He has posted before on this forum, as Mark Faith, he organized a Tolkien festival in Wales last year that you may have read about.

I agree this item is at top end that anyone would pay i.e. not priced for a quick sale (£50 is still a good price for this excellent book)

On a Dutch auction site somebody is selling it with a minimum price of EUR800. You have to pick it up yourself though because it's a very heavy item....

Pictures at marktplaats

From a Tolkein[sic] Specialist

"Ballintine/Houghton Mifflin, Very first printing of the 1968 of the paperback set in response to the illegal Ballintine set. Very good overall, scuffing to all edges but no serious damage. Slipcase art by Pauline Baynes."

Only two minor problems occur to me, the Ballintine set may be illegal (I have never heard of this publisher?), the set on display appear to be the authorised Ballantine printings but did Pauline Baynes do the slipcase for this set? I had always thought it was Barbara Remington.

eBay item 1005466609

My, that was a gentle flaying there, Trotter.

You are correct. Also, the 1968 date is wrong, these came out in 1965.

This isn't all that rare, is it?

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J R R TOLKIEN (preface) VERY RARE BOOK "BEOWULF & THE FINNESBURG FRAGMENT" 1st

280756106567

Seller: ceejy

(698)

Ended Oct 21, 2011

This item ended more than 90 days ago

I think likening it to Songs for the Philologists might be a bit hyperbolic.

"an opportunity for a serious collector of Tolkien to acquire a very rare book"

Another load of nonsense

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ETCHING-TOL ... rints&hash=item43aa6283df

Is this bloke having a laugh?

http://www.ebay.com/sch/alabama_artis ... rksid=p3911.c0.m270.l1311

- he cannot be serious - can he?

Looking at his completed items, these usually list (and sometimes sell [shakes head]) around $30-35 each. Probably a mistake. :)

Shocking news but it appears that Peter Jackson, may have had this book in his library, no firm proof that he read it

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lord-Rings- ... em43aabf0596#ht_500wt_922