1955 Hobbit Question

My 7th impression does have a 7th impression dust-jacket, but I have seen quite a few copies like yours that are in the 8th impression dust-jacket, and some also have a higher price 12s6d, so quite a few original states for the dust-jackets exist.

I think you got quite a good deal for that Hobbit.

I have checked back on my notes used to compile the Hobbit article.
The 2000 jackets mentioned were Houghton Mifflin not Allen & Unwin - I have amended the wording to clarify.
The 8th impression A&U jackets were delivered to the binder at the same time that the last 1000 copies of the 7th impression were being bound, so it would appear they were used instead of the correct 7th impression jackets. They were supposed to be price-clipped and overprinted with a new price of 12s.6d.

Deagol wrote:
I have checked back on my notes used to compile the Hobbit article.
The 2000 jackets mentioned were Houghton Mifflin not Allen & Unwin - I have amended the wording to clarify.
The 8th impression A&U jackets were delivered to the binder at the same time that the last 1000 copies of the 7th impression were being bound, so it would appear they were used instead of the correct 7th impression jackets. They were supposed to be price-clipped and overprinted with a new price of 12s.6d.

Do you have any idea how many 7th impression jackets were price-clipped and had 12s.6d net overprinted and how many 8th impression jackets were price-clipped and had 12s.6d net overprinted?

Thanks all for the feedback. Seems like it has sparked an interesting discussion. Glad to listen in.

Trotter wrote:

Do you have any idea how many 7th impression jackets were price-clipped and had 12s.6d net overprinted and how many 8th impression jackets were price-clipped and had 12s.6d net overprinted?

There are two entries in the A&U ledger for overprinting Hobbit jackets in 1956. One for 1260 jackets at a cost of £1.18s.6d and another for an unspecified number for £2.9s.
There is also a letter to the binders dated 17th January 1956 asking for the price to be changed on the 7th impression copies being bound at that time and on the 8th impression jackets that had just been delivered. Judging from copies seen online, at least some copies slipped through without being overprinted, but I don't think it is possible to say how many.

If the price paid to the printers was the same, then £2.9s.0d would have been 1600 copies overprinted by the binders.

If I read Deagol's notes correctly, then these would be 8th impression dust-jackets, so 1600 out of 3150 is possibly a good guess, nearly 50%.

Thanks a lot Deagol for your excellent research into this

Thanks!