You can tell when someone has put a replacement on there. You do see them with a "facsimile" jacket from time to time.

Regarding the glassine wrapper: These books were sold and shipped directly by the Early English Text Society. I don't really regard them as dust-jackets: rather, I believe, they were provided by the E.E.T.S. to keep the books from being rubbed by the box during shipment. I didn't keep mine, as a rule, for Tolkien-related E.E.T.S. volumes, because I wanted to see the titles. The E.E.T.S. did eventually start providing actual dust-jackets for their new publications.

My copy has an original jacket. It's certainly a functional jacket, since it's cut to size and folded round the covers/boards. It may also have functioned as protection in transit, but I think it certainly qualifies as a "dustjacket". Accept that's it's not a modern jacket. Interestingly, Folio Society have recently started using a paper wrapper for individual volumes in an attempt to avoid plastics. I think this, Aelfwine, is a good example of a wrapper which isn't a dustjacket.

https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/blog/this-folio-life-it-s-a-wrap/

Mine has a dust-jacket as well, but I can understand why people got rid of them.

Hope companies don't start using this type of dust-jacket

Jlong wrote:

Pauline Baynes - Map of Middle-earth in original packaging - never opened. I’d assume pretty uncommon like this.

You are the thread winner!

I am disappointed this thread came to an end. It was interesting to see books in good condition, not just the most expensive ones. Could there also be a thread of books in poor condition which are listed for sale as very good condition?

I've probably still got a handful that no one else has shown that would still sneak into the 40 years or older rule. I'll take a couple of extra pics tomorrow.

In the meantime, here are the 1sts of the A&U Deluxe editions

Amazing Stu ! :D
Absolutely stunning conditions , especially for the Lord of the Rings 1969 !
I guess (may be wrong) that the box of the hobbit 1st 1976 is more mate, with a faux leather veined, in contrast to the reprints which have a more shiny finish (more in the style of the Poems and Stories box).

Fowler Hobbit Schools Edition 1974 and Stapeldon Magazine 1927

The only one I have that is old enough is this Fifty New Poems For Children, which only have a scratch on the back and this red stain on the cover. Considering it's almost 100 years old, I think the condition is really good. I particularly love the dedication of a grand-mother to her grand-child.