,130.81
The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

by SALINGER, J.D

Condition
Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition
Good
Edition
1st Edition
Published
1951
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Palm Springs, California, USA
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Item Price
$7,500.00

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Description:
First edition (so stated), first issue with back panel portrait of Salinger credited to Lotte Jacobi and "$3.00" on the front flap. Octavo. Original black cloth stamped in gilt. Dust jacket designed by Michael Mitchell (unclipped; tiny chips to head and tail of spine and to corners; few small chips; front flap detached at fold). Very good. 277 pages. Enclosed… Read more about this item
Item Price
$7,500.00
The Catcher In The Rye.

The Catcher In The Rye.

by Salinger, J.D

Condition
Used
Published
1951
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Palm Beach, Florida, USA
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Item Price
$98,000.00

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Description:
Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1951. Early printing, printed in the year of publication of the author's classic novel. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, "December 24, 1951 To Elizabeth Fueller- with best wishes J.D. Salinger." Salinger's signature is scarce and signed examples of The Catcher in the Rye… Read more about this item
Item Price
$98,000.00
The Catcher In The Rye

The Catcher In The Rye

by J.D. Salinger

Condition
Used - Good-
Published
1972
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Brossard, Quebec, CAN
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Item Price
$1.50

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Description:
Bantam, New York, 1972, 33rd paperback printing. Condition: Good minus, edge and corner wear, front cover has been taped, previous bookstore's stamp on inside front cover. A well read book. The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he… Read more about this item
Item Price
$1.50
The Catcher in the Rye
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The Catcher in the Rye

by Salinger, J. D.

Condition
Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition
Very Good
Edition
First Thus
Published
1951
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Victoria, British Columbia, CAN
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This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$112.32

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Description:
N. Y.: The Modern Library, 1951. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. First Thus. Just very good because prev. owner affixed a protective jacket with tape, remnants of which remain on the the covers. Same " protective " covering also had a black border which has leached onto the edges The culprit's name is on the front endpaper.… Read more about this item
Item Price
$112.32
The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

by Salinger, J.D.

Condition
Used - Near Fine
Edition
Book Club Edition
Published
1951
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
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This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$400.00

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Description:
Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co. 1951. Outstanding copy, appears unread. Gilt lettering and decoration on spine bright and vibrant, not faded at all. No creasing to pages which are also bright and white, including endpapers and pastedowns. Listing as Near Fine rather than Fine only because minor rubs and scuffs to black cloth boards. Deckled fore and foot edges.… Read more about this item
Item Price
$400.00
The Catcher in the Rye
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The Catcher in the Rye

by J.D. Salinger

Condition
Used - Fine
Jacket Condition
Very Good
Edition
Book Club Edition
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Veldhoven, NLD
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This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$220.60

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Description:
Boston: Little, Brown and Company Book. Fine. Hardcover. Book Club Edition. Black boards with gilt spine lettering. In very good/near fine dust jacket with light edge wear and light silverfish traces on blanc rear panel. Blindstamp square impressed into the back cover indicating this is a Book Club Edition. 277 pp. .
Item Price
$220.60
The Catcher in the Rye
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The Catcher in the Rye

by Salinger, J. D.

Condition
Used - Good
Jacket Condition
Good
Edition
1st Edition
Published
1951
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
GIG HARBOR, Washington, USA
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Item Price
$2,250.00

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Description:
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1951. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Good/Good. Stated first edition, 8vo, 277 pp. Ex-library copy of this classic from Salinger. Good condition with ffep removed and front pastedown partially torn at hinge. Library copy stamp to bottom of page block edge else clean and complete internally. Jacket good with a large chip from top edge… Read more about this item
Item Price
$2,250.00
The Catcher in the Rye
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The Catcher in the Rye

by J D Salinger

Condition
Used - Good+
Edition
First edition/first printing
Published
1951
Binding
Blue cloth over boards.
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Kington, Herefordshire, GBR
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Item Price
$230.00

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Description:
The first printing of a Modern First Classic. Internally clean and sound; the the spine is badly faded and the rear top panel has a missing corner. A few pages are edge worn. FFPP has a previous owners name. But a good copy of the scarce first printing for rebinding.
Item Price
$230.00
The Catcher in the Rye
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The Catcher in the Rye

by J. D. Salinger

Condition
Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition
Very Good
Edition
1st Edition
Published
1952
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Clarence, New York, USA
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Item Price
$375.00

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Description:
Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1952. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger. First edition, fourteenth printing from March 1952 as stated on the copyright page. Published by Little, Brown & Company, Boston. The book measures 5.5" x 8.25", 277 pages. With its original dust jacket. The original price of… Read more about this item
Item Price
$375.00
The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

by J. D. Salinger

Condition
New
Binding
Paperback / softback
ISBN 10
0316769487
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Southport, Merseyside, GBR
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$11.48

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Paperback / softback. New. Holden, knowing he is to be expelled from school, decides to leave early. He spends three days in New York City and tells the story of what he did and suffered there.
Item Price
$11.48
The Catcher in the Rye
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The Catcher in the Rye

by Salinger, J D

Condition
Used - Collectable - Good Condition
Jacket Condition
Good
Edition
First thus
Published
1994
Binding
Hardback
ISBN 10
0241002516
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, GBR
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Item Price
$173.05

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Description:
Penguin Books Ltd, London, United Kingdom, 1994. First thus. Hardback. Collectable - Good Condition/Good. Good+/Good+ 1st impression 1994 Hamish Hamilton hardback, unclipped DJ, restored edition text. Some water-related discoloration and a little foxing along inside edges of jacket, edges of jacket, corners and spine ends rubbed and worn in places, a little discoloration to edges… Read more about this item
Item Price
$173.05
The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye

by Salinger, J D

Condition
Used - 8vo paperback 192 pages. Very, very minor bumps, very, very slight tanning to pages o/w VG++ 165 gms
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Southport, GBR
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Item Price
$3.23

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Penguin 1994 … Read more about this item
Item Price
$3.23
Catcher In The Rye
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Catcher In The Rye

by SALINGER, J.D.

Condition
Used
Published
1951
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Beverly Hills, California, USA
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Item Price
$7,500.00

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Description:
Boston: Little Brown & Co, 1951. 1919-2010). The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1951. First edition, in first issue dust jacket. Octavo (7 11/16 x 5 1/4 inches; 196 x 135 mm). [8], [1]-277, [1, blank] pp. Publisher's full black cloth. Spine lettered in gilt. Boards with some light glue residue to top… Read more about this item
Item Price
$7,500.00