No it does not have a cutout hole on the slipcase.

Here are some pictures.

Can't wait to receive it...

It's a very beautiful design, better than I had expected.
The emblem has a beautiful mixture of colours, and the emblem is designed great too of course
They did more effort on this one I think than the deluxe editions of the Children of Húrin and The Silmarillion...

Nice looking book. Disappointing that it is not also hand-numbered (as claimed on the FAQ section of the website), especially as I ordered as soon as the site was up and therefore didn't get the discount! Unfortunately Alan Lee is quite a prolific signer, so I don't think these signed copies will prove to be any more desirable than the twenty-pounds-cheaper copy from Amazon.

Still, looks nice and that's the main thing.

I'll get my tuppence worth in, now that I've opened up my copy and had a looky...

Firstly, it is of decent quality; and looks to be one of the nicer versions of the recent deluxe incarnations. I like the colour. The three colour stamp is lovely too; not so plain as the other deluxe's. The book feels a nice thickness as well. Not so thin as say COH, Hobbit, or Silmarillion; but not so bulky as LotRs. So happy on all those accounts...

But what about the 'exclusive' nature of this particular copy? Mabey I'm missing something here. And, perhaps all will be revealed when the 'plain' deluxe surfaces (in December?). Probably not though...

As Stu points out: it was stated (on the HC site) to be numbered, but is only signed on the title page. The copyright page gives the signed edition its own ISBN. And, the cover slip inside the shrinkwrap states 'personally signed by Alan Lee' i.e. is specific for this signed edition.

I have to ask: Is there going to be a 'plain' deluxe, lacking the signature? I take it this cover slip will be altered if there is? Also, is the other ISBN quoted on the copyright page the number for the standard HB (which I don't have), or is this the ISBN for the unsigned deluxe which we haven't seen yet?

And, lastly, what exactly is going to distinguish this 'exclusive' signed deluxe from the unsigned one? i.e. what if someone puts the unsigned one in front of Alan and asks him to sign it? Is it not going to be exactly the same? Unless Alan is really cute about this, and only dates copies he's asked to sign; or even refuses to sign them.

I'm not complaining about the price. We're basically getting a signed copy for the RRP. If you went into a shop you'd have to pay the £60 for the unsigned deluxe anyway; although obviously discounting online exists with Amazon and the like.

So that's all good. It just concerns me that this copy just appears to be a plain copy signed. And, that HC continue to get information wrong on their own books on their own site! The 10% offer is also a nonsense for those who purchased quickly.

BH

There will be no real difference between the signed and the normal deluxe edition. This is just the first 500 copies printed. It would be terribly expensive to change a lot. I believe it was a fine ID to give it a different ISBN, however who will remember in a few years from now.

I can easily buy a batch of normal deluxe editions have them signed and then sell them as 'one of the 500'; i would not of course, but it is possible.

So we should indeed mention the different ISBN "everywhere" and make it a trade mark, in such that people know they have to ask about the ISBN. But then again, people will want to buy signed copies, even if they have a different ISBN.

My biggest problem is being that Alan Lee does a lot of 'bulk' signings, for book stores like 'books of wonder', 'adc books',... and then also a lot of general signing events all across the globe. In the end his signature will be so 'easily' obtained that there is no particular value in it anymore.

But you won't be able to differentiate using the ISBN. As both copies will have both ISBN's on the copyright page. Yes/No?

Basically this 'first 500 off the press' claim will become a mute point once these books on are on the open market; making me ask -why bother? Or why were they not numbered? (Or different in some small way.) Just seems like a this wasn't really thought through...

BH

It still states on the FAQ on the website that it is a numbered edition and I expect that they intended it be numbered but neglected to ask Alan to number them.

There is no real value in owning this book over the £20 cheaper copy on Amazon (as it would be easy to get Alan to sign the book) and I once again feel Harper Collins have let down individuals like ourselves by overcharging for a non-exclusive copy of the book.

I might ask Trading Standards about this.

I was unfortunate enough to be made redundant last week, so neither for me at the moment

- wellinghall

[alpingloin:] I am in the US and I can confirm that i was unable to purchase the Deluxe TPR from Tolkien.co.uk because, "The item cannot be shipped to the country listed." I am not sure if it can be shipped outside the UK and just not to the United States, however.

I'm in the Netherlands, and I was able to order a copy to be sent over here. So was someone I know in Belgium (Beren will know him also - he frequents Dutch language Tolkien fora were Beren and I are also regulars).

Perhaps if HC are made aware of the incorrect information on their website (about the numbering) they could also make ammends by asking Alan to only sign the 'standard' deluxe book with a personal dedication or to not sign the title page (and sign one of the end-papers instead, for example), in order to help preserve the claimed exclusivity of the first 500?

I suspect the problem of miss set expectations has come about because of the use of careless cut-and-paste from the info about the CoH signed edition. From the fairly dismal state of the their website(s) over the last couple of years I get the impression that their web-developers are probably not particularly experienced.

Stu