I got the WM version of this book recently. It's a beautiful book and I'm really enjoying it, first time I've read The Hobbit in full since childhood.
However, a caution to collectors who also like to read their books: despite how careful I was in handling this book over the ~five days I spent reading it, still already some of the gilding has flaked off, mostly on the horizontal decorations on the spine and a bit on the "T" in Hobbit. I don't really mind much, I like my books to look a little "worn in", but can see how this would drive some people nuts, $195 book is "damaged" already after owning it for one week and daring to actually read it.
The horizontal strips are in deep depressions and could be easy enough to touch up with a gilding kit for anyone inclined to do so. The printed text looks like it was possibly applied with a stencil or stamp of some sort, there's no obvious substantial depression, so that may be more difficult. Not sure how easy it is to get the color to match well on something like that, I've never tried it personally.
However, a caution to collectors who also like to read their books: despite how careful I was in handling this book over the ~five days I spent reading it, still already some of the gilding has flaked off, mostly on the horizontal decorations on the spine and a bit on the "T" in Hobbit. I don't really mind much, I like my books to look a little "worn in", but can see how this would drive some people nuts, $195 book is "damaged" already after owning it for one week and daring to actually read it.
The horizontal strips are in deep depressions and could be easy enough to touch up with a gilding kit for anyone inclined to do so. The printed text looks like it was possibly applied with a stencil or stamp of some sort, there's no obvious substantial depression, so that may be more difficult. Not sure how easy it is to get the color to match well on something like that, I've never tried it personally.
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1380