Signed 1st print of Ballantine Hobbit paperback

A collector/bookseller shared this on Twitter, and I thought it would be worth putting here as well. The signature and other text look 100% legitimate to me, but I find it funny that Tolkien would sign a copy of this particular book, given his opinions about the cover art.

Crown Jewel of the paperback collection was #TheHobbit by #JRRTolkien. First printing (Aug 1965) Ballantine Books, gifted to lifelong friends George and Moira Sayer by the professor. First signed paperback of The Hobbit for me. #bangor #maine #gwandsonbooks #tolkien #vintage pic.twitter.com/8Aq1FeJDwF

— Gerald Winters (@GWandSonBooks) September 14, 2019

thanks @GWandSonBooks for letting me share your book here!