My savvy purchase was around 7-8 years ago.
I was browsing through Amazon and came across someone selling a Pauline Baynes map of middle earth. I emailed them and found out it was actually a small local charity shop not far from me. So agreed a sale, jumped in car and went to collect.

When I arrived the assistant went in the a storeroom to fetch it. She returned with a box and a massive roll of papers?!?
She proceeded to unroll and take one sheet off.It was indeed a first print 1970 map

I then asked what else was in the roll ?

It transpired the roll contained around 10 middle earth maps and 15-20 Narnia maps !!! They had come from an ex penguin book salesman who had found them in his loft some 40 odd years later. The outside ones were a little tatty but most were immaculate.

I brought them all - £10 each

One I kept but the others I sold all over the world. Helped pay for my first FOTR.

Lots of wonderful finds everyone! Not sure anyone can beat out Trotter on that signed Tolkien...

I've had quite a few purchases that I would consider "good finds" over the years. This is the fun part of Tolkien collecting, I think

Old English Exodus (with DJ) $42.81
Farmer Giles American 1st, 1st (very good, with DJ) $15.00
Return of the King American 1st, 1st (very good, without DJ) $75.00
J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (Two Volume Box Set) 1st $9.99
The Children of Hurin: Deluxe Edition $4.20 (I wish I would have purchased more of these at this low price when there was an overabundance of these for cheap on Amazon)
Angles and Britons (with DJ) $65.00
1955, 7th GA&U Hobbit $100
Barnes & Noble had an after Christmas special for each of the LotR audiobooks for only $5 each. I ended up buying five of each and reselling them; I should have bought more...

Radio Times from 1953.

http://www.tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=289

I managed to get it directly from London BBC archives for a few pounds.


It is not the most expensive item I have, but one of the most favourite ones I cherish in my collection.

Lots of bargains over the years, but the biggest score was probably a 1942 book club Hobbit for £3 from Andromeda Books. They didn't think it was anything special as it was a book club edition. Also, a copy of the Dublin Review containing Leaf by Niggle for $15 was pretty cool.

Very nice bargains guys, congratulations!