That price is completely ridiculous... but I've been looking for those 2005 1sts at a reasonable price (with RC in slipcase) for quite a while with no luck.
All the chancers are coming out, front-running copies from Waterstones. Why pay £20 to waterstones when you could pay £60 for someone else to order it from waterstones...?
Stu wrote: All the chancers are coming out, front-running copies from Waterstones. Why pay £20 to waterstones when you could pay £60 for someone else to order it from waterstones...?
I'd hazard that there are far more signed copies than actual end-purchasers that have a need/desire for a signed copy.
Let's be honest, this is another book that 95% of buyers will never read, anyway.
Edit: And can Alan Lee paint in anything other than dark grey....? Having finally received my copies of the standard/signed (£20) and deluxe (£41), I don't think either is worth any more then the price I paid.
Stu wrote: Edit: And can Alan Lee paint in anything other than dark grey....?
I personally find Alan Lee very average, especially his recent effort of B&L, I would have loved more Ted Nasmith, his Silmarillion illustrations are among my favourites, but I guess his name is not as known to the film goers as Alan Lee is.
Stu wrote: Edit: And can Alan Lee paint in anything other than dark grey....?
I personally find Alan Lee very average, especially his recent effort of B&L, I would have loved more Ted Nasmith, his Silmarillion illustrations are among my favourites, but I guess his name is not as known to the film goers as Alan Lee is.
I think Nasmith is certainly a bit more varied. Lee is better at illustrating figures, though. I think the B&L illustrations are hit and miss. Some good ones in there, along with some mediocre efforts. The picture facing 160 is an example where the overall composition is pretty poor (in my purely personal and subjective opinion).
I wonder if the green used on the deluxe was a nod to The Lays of Beleriand (as I guess that supplied the bulk of the material in the new book).
I think Nasmith is certainly a bit more varied. Lee is better at illustrating figures, though. I think the B&L illustrations are hit and miss. Some good ones in there, along with some mediocre efforts. The picture facing 160 is an example where the overall composition is pretty poor (in my purely personal and subjective opinion).
I wonder if the green used on the deluxe was a nod to The Lays of Beleriand (as I guess that supplied the bulk of the material in the new book).
I should be clear that I am not suggesting Alan Lee to be a poor artist, I just think his Tolkien work can be somewhat average, B&L is a mixed bag indeed. Barring the cover and before Appendix I don't like any of the illustrations very much, I do though enjoy the sketches though. I find them far more pleasing.
I skipped the Deluxe as while I don't have too many in the series so far I decided I would rather have some other with the space and money.
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