Found a photo of my collection from 10 years ago

That looks amazing. Do you have a pic of your current collection that you can share? :)

Also, I assume that's an early impression of the Harper Collins LOTR deluxe. If I'm not mistaken, later editions do not have that 50th Anniversary Edition text on the spine. Either way, this pic is an ode to the early days when the only deluxe books in the series were TH and LOTR

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings deluxe, were bought in a quaint place called a Book Shop, both on the day of release, so are both 1st printings, before Amazon put paid to all that nonsense, bookshops.

This picture is from January 2007, The Silmarillion deluxe came out later in 2007, so you are right these were the only two deluxe editions, that you could buy at the time.

You can see pictures of my current library on the tolkienlibrary.com website, though this is a few years old.

http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/collecting/collectors/Trotter.htm

Had not known that the 50th Anniversary Edition was removed from the spine of The Lord of the Rings deluxe, does anyone know in which impression this happened, if it did?

Tolkien.co.uk still shows images with the 50th Anniversary Edition on the spine.

http://www.tolkien.co.uk/product/9780 ... 367/The+Lord+of+the+Rings

The 50th Anniv statement was there at least until the 7th Printing. I'd also be curious to know when it was taken off.

Thanks for sharing the picture Trotter! Even then it was a very healthy collection

Your book collection has me in awe Trotter!!! I didn't know that was you on Pieter's site.

About your question re the LOTR deluxe, I don't know which impression onwards they removed that text, or if they did it for just one of the impressions. I saw an image by a seller online but I can't seem to find it anymore. I'll poke around on Google and see if I can re-find it.

Trotter wrote:
Happy days, my Tolkien collection used to fit in one bookcase in 2007

I am surprised how many copies of The Silmarillion I had then compared to other titles.

Am I seeing this correctly!?!? Rebound copies of first ed. first imp. LOTR and the Hobbit amongst your collection!?!?

I'd be more concerned that he has a copy of The Tolkien Bestiary. For shame...

Stu wrote:
I'd be more concerned that he has a copy of The Tolkien Bestiary. For shame...

My parents bought me this copy of "The Tolkien Bestiary" as an Xmas present when it first came out.

I appreciate that today, it was for shame, but I did not know at the time when I was given this, that the book is complete rubbish, but it does have very good illustrations?

Trotter wrote:

Stu wrote:
I'd be more concerned that he has a copy of The Tolkien Bestiary. For shame...

My parents bought me this copy of "The Tolkien Bestiary" as an Xmas present when it first came out.

I appreciate that today, it was for shame, but I did not know at the time when I was given this, that the book is complete rubbish, but it does have very good illustrations?

Yeah, that's exactly how I got my copy (although my original copy had an accident involving the spokes of a BMX). If 99% if copies aren't given as gifts, I'd be surprised. Fortunately I don't get Tolkien gifts any more, so I am safe from receiving further copies of Day's masterwork(s).

I agree that some of the illustrations are actually quite good. And a welcome chnge from the "safe" tedium of Alan Lee, to be honest.

I too like much of the art, and have a copy (at least one, I'd have to look) and don't recommend anyone read the text.

I've solved the "Tolkien book gift" problem with an Amazon wishlist - I got the Flora of Middle-earth for Christmas this year as I was hoping.