Trade Edition First Printing Identifier: Lists to "The Mystery of the Moaning Cave" on the back cover.
Other Trade Edition First Printing Traits:
- Matte cover finish
- Blue graveyard endpapers
- No ISBN on the back cover
Notes:
1.) This was William Arden's first book in the series.
2.) Sometimes "semi-glossy" cover hardbound copies of this title show up, they usually list to #16 or #20 on the back cover.
Scholastic Book Services Paperback Edition
First Printed: October 1978
Cover Art: Harry Kane
Internal Illustrations: None
ID#: TK 4464
First Printing Identifier: 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 numberline on the copyright page.
Notes: Harry Kane updated the cover art for the Scholastic Edition and it is very similar to his original painting for Random House. Obvious differences are the change in the background color and the length of the boys' hair. This is also the only piece of Harry Kane Three Investigators cover art that bears his visible signature (lower left corner).
Random House First Paperback Edition
"Marchesi Cover "
First Printed: 1978
Cover Art: Stephen Marchesi
Internal Illustrations: Harry Kane
ISBN: 0-394-83773-8
First Printing Identifier: 1234567890 numberline on the copyright page.
Notes: There were 8 Printings of this title with the Marchesi Cover art in this edition printed between 1978 and 1982/83. With the 9th Printing, below, the new Adragna cover art was used.
"Hitchcock Cover" Paperback
First Printed: circa 1983 (9thPrinting)
Cover Art: Robert Adragna
Internal Illustrations: Harry Kane
ISBN: Same as Marchesi Cover above
Earliest Printing Identifier: 90 numberline on the copyright page.
Notes: A somewhat difficult to find paperback!
Random House Revised Paperback Edition
"Keyhole Cover"
First Printed: 1985
Cover Art: Robert Adragna
Internal Illustrations: None
ISBN: 0-394-86410-7
First Printing Identifier: 1234567890 numberline on the copyright page.
Knopf Paperback Edition
"Bullseye Edition"
First Printed: June 1991
Cover Art: Dominick Finelle
Internal Illustrations: None
ISBN: 0-679-81172-9
First Printing Identifier: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 numberline on the copyright page.
Notes: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a subsidiary of Random House.
Random House Latest Paperback Issue
"Dodge Cover"
First Printed: 1999
Cover Art: Bill Dodge
Internal Illustrations: None
ISBN: Same as the "Bullseye" Edition above (see Notes below)
First Printing Identifier: 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 numberline on the copyright page.
Notes:
1.) Confusion Alert! This title is a continuation of the Knopf "Bullseye Edition" paperback with new cover art and a new set of printings. Although there has been a change in the publisher, the ISBN's are the same and most of this book utilizes the printing plates from the Bullseye Edition.
2.) Confusion Alert! Random House also issued a hardbound library edition with the Dodge Covers. The ISBN found inside the hardbound edition is the same as that found in the paperback edition but the ISBN on the back cover is different: 0-613-unknown
