>..., the web site has technical difficulties apparently!!!!
Technical difficulties is clearly a synonym for it being... ahem... 'rubbish'. As a professional software developer (which I am), I would be ashamed of producing such a buggy ill-thought out site. Assuming the graphics were provided by someone else, a site like that shouldn't take much time to produce. Whoever does their website work is just careless and probably hasn't got much professional experience. Almost certainly a generation Y developer :)....
Technical difficulties is clearly a synonym for it being... ahem... 'rubbish'. As a professional software developer (which I am), I would be ashamed of producing such a buggy ill-thought out site. Assuming the graphics were provided by someone else, a site like that shouldn't take much time to produce. Whoever does their website work is just careless and probably hasn't got much professional experience. Almost certainly a generation Y developer :)....
Harper Collins rang me back and said that they were only ever going to be signed editions, not numbered as stated
They acknowledged that the web site was incorrect and apologised for the 'mistake' in the FAQ. They also gave the impression that this issue caused them to take the site down.
They also said that I could have a full refund if I returned the book, but there was nothing else that they could do.
They acknowledged that the web site was incorrect and apologised for the 'mistake' in the FAQ. They also gave the impression that this issue caused them to take the site down.
They also said that I could have a full refund if I returned the book, but there was nothing else that they could do.
HC are evidently going to do nothing about this. Perhaps someone who is on friendly terms with AL (rather than all of us emailing him), could put the case to him regarding the obvious flaw in this 'exclusive' claim from HC; perhaps discuss with him the likelyhood of people asking him to sign copies in the future (he is the illustrater after all); and further, what he would do if this happened. If he could be persuaded not to sign any more, then that would at least help; although I can't see why he would agree to this, or should.
I suspect we'd have to go to someone like David Brawn to argue this case properly. People at HC on the end of the phone are not going to understand (or care) about 'first 500', 'signed & numbered' etc; regardless of whether they claimed this or not.
Could this be put to David Brawn? I'm sure a few other folk have his email address (I have, for one), but Beren seems to be in regular enough contact. And (if he hasn't already done so) we should perhaps just leave it to him. Beren?
BH
I suspect we'd have to go to someone like David Brawn to argue this case properly. People at HC on the end of the phone are not going to understand (or care) about 'first 500', 'signed & numbered' etc; regardless of whether they claimed this or not.
Could this be put to David Brawn? I'm sure a few other folk have his email address (I have, for one), but Beren seems to be in regular enough contact. And (if he hasn't already done so) we should perhaps just leave it to him. Beren?
BH
Did put it to him last week already... will re-send my email once again. No reply yet. But that is not abnormal.
Khamul, what Beren said on another forum (it was a Dutch one), related to my main reason for complaining to HC, namely that The LotR Poster Collection wasn't included in the package. I only added the numbering issue in support of everyone here.
Beren pointed out that the books had been mailed from Sweden (in his case, but mine also were) and added (slightly jocularly) that I should expect the posters to come from Italy. So I decided to wait a couple of days for a second package before phoning. So, no secret at all, but nothing relating to the 'limited numbered edition' issue.
With regard to the latter, I think we can rely on Beren to take up the matter with David Brawn and Alan Lee.
I still have difficulty to take myself seriously as a collector, and I don't really care that much about this issue to become angry. However, I still think HC have come a cropper over this, and I'm behind you in trying to get some acknowledgment out of them. I'd like to see what is going to happen.
Beren pointed out that the books had been mailed from Sweden (in his case, but mine also were) and added (slightly jocularly) that I should expect the posters to come from Italy. So I decided to wait a couple of days for a second package before phoning. So, no secret at all, but nothing relating to the 'limited numbered edition' issue.
With regard to the latter, I think we can rely on Beren to take up the matter with David Brawn and Alan Lee.
I still have difficulty to take myself seriously as a collector, and I don't really care that much about this issue to become angry. However, I still think HC have come a cropper over this, and I'm behind you in trying to get some acknowledgment out of them. I'd like to see what is going to happen.
Being in the US, the signed version was not available to me, so I do not share the same problem with many of you (my book not being 'numbered,' that is). However, I just received my standard deluxe copy from Amazon. It is a nice book, but I even have complaints about this version. It really doesn't quite match the other four deluxe books done in this style. The spine shape is not as rounded as the older ones (it is much flatter with more square edges). At first I thought the spine shape might be due to it being a thicker book than say 'Hobbit' or CoH, but even the very thick LotR from this Deluxe series has a more rounded spine. Also, the slipcase is not trimmed and glued the same way on the inside edge. It looks like this slipcase could come undone more easily around the inner edge (over time). After closer inspection, it appears that HC did indeed change binderies for this book. The old ones were done at L.E.G.O. Spa (Italy), while this one was done at Clays Ltd, St. Ives.
I guess these are pretty minor complaints and I am probably being too scrutinizing. Being an engineer, I tend to be anal about details such as this. When these five books are sitting next to each other, and one doesn't quite fit, it bothers me. This has been the case for years and years, even going back to early first editions of LotR (where the FotR was a different height than the other two), and as with those, I will get over it. The need for HC to change binderies from time to time is 'bound' to happen (no pun intended). Such is the nature of the publishing world, contracts, costs, etc.
I guess these are pretty minor complaints and I am probably being too scrutinizing. Being an engineer, I tend to be anal about details such as this. When these five books are sitting next to each other, and one doesn't quite fit, it bothers me. This has been the case for years and years, even going back to early first editions of LotR (where the FotR was a different height than the other two), and as with those, I will get over it. The need for HC to change binderies from time to time is 'bound' to happen (no pun intended). Such is the nature of the publishing world, contracts, costs, etc.
This has been the case for years and years, even going back to early first editions of LotR (where the FotR was a different height than the other two),
- ah, those were the days! I guess you're talking about the Allen & Unwin FotRs? This problem is not all that common; I know of only two examples. These are the 1st ed. 2nd imp. of Dec. 1954; and the 1st ed. 7th imp. of October 1957. The 1/2 was printed by Jarrolds, as usual; but the 1/7 was printed by Purnell and Son of Paulton (Somerset) and London.
- ah, those were the days! I guess you're talking about the Allen & Unwin FotRs? This problem is not all that common; I know of only two examples. These are the 1st ed. 2nd imp. of Dec. 1954; and the 1st ed. 7th imp. of October 1957. The 1/2 was printed by Jarrolds, as usual; but the 1/7 was printed by Purnell and Son of Paulton (Somerset) and London.
www.tolkien.co.uk is back again, hardly any difference from before, but the FAQ has changed indicating that the books are not numbered.
Does seem odd that a whole site has to be taken down for a couple of weeks to change a couple of pictures and a couple of lines of text.
Does seem odd that a whole site has to be taken down for a couple of weeks to change a couple of pictures and a couple of lines of text.
This is old information since others have already posted similar news, but I wanted to share the official response I got from HC on the signed Tales book:
"Dear Jeremy - I'm very sorry for the confusion caused about the book. I can confirm it is not a numbered edition - it is simply signed by Alan Lee. Please accept our apologies for any confusion caused - the appropriate Hobbit will be dealt with accordingly.
Best regards
Chris Michaels
Publishing Brand Manager
HarperCollins"
"Dear Jeremy - I'm very sorry for the confusion caused about the book. I can confirm it is not a numbered edition - it is simply signed by Alan Lee. Please accept our apologies for any confusion caused - the appropriate Hobbit will be dealt with accordingly.
Best regards
Chris Michaels
Publishing Brand Manager
HarperCollins"
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