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22 Jan, 2009
2009-1-22 10:31:47 AM UTC
>There you'll find UK HoME sets for $136000 and the like.

I'm stunned that you think $11,300 per volume is in some way unreasonable! Such a cheapskate... :)

Stu
22 Jan, 2009
2009-1-22 6:14:24 PM UTC
Ebay can come up trumps as well on mad prices.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/A-TOLKIEN-BESTI ... |65%3A3|39%3A1|240%3A1318

UPDATE

The book was listed at £999 when I posted the link, but has now gone to £9.99
22 Jan, 2009
2009-1-22 6:18:06 PM UTC
I have a couple of sets I'll sell for half that, if anyone is interested.


Seriously, though. There is a definite market for Fine/Near Fine sets of first impressions, with realized prices (as opposed to asking prices) in the multiple hundreds of dollars - falling recently I am sure, but sets seem to go in the $300-$750 range depending on condition and other factors.

Sets can be obtained for a lot less than that, if you are not interested in first impressions. A lot of the books are still available new from wholesale channels. I just did a spot check in Baker and Taylor (big US wholesaler), and they have a copy of each of BoLT I and II on hand for booksellers to order. You should be able to put together a complete set of new or near new for $100-$200 or even less if you are a careful shopper. A complete set of UK paperbacks runs about the same, mostly due to the exchange rate and how expensive paperbacks are over there.

For the, um, discriminating collector (another word occurred to me but this is a G rated site) the holy grail of the US HOME firsts are the Book of Lost Tales I copies that were printed in the UK - the first four thousand sets of sheets were imported. The other sheets were printed in the USA. There are surprisingly few of these in good shape floating around, as it seems that a large number were used as review copies or library copies, just based on anecdotal evidence and copies I have personally seen or handled.
22 Jan, 2009
2009-1-22 6:26:40 PM UTC
Are the US HOME hardback set all still in print?
22 Jan, 2009
2009-1-22 6:26:52 PM UTC
Hey Trotter,

thanks for that eBay link - I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

I loved the apology for the high cost of postage (£2.75) on a book they have listed for £999 and typically sells for perhaps £0.99 if they seller is particularly lucky, and the book has a dustjacket - which this copy sadly does not.
22 Jan, 2009
2009-1-22 6:41:04 PM UTC
Baker and Taylor report:

BOLT I - in print and in hand ("available")
BOLT II - available
Lays - in print, available for back order from the publisher ("back order")
Shaping - available
Lost Road - "Publisher out of stock" (but possible to try and back order)
Return of the Shadow - back order
Treason of Isengard - back order
War of the Ring - back order
Sauron Defeated - available
Jewels - back order
Morgoth - available
Peoples - available


Note for Lost Road, that publisher "out of stock" is different from "permanently out of stock" - this means that a new impression will be issued if/when demand requires it.
22 Jan, 2009
2009-1-22 9:46:07 PM UTC
I thought for sure upon seeing them that the Holy Grail of Tolkien bookdom would for sure be those big giant encyclopedia looking History of Middle-Earth's by Harper Collins.

I would love to get my hands on those but they are like $500 bucks each!

Eric the Red
22 Jan, 2009
2009-1-22 10:11:05 PM UTC
Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of "holy grails" out there in Tolkien collecting - my particular highlight was just of the US first editions of the History of Middle-earth books. UK firsts, various combined books like those you mentioned, etc. all have their own scarcity and desirability curves.

That's the fun in all of this!
30 Jan, 2009
2009-1-30 7:21:14 PM UTC
Eric the Red, here is a copy of The Lost Road (1st, 1st) for $25. Looks like it is in pretty good condition for the price. This volume took me the longest time to secure for a decent price when I was putting my set of American HoMe together.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... EWAX:IT&item=380095534428
31 Jan, 2009
2009-1-31 3:19:35 PM UTC
Thanks a bunch dude!

Eric
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