Great work The late Stu
Did you do a high res scan to re-produce the cover art on the case?

Mr. Underhill wrote:

Great work The late Stu
Did you do a high res scan to re-produce the cover art on the case?

Yeah. I scanned from H&S's The Art of The Hobbit and then extended upwards and downwards a bit by cloning some of the existing pencil-colouring for the extra CM or so needed to fold under and over without chopping the top off Smaug or losing the handwriting at the bottom.

As is well-known by anyone who knows me, I really only collect on the cheap end of the collecting spectrum, so - given English Language Tolkien has become absurdly poor value (IMHO) - I've been enjoying looking further afield. I received this 1st impression Japanese Hobbit (Published/Printed 1965) yesterday. It isn't perfect, but at USD 50, I think it represents good value collecting. The illustrations make any impression of this edition worth it. These first impressions can be distinguished by non-Japanese readers like myself by the 700 Yen price marking on the lower right of the back of the slipcase. This (http://hobbit.ddo.jp/tolkien/versions.html) resource is quite informative. Like many (but not all) Japanese books, the back-cover is in fact the front as it is read right to left.

This copy has a slight back-story as it was ordered in 1968 by a Dainis Bisenieks, who appears to have spent a little time writing articles in the SF/Fantasy fanzine space during the 60s and 70s. I found a few entries with a brief look:

https://cdm16280.contentdm.oclc.org/di ... p16280coll10/id/399/rec/4
https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol3/iss2/5/
https://dc.swosu.edu/tolkien_journal/vol5/iss1/3/

Edit: Also just found a small bookmark between a couple of the centre pages. Seems to bear the price of 700 Yen.

The late Stu wrote:

As is well-known by anyone who knows me, I really only collect on the cheap end of the collecting spectrum, so - given English Language Tolkien has become absurdly poor value (IMHO) - I've been enjoying looking further afield. I received this 1st impression Japanese Hobbit (Published/Printed 1965) yesterday. It isn't perfect, but at USD 50, I think it represents good value collecting. The illustrations make any impression of this edition worth it. These first impressions can be distinguished by non-Japanese readers like myself by the 700 Yen price marking on the lower right of the back of the slipcase. This (http://hobbit.ddo.jp/tolkien/versions.html) resource is quite informative. Like many (but not all) Japanese books, the back-cover is in fact the front as it is read right to left.

This copy has a slight back-story as it was ordered in 1968 by a Dainis Bisenieks, who appears to have spent a little time writing articles in the SF/Fantasy fanzine space during the 60s and 70s. I found a few entries with a brief look:

https://cdm16280.contentdm.oclc.org/di ... p16280coll10/id/399/rec/4
https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol3/iss2/5/
https://dc.swosu.edu/tolkien_journal/vol5/iss1/3/

I found this image, (c) The Tolkien Society, of an interested reader 😍

Trotter wrote:

The late Stu wrote:

As is well-known by anyone who knows me, I really only collect on the cheap end of the collecting spectrum, so - given English Language Tolkien has become absurdly poor value (IMHO) - I've been enjoying looking further afield. I received this 1st impression Japanese Hobbit (Published/Printed 1965) yesterday. It isn't perfect, but at USD 50, I think it represents good value collecting. The illustrations make any impression of this edition worth it. These first impressions can be distinguished by non-Japanese readers like myself by the 700 Yen price marking on the lower right of the back of the slipcase. This (http://hobbit.ddo.jp/tolkien/versions.html) resource is quite informative. Like many (but not all) Japanese books, the back-cover is in fact the front as it is read right to left.

This copy has a slight back-story as it was ordered in 1968 by a Dainis Bisenieks, who appears to have spent a little time writing articles in the SF/Fantasy fanzine space during the 60s and 70s. I found a few entries with a brief look:

https://cdm16280.contentdm.oclc.org/di ... p16280coll10/id/399/rec/4
https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol3/iss2/5/
https://dc.swosu.edu/tolkien_journal/vol5/iss1/3/

I found this image, (c) The Tolkien Society, of an interested reader 😍

Nice. I know Sotheby's sold a copy (a few years back) that he had signed and dedicated.

Thank you Stu for sharing, it was a wonderful read and great and interesting information for Tolkien collectors. I agree with you, prices have skyrocketed in recent years and english Tolkien collecting is now a very expensive hobby to have. I wonder how long will that continue to be the case.

The late Stu wrote:

This copy has a slight back-story as it was ordered in 1968 by a Dainis Bisenieks, who appears to have spent a little time writing articles in the SF/Fantasy fanzine space during the 60s and 70s. I found a few entries with a brief look:

https://cdm16280.contentdm.oclc.org/di ... p16280coll10/id/399/rec/4
https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol3/iss2/5/
https://dc.swosu.edu/tolkien_journal/vol5/iss1/3/

I've read a little of what Bisenieks wrote, and came across one article with a very interesting title - a 1974 piece in The Christian Century, entitled "Tales from the 'Perilous Realm': Good news for the Modern Child", which is partly about Tolkien. I'd separately seen a reference (in the Tolkien Collectors FB group) to how Brian Sibley had said he coined the name "Tales from the Perilous Realm" for his radio adaptation in the 1990s.

Lokki wrote:

Thank you Stu for sharing, it was a wonderful read and great and interesting information for Tolkien collectors. I agree with you, prices have skyrocketed in recent years and english Tolkien collecting is now a very expensive hobby to have. I wonder how long will that continue to be the case.

There was a thread on Reddit recently where someone wrote (it almost sounded casually) that they were looking for a 1st/1st LotR set not only for the joy of having it, but for and I quote:

Quantifying the value of later impressions as an investment seems less efficient given the relative lack of scarcity. Naturally it will be less efficient and may not outpace inflation (or if so not by much), but again, a meaningful piece of history for me, much like a piece of fine art.

This kind of thinking is what is driving up prices. Here is the thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienbooks/ ... t_impression_price_check/

Predictable Matt wrote:

I've read a little of what Bisenieks wrote, and came across one article with a very interesting title - a 1974 piece in The Christian Century, entitled "Tales from the 'Perilous Realm': Good news for the Modern Child", which is partly about Tolkien. I'd separately seen a reference (in the Tolkien Collectors FB group) to how Brian Sibley had said he coined the name "Tales from the Perilous Realm" for his radio adaptation in the 1990s.

Thanks for sharing that bit of info - very interesting!

Njen wrote:

Lokki wrote:

Thank you Stu for sharing, it was a wonderful read and great and interesting information for Tolkien collectors. I agree with you, prices have skyrocketed in recent years and english Tolkien collecting is now a very expensive hobby to have. I wonder how long will that continue to be the case.

There was a thread on Reddit recently where someone wrote (it almost sounded casually) that they were looking for a 1st/1st LotR set not only for the joy of having it, but for and I quote:

Quantifying the value of later impressions as an investment seems less efficient given the relative lack of scarcity. Naturally it will be less efficient and may not outpace inflation (or if so not by much), but again, a meaningful piece of history for me, much like a piece of fine art.

This kind of thinking is what is driving up prices. Here is the thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienbooks/ ... t_impression_price_check/

I found that short thread - which I participated in - a little sad.