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Signed 1st ed. Hobbit?

Subject: Signed 1st ed. Hobbit?
by garm on 2008/11/23 9:57:00

A signed 1st edition Hobbit? look here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Hobbit-Firs ... 65%3A10|39%3A1|240%3A1308

some quotes -

1 - The signature has been penned onto chariot watermark paper from the Miramar Hotel in Bournemouth where Tolkien regularly stayed with his wife. Whilst Tolkien didn't sign many books he was reknowned as a hoarder of paper, it is obvious he was practicing his signature on this scrap which originally contained two signatures on the same piece of paper

2 - I've checked out the following list of errors cited by Wayne Hammond (Tolkien bibliographer) and all are present just to verify that this book has not been tampered with.

3 - This book is an absolute classic and with a reported 240 printed copies only out of the original 1500 produced surviving,

1 - I'm a bit suspicious of this; Tolkien praticing his signature?

2 - how (and why) would anyone tamper with the book? Seems an odd thing to say.

3 - where does the idea come from that there are only 'a reported 240 printed copies only out of the original 1500 produced surviving'? Reported by whom, and to where?