Beren wrote: Now the seller had a simple request for all of us... he was wondering why we over here can discuss the signature, but no-one ever contacted him about it.

- well, the auction finished on Dec. 2nd, that is, the same day as the first post in this thread. We can't be that quick, can we? >g<

I've had the same response from sellers; usually no reply; sometimes 'oh, thanks' but no real change.

This has been the case for years and years, even going back to early first editions of LotR (where the FotR was a different height than the other two),

- ah, those were the days! I guess you're talking about the Allen & Unwin FotRs? This problem is not all that common; I know of only two examples. These are the 1st ed. 2nd imp. of Dec. 1954; and the 1st ed. 7th imp. of October 1957. The 1/2 was printed by Jarrolds, as usual; but the 1/7 was printed by Purnell and Son of Paulton (Somerset) and London.

- there's another copy for sale here -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tolkien-Childre ... |65%3A3|39%3A1|240%3A1318

- this one does look right (though it's reproduced smaller). the lines are generally better; and the left eye in particular looks like it's done by a professional artist; unlike the first example.

Also - the drawings are the same! I don't know if Lee did all his 'elf' drawings the same; but I seem to remember a bit more variety when I've seen him doing it!

Here's a link to a book for sale on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Children-of ... |65%3A3|39%3A1|240%3A1318

- is anyone else unhappy with the drawing (and the signature?) I've seen actual drawings of this kind by Le (indeed, I've seen him doing them) and this one looks wrong.

Check the vendor's other items - there is (or was) an iffy Silmarillion - he'd said it could have been one for Tolkien's approval until he was told that JRR died in 73.

Possibly iffy Lee drawings... Something to watch, perhaps?

It reads:

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; 25th Anniversary edition edition (1 Oct 2008)

- but The _Father Christmas Letters_ was first published in 1976; not 1983, so I'm at a loss, too.