http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Exclusive-Arwe ... ain_0&hash=item338178a2b8

Red, I was just about to post this item. Why do these Illuminati rings keep popping up and selling for so much? I'm still really confused about the Tolkien connection to them as well.

Can't answer as to why these get bids and what the draw is, but I assume they mention Tolkien because it draws a lot of views on eBay. I can't see any other connection.

JonClark wrote:
According to the seller, the copyright page is wet and stuck to the other pages, so he could not post a photo to confirm it is a first impression. LOL!

Let's see if I get a reply to my latest ebay email to the seller, I got the same response by email (as JonClark) from the seller (in Textspeak) "The book is damp so the pages u r asking for r sealed untill it has time to self dry an the price tag was bought from a library" , the Price Sticker from a Library, of course it was (how long does a 1937 book take to self dry, I suspect science will never know the answer?)

"Sorry to hear that you cannot check the limitation page in the book, you may be interested to know that you can identify the age of the book from the pictures you provided.

I have done some further research into the book, using the pictures you have provided and can confirm that the book is printed after 1978.

This can be seen by the position of the page numbers on page 134 and 135 in your picture, all earlier copies of the Hobbit had the page number at the top of the page, it was moved to the bottom of the page in copies printed after 1978.

The book like the dust wrapper is probably a 4th edition, 3rd or 4th Impression. This also ties in with the publisher's price-sticker on the dust-wrapper of £4.50 which was the one of the prices that these books were sold for in the UK, at the end of the 1970s and in the early 1980s

Hope this was of help and sorry that you do not have a UK First Edition First Impression from 1937. It would not be cost effective to try and restore this book, as it is not an uncommon book."

Does anyone have a Hobbit with a A&U £4.50 price sticker in it, if so is it a 4th Edition, 3rd or 4th impression?

Hmmm. I guess next time I need £400 I can dunk a recent copy of the Hobbit in water, then? I cannot see a way that this seller is honestly convinced they have a true first edition.

It's quite amusing that there's actually a bid in too!

BH

Red wrote:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Exclusive-Arwe ... ain_0&hash=item338178a2b8

One of the strangest ebay auctions I've seen. I am really baffled at this one. High bids too! I read the entire listing out of pure bewilderment, then, to my horror, looked at the item location - it's the town I grew-up in!

Urulókë wrote:
Hmmm. I guess next time I need £400 I can dunk a recent copy of the Hobbit in water, then? I cannot see a way that this seller is honestly convinced they have a true first edition.

In this case, I don't see how they can claim it is a £12000 book, very dodgy, they have not posted on ebay that questions have been asked as well

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fellowship- ... Books&hash=item33817d3133

I have a complete set without dj in much better condition.......who want to pay me $750? :)

I have tried reporting this Hobbit to Ebay as "Misleading Title" but I don't expect it will have any effect.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19082609731 ... _trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649