Many people, when begining to search for OZ books, have difficult time identifying publication years. This guide will hopefully help you in that quest, and perhaps, save you time and money as well.  Since the ebay format only allows to place a maximum of 10 photos  in each guide, I placed only the most common versions. Below is what is known as "textual points" that will hopefully answer most of your questions.  You can then view the photos of the various editions of the same book you are interested in. 

This guide is only for the Frank Baum title  Wizard of  OZ.  You migth find other edition in this link  www.rareozbooks.com/Various-collectible-and-rare-Wizard-of-Oz-book-editions.html.    Please check my other guides for other OZ titles.

Further information about this and any other OZ books, including additional photos and color illustrations, is available on my website RareOzBooks and  through  My profile link. 

I also completed  Wizard of OZ books Collectors Price Guide  that is available either as an eBook or sofcover book.

Please realize that a number of Oz books advertised as first editions aren't true first editions. Most of the Reilly & Lee editions only reflect the first copyright date and no further printing date is noted. Most of the 'white cover' books printed around 1964/1965 still have the original early 1900's copyright noted, and even the soft cover Rand McNally books printed 1971-1973 don't cite these printing dates.
Below are the tips to help you determine when an Oz book was printed:
· If Reilly & Britton (1904- approx 1919) are cited as the publisher (they released the first 12 Oz books) - this will be either a 1st edition or close to first edition printing, depending on variation (note: a Canadian Publisher, Copp/Clark may also be noted as a publisher of early printings)
· From 1919 on, Reilly & Lee published Oz books (note: a Canadian Publisher, Copp/Clark may also be noted as a publisher of early printings)
· If there are color plates in the book, the volume may be a first edition or a later printing up until 1935.
· No color plates were included in books printed after 1935
· Since Captain Salt was the first book in the series printed after 1935, it along with other Oz titles printed after this date, never had color plates. It's trickier to determine first editions with these subsequent books
· No pictorial label on the cover likely indicates a book that was printed between 1959 and 1960 - they were released in colorful dust jackets
· A white cloth cover with the color illustration imprinted directly on the cover would date the book to 1964 or 1965
· A soft white cover book published by Rand McNally would date the book between 1971 and 1973
· A hard cover book published by Books of Wonder would date the book between 1985 to current.

1.1st edition, published by Geo. Hill. 24 color plates

2 Second edition 1st state .Published by Bobbs merrill. Notice word New in the front cover title. 16 color plates

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3. Second edition 2nd state .Published by Bobbs Merrill. 16 color plates

4.3rd edition 1st state. Donohue. 16 color plates. Notice Tin Woodman on the back cover.

5.3rd edition 2nd state. Donohue. 3 color plates. Notice no Tin Woodman on the back cover.

6. 5th edition 1st state. Bobbs Merrill 16 color plates. 2nd state have only 8 color plates

7.1934 edition by Blue Ribbon with 8 color plates

8. 1939 edition with Dust Jacket.  Front cover had a name Original Wizard of OZ. End papers have a characters from 1939 movie.

9. 1944 edition with Dust Jacket. Publisher Bobbs Merrill. Illustrated by Evelyn Copelman.

10. 1964-65 edition from the white edition series.

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