A nice blog on collecting Tolkien books

Very impressive, so far! I wish you well with it. It's not something I'd do myself (there weren't no such things as blogs when I started collecting), and I couldn't catch up with my collection now - too big!

But, if this is meant to be a discussion thread, I do have a thought or two about the assertion that the UK 50th anniversary edition is widely regarded as the most luxurious edition. I can't help wondering where this notion comes from. Speaking as one who has copies of all the de luxe editions so far, I think the paper and foil covers of this edition will probably not last as long nor as well as the cloth and leather of its predecessors, nor the buckram of the 1969 original.

If it comes down to personal preference, this is my favourite, not least because it was seen by Tolkien himself; he called it 'the Bible edition'* because it was printed on Oxford India paper, which makes a very elegant edition, plus it has full sized maps! I can forgive the odd typo and the lack of the Pages of Mazarbul for those lovely thin pages, and those gorgeous maps!



*according to his grand-daughter Joanna Tolkien - see her 1995 after-dinner speech in the booklet 'Digging Potatoes, Growing Trees - 25 years of After-Dinner Speeches at the Tolkien Society's Annual Dinners' Vol.2, ed. Helen Armstrong, 1998.

bruffyboy wrote on his blog. What you won't read in the blurb, but can't help but feel, is that there are surely STILL a whole bunch of errors in this release, but it's nice to know you have the most definitive edition on the market.

Wayne & Christina have a website containing Addenda and Corrigenda to Our Writings including the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Lord of the Rings detailing changes to this edition, some of which were corrected in the 2005 printings.

http://mysite.verizon.net/wghammond/addenda/rings.html

Thanks to both of you! Indeed, I've never quite understood the assertion that this is the most luxurious edition, but have read it numerous times and felt it was worth mentioning.

Trotter, I will add that information to the blog- thanks for that.

I will follow your blog.

Thanks Ardamir!

Aye, I've had a look. Few initial thoughts...

I think collecting generally is of interest on its own. While, as you said, there aren't a great deal of sites/blogs with nice photo's, there equally aren't many sites detailing the motivation behind collecting --in this case Tolkien.

I think you could become quite bogged down on the detail of particular editions you've purchased, rather than focusing on (perhaps) why you bought a particular book, and (I think often under-discussed, but central to all acquisitions) the economics behind the purchase.

With straight facts it's inevitable that people will read and simply find fault with the 'facts' you detail; noticing errors and spurious claims. You might be better focusing more on your own opinion, rather than quoting the opinion of others. Also, once it has been up & running a while, it will be quite interesting to see how your own personal collecting has grown (not necessarily the collection itself); how your opinion of things has changed; how your collecting methods have been modified etc.

Also, if you do quote, people might want to see references. And, another idea, you could open another thread here (suitably titled) and update the forum of new entries on your blog; in the same way Parmastahir does with his long-running Tolkien Calendar Collecting thread in the Calendar section of the forum. (Have a look.)

I'll be reading it...

BH

Lots to think on there Brian, and you are right; I am a small fish in a big pond when it comes to Tolkien book knowledge, and the blog will never be a winner in terms of 'let me tell you all there is to know about this book'. However, a nice mix of everything will suit my own needs.

The Children of Hurin: Super Deluxe Edition - 2007

http://collectingtolkien.blogspot.com ... super-deluxe-edition.html

bruffyboy

As regards your views on future prices, I notice that you have just purchased copy 379 of 500, so you can calculate the current sales rate is on average 108 copies per year (based on nearly 3.5 years to get to 379).

If you take into account that a lot of collectors bought two copies in 2007 as an investment, I would guess HarperCollins currently sell less than half the average rate (108) per year, probably about forty copies.

At that rate HarperCollins would sell out of copies in 4 years time, or they may remainder them.

Anyway, it's my thought that this book will be worth at least £700 in five or ten years time, at which point I will make my own decision on whether to keep it or not!

I'd say more like twenty to thirty years for that price.

Trotter wrote:


At that rate HarperCollins would sell out of copies in 4 years time, or they may remainder them..

As I explain in the blog, I based the sales figures on what has gone in the last six months- someone (possibly on this forum) posted that they had bought number 260 in Jan this year, so the sales figures of around 200 a year at the moment (outside of the early rush from collectors) seems right to me. Obviously it is all guess work, but somewhere around there seems right.

Out of interest Trotter, what do you guess will be the value of the book when Harper Collins has sold out? If this does happen in a year or so, surely the value will go up a little then? Obviously I am new to all this and know you are very knowledgable, so I am keen to know your thoughts.

If value is linked to low print numbers (as the last couple of editions on the HOME series and their current value suggest), then this is a winner with a print run of 500. If value is linked to signatures, then this is as good as it is now possible to get, with good old JRR now gone. If value is based on the actual product quality, then this is pretty much THe best in that field. Surely the only thing holding this back from massive profit in the future is the fact that it is not LOTR or the Hobbit?

Andrew