One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
A first edition, first printing of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (Viking Press, 1962) is worth about $294 unsigned in near fine condition, based on recorded sales. The first point to check: Copyright page: “Published in 1962 by The Viking Press, Inc.” with no printing line below it.
Market value · Unsigned, near fine
$294
Valued from 2 recorded sales in the last 12 months.
What a copy is worth
| Condition | Unsigned |
|---|---|
| Near fine | $294 |
| Very good | $255 |
| Good | $255 |
| Fair | $255 |
How to identify this edition
These points tell this edition apart from other printings and editions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
✓ Copyright page: “Published in 1962 by The Viking Press, Inc.” with no printing line below it
✓ Title page: “A Novel by Ken Kesey · The Viking Press · New York”
✓ Dust jacket: stencil-lettered title in yellow, orange, pink and green over olive and maroon torn-paper shapes, “A NOVEL BY Ken Kesey” at the foot; photograph of Kesey on the back panel; “Jacket design by Paul Bacon” on the front flap
✓ Front flap: Jack Kerouac’s one-line blurb (“…a great new American novelist.”) at the foot (first-issue jacket)
✓ Price: $4.95 at the top of the front flap (unclipped)
Common questions
- How do I know if my copy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a first edition, first printing?
- ✓ Copyright page: “Published in 1962 by The Viking Press, Inc.” with no printing line below it ✓ Title page: “A Novel by Ken Kesey · The Viking Press · New York” ✓ Dust jacket: stencil-lettered title in yellow, orange, pink and green over olive and maroon torn-paper shapes, “A NOVEL BY Ken Kesey” at the foot; photograph of Kesey on the back panel; “Jacket design by Paul Bacon” on the front flap ✓ Front flap: Jack… The identification points above show each one.
- How much is a first edition, first printing of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest worth?
- $255–$294 unsigned, depending on condition and whether it is signed (values as of October 2026). Values come from recorded sales of this exact printing, not asking prices.
- Can I sell my copy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?
- Yes. We value the exact copy from recorded sales and make a firm cash offer, free and with no obligation to sell.
Selling a copy?
We value the exact copy from recorded sales and make a firm cash offer, free and with no obligation. Get an offer.
More by Ken Kesey
- Last Go Round — Ken Kesey · First edition, first printing