For those interested in the first edition, first print of Tolkien Farmer Giles of Ham. Might look this ebay auction. It is a ex-library, but perhaps could be interested to someone here:

eBay Item #111569398324

A very good Deluxe edition of LOTR.

Have not seen one with no numbering on one of the books, a mistake that happened during the signing by Alan Lee.

I suspect Alan was meant to number them as he signed, and missed this one

eBay Item #181647055851

3 non-matching volume numbers makes me suspect this was a reject set that probably wasn't supposed to be sold - someone at HC or the binders doing a relocation job....

Nice to see a copy of eBay item bn_21165438 in the jacket.

Trotter wrote:
A very good Deluxe edition of LOTR.

Have not seen one with no numbering on one of the books, a mistake that happened during the signing by Alan Lee.

I suspect Alan was meant to number them as he signed, and missed this one

eBay Item #181647055851

This is the set that sold for 230-pounds ish a few weeks back that also had **Dustwrappers** at that point. I bid on this set, but missed out (the condition isn't great, so I didn't personally want to go over 225). I suspect it was a reject set, and it is a shame the dust-wrappers have now been separated from it, as I suspect they were original for this specific set.

Last time sold (December 2014):
https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/auctions/121519979780
https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... t_id=14471#forumpost14471

Stu
If you really want the wrappers I know a man who can although they were added later I think

laurel wrote:
Stu
If you really want the wrappers I know a man who can although they were added later I think

Nah, I already have two sets of the regular Hardback -- which is one more set than I need, Nice wrappers, nonetheless! :) . I can't see those jackets being added later (post leaving wherever they originated). They appeared to be in perfect condition without rubbing to the spine, and it seems improbable someone would have taken some pristine wrappers off some presumably pristine books to put them on a set that wouldn't normally have wrappers.

It seems far more likely they came out of the printers/binders/publisher that way (IMHO). For me, as a mismatched "oddity" set, they seem to be an original part of the oddity. I would guess they were put on to limit further rubbing of the spines -- which would tie in with them perhaps being returns.

I could, of course, be wrong.

I guess this is where that copy of UT originated (35 pounds) :) Amazed I missed that - but not really been looking recently. It is the funny thing about eBay, though. So much of it is just whether anybody happens to notice the item on the week of the auction. Same when I got my copy, just no one else really paying attention at the time.

eBay Item #311261698086

It was a Buy-it-now though, Stu; listing was up for less than an hour (a Monday afternoon)!

BH