By remy

Harpercollins - Gold Ring on Chain???

31 Mar, 2008
2008-3-31 3:23:14 PM UTC

I was wondering would anyone have any information on a Gold Ring on Chain (The One Ring) that was issued by Harpercollins.

Normally I would not have much interest in an item like this (books being the main focus), but the fact that it was issued by the publisher made it more interesting. It was included in an auction for a 1997 LOTR Deluxe and a 1999 Hobbit Deluxe (The limited editions of 1000 and 2500). In the listing the Seller stated that the Ring was issued by the publishers in a limited edition of 200. I was surprised that I had not come across one of these before this.

The package has arrived and it does indeed have the Harpercollins logo on the Front of the Ring Box (A Black Box with Harpercollins Logo in Gilt on the Top). The Ring is Engraved with a Runic Inscription.

So, I am just curious does anyone know anything more about this item.

- Was it issued prior to the Release of the Films or was it issued in celebration of the Films.

- Was it indeed limited to 200.

- What price it retailed at. etc. etc.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks.

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Urulókë

3 Apr, 2008
2008-4-3 7:23:59 PM UTC

Hi Remy,

I hadn't heard of the ring before, and haven't been able to track down more informatin yet. Would you be willing to provide images of the ring and box for the guide database?

I'll keep digging.

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remy

4 Apr, 2008
2008-4-4 12:01:06 AM UTC

Hi Jeremy,

Many Thanks for trying to find out some information on the Ring. Much Appreciated indeed.

I tried to search online myself, but as of yet I have not found anything useful.

Maybe they were privately issued by the publisher rather than being sold at retail (pure speculation).

I will take a couple of photos tomorrow and post them here.

Many Thanks Again!

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remy

4 Apr, 2008
2008-4-4 12:00:37 PM UTC

I have attached a couple of photos of the ring and box.

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Urulókë

7 Apr, 2008
2008-4-7 6:27:45 PM UTC

David Brawn at HarperCollins had some more information for me:

The ring was a promotional item produced for the film tie-in books. It was a competition prize for an overseas book retailer, I think in Canada, and only a few were produced. It may well have been 200, as you say, though my recollection is that it was a much smaller number. Unfortunately, I do not have a record of which retailer or how many, and we did not keep any copies - in fact, I don't think I ever saw the actual item. A lot of competition-based promotions took place, including winning flights to New Zealand, but none of the marketing team who worked on the promotions are still with us.

I appreciate that isn't very helpful, but it was such a busy time. Promotional items were never intended to be of long-term interest or any financial value.

Anyone from Canada remember seeing these? It would be interesting to track down any ephemera (articles, advertising materials, etc.) that actually mention the ring. If we can find out what retailer ran the promotion I can probably dig further.

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remy

7 Apr, 2008
2008-4-7 10:15:08 PM UTC

Hi Jeremy,

Excellent detective work! Many Thanks indeed for that. That certainly makes a lot of sense and explains why I had not come across one before.

I actually acquired it from a UK Seller. Maybe it was someone working in Harpercollins at the time who decided to keep one for themselves. In any case, it is great to know the background to the item. I am very grateful for your time spent in researching this. I could not find anything at all online about it myself.

Many Thanks Again!!!

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Harpercollins - Gold Ring on Chain???

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