HarperCollins Deluxe 4-Volume Set

I’ve not seen it for sale for some time but did you know there’s another boxed set of five books? All slipcased within a slipcase. The four you mention plus Tales From The Perilous Realm.

steve68 wrote:

I’ve not seen it for sale for some time but did you know there’s another boxed set of five books? All slipcased within a slipcase. The four you mention plus Tales From The Perilous Realm.

The set of five contains Chinese reprints. Probably the only thing it really has going for it is rarity (100 sets of which at least 10 were damaged in transit, IIRC).

The four is a decent set and there are either 500 or 1,000 copies, depending on who you believe. I see them on eBay now and then selling for very variable prices.

This was the limited to 500 that didn't contain all 1st editions iirc. I am no fan of the 'faux' deluxe, they just don't stack up as anything deluxe imo.

onthetrail wrote:

This was the limited to 500 that didn't contain all 1st editions iirc. I am no fan of the 'faux' deluxe, they just don't stack up as anything deluxe imo.

Yeah, Beren claims that there was a second set of 500. The LoTR is a second print in the 4 vol set (and maybe a third in some of them). The others are 1sts.

Stu wrote:

onthetrail wrote:

This was the limited to 500 that didn't contain all 1st editions iirc. I am no fan of the 'faux' deluxe, they just don't stack up as anything deluxe imo.

Yeah, Beren claims that there was a second set of 500. The LoTR is a second print in the 4 vol set (and maybe a third in some of them). The others are 1sts.

Ahhh yep that was it. Thanks Stu. As far as I am concerned if a set is limited to 500 pieces then all 4 books have to be 1sts.

Stu wrote:

The set of five contains Chinese reprints. Probably the only thing it really has going for it is rarity (100 sets of which at least 10 were damaged in transit, IIRC).

Fwiw, Húrin and Perilous Realm were 1sts in the set of five, both printed in the UK (Lego and Clays respectively).

onthetrail wrote:

This was the limited to 500 that didn't contain all 1st editions iirc. I am no fan of the 'faux' deluxe, they just don't stack up as anything deluxe imo.

To be fair, that probably wasn't possible due to the print numbers and the long gap between the release of TH/LoTR and the other two. LoTR had a smaller print run than TH and much smaller than CoH.

I always felt the 5 volume boxed set was a bit of a strange idea, mind, given there had been the 4 volume one. I'm not entirely sure there was a need for any of them, given they were already slipcased, but no one being forced to buy either set, so :shrug:

Never saw the point of that set - it's the just box that's limited, essentially: the books themselves are still readily available. I just don't see the point of it existing, especially for that price.

Cameron - From one recent initiate to another, I want to share some perspective. I started my Tolkien collecting when my wife bought me LotR and the Silmarillion from Folio Society. These are the modern Chinese impressions, but I loved and still love them.

On other forums, people in the know made quite a stink about the apparent quality dip since Folio moved production to China. However, and at first I thought it was mostly bluster, nitpicking, and maybe a hint of politics. But eventually, the pixelated text and flaking gold embossing on my Silmarillion because something I could no longer un-see.

I later got an older, UK-printed Hobbit, and immediately felt the difference in the softness of the paper. Despite its age, the gold embossing is still in perfect condition. And, the slipcase is sturdier, has a better fit, and even curves inwards as to make removing the book that much easier. The differences were starting to add up; starting to matter, because gosh–those Folios were a lot of money for my wife to spend on me!

I moved on. With my somewhat dormant interest in Tolkien newly rekindled after re-reading the Silmarillion, I looked around for more first-age stuff like the Great Tales. This is when I discovered HCD. I thought, "great, more attractive slipcased books to stand alongside my folios!"

I promptly picked up a used (Chinese) Children of Hurin, and thought it was good enough to start looking into collecting the rest. Strangely enough, I picked up a Houghton Mifflin Deluxe Children of Hurin soon thereafter because it was a great deal, I wanted to test the rumor that the (Italian) quality was better, and I sometimes exhibit poor impulse control.

It arrived in the mail, and shoot! Drastically better paper, a better fit in the slip case, and just a generally better look and feel overall. It immediately reminded me of the Folio Society quality issue.

With a little research, it turned out entire forums of people (this one included) have issues with these Chinese reprintings. What's more, I found pictures of mixed collections where the spines don't line up and the slipcases vary sometimes drastically in height. Clearly, assembling my collection was going to be more work than I initially thought.

So, what's the point of this ramble? Once you start chasing "deluxe", you realize how short your dollar can fall within the modern retail environment. All the little things start adding up, and you realize that it's not so much that you deserve the best; it's that you don't deserve to pay for the best and get something significantly less than.

This is all to say: the rabbit hole goes quite deep. Take your time, look for deals, and be prepared to message a lot of sellers about which impression is what.

FWIW, I still love my Chinese FS Silmarillion, because it's my white rabbit–and my wife purchased it with love, besides. But, I'm mad that Folio charged her full price for a subpar product, and I'm not about to repeat that experience with my own purchases from any other publisher.