So it turns out that there will be a collector's edition after all! Well, most likely. Gotta wait for the publisher to make it official.

The ISBN for the collector's is 9780008440572. Not sure if that's one of the same ones from when the announcement leaked, but it's starting to pop up on certain retailers.

The description reads:

"This elegant slipcased edition presents for collectors the first ever publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's final writings on Middle-earth, covering a wide range of subjects. Stamped in gold foil, and printed on heavyweight acid-free paper, it includes a ribbon marker and is housed in a custom-built matching slipcase."

Typically, the collector's editions have a symbol stamped on the front of the slipcase and the book, so I'm curious how this one will look with that regard.

Thanks for that tidbit insurrbution.

Now I’m also curious what the motif will be. The only thing worse than not having a deluxe edition to complete the series would be having a mismatched deluxe edition. ?

insurrbution wrote:

So it turns out that there will be a collector's edition after all! Well, most likely. Gotta wait for the publisher to make it official.

The ISBN for the collector's is 9780008440572. Not sure if that's one of the same ones from when the announcement leaked, but it's starting to pop up on certain retailers.

Yep, the collector's edition (possibility) has been in the first post of this thread, with that ISBN, for readers to note.

For the new description details, the link to the retailer where you saw the information would be useful to include.

Sure thing! Saw it here https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Nature-of-Middle-earth-J-R-R-Tolkien-Carl-F-Hostetter/9780008440572

Sounds like it matches the "old style" deluxe range, which makes the most sense, all things considered.

This is the first I'm hearing of this. Just goes to show how uninformed the editor of a book can be, once the contents are set!

Stu wrote:

Sounds like it matches the "old style" deluxe range, which makes the most sense, all things considered.

Without a doubt! The book won't be illustrated (in the painting/artwork sense, but could very well include images you'd see in HoM-e, such as manuscripts, diagrams, etc...) so it'd be kind of hard to make the collector's edition look like the new Unfinished Tales and Silmarillion one!

Aelfwine wrote:

This is the first I'm hearing of this. Just goes to show how uninformed the editor of a book can be, once the contents are set!

Surely they'll send you an advance copy, right Aelfwine?

insurrbution wrote:

Stu wrote:

Sounds like it matches the "old style" deluxe range, which makes the most sense, all things considered.

Without a doubt! The book won't be illustrated (in the painting/artwork sense, but could very well include images you'd see in HoM-e, such as manuscripts, diagrams, etc...) so it'd be kind of hard to make the collector's edition look like the new Unfinished Tales and Silmarillion one!

No one mentioned internal illustrations. I'm not sure your specific logic follows regarding the binding choice. To match the new edition would simply be a cloth cover and an illustrated slipcase (though they might need to dig up an extra image from somewhere for the miniature). I imagine they chose to go with the "old" style because there are already way more collectors with that style who will want to complete collections, plus it will be cheaper to produce (paper not cloth) and allow for a lower RRP.

Put it this way, I will probably buy a deluxe edition of the old style just for completeness (rather than getting the trade), whereas I wouldn't buy one of the new style (because I'm not actually bothered about having a deluxe). There are a lot of people with the old style books. The logic of the binding choice here doesn't have much to do with whether there are internal illustrations -- it is down to what will get the best return, I'd imagine.

Fair enough, i just meant that the illustrations of the recent Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales are also used to decorate the more luxurious edition of the illustrated publications.