Welcome, Glorfindel. I just sent you a PM.

Hello, all. I just wanted to post a link to an auction I have going. It is a 1963 A&U set of the Lord of the Rings. The books themselves are in near fine condition with maps and everything in great shape. Dark red boards and topstain. The only flaw is a gift inscription to the front free endpage of the Fellowship. Jackets are well in tact, but unfortunately were "protected" at some point by a plastic film, which is not removable (similar to laminate). However, the jackets have served their purpose over the years and the books are immaculate. A nice first edition set that will probably sell for a bargain. Thanks for looking!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Nienor was said to have fled "swifter than a deer, and tore off all her clothing as she ran." It's now quite obvious from this (most authentic) piece of art, that Tolkien really meant that she rode on the back of a swift deer and tore off her clothing as it ran (alongside her dog).

I don't understand how Christopher could have missed this during his edit of the Silmarillion. Sheesh.

Anyone desperate to complete their set of The Silmarillion audiobooks? Here's Volume II, and what a bargain!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Silmarillion-Vol- ... m4cf7c8bfca#ht_3095wt_905

Hey, at least it's free shipping!

This is a little different "Wonder" of eBay, as it is simply me marveling at the current landscape of the eBay Tolkien collecting market. I was just taking a quick look (from the U.S., with search setting set to "Worldwide."), and the sheer volume of Peter Jackson movie related paraphernalia is simply astounding. So, using a few very obvious search terms, I determined what proportion of all items found were (at least) listed as books.

Tolkien - 88%
Hobbit - 55%
Lord of the Rings - 9%
Silmarillion - 97%

Only 9% of all items retrieved with 'LotR' turned out to be books. There are over 41,000 items that show up for 'LotR,' with only 8300 for 'Tolkien,' and 3100 for 'Hobbit.' I "wonder" how many 'Hobbit' items there will be, in about two years or so. I know I will probably end up watching these new movies, but there is a large part of me that wants to boycott. Oh well, at least we still have the Silmarillion for our imaginations.