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14 Apr, 2010
2010-4-14 6:24:24 AM UTC
Hello Mr Burns
Maybe ebay worth a look. You could easily pick up books 1-8 very reasonable if not first impressions and in good condition if you shop around and be patient. Even 2-8 firsts regularly go for less than £40 subject to condition. Books 9-12 are a little more tricky but maybe with some nice hot tea in you it will ease the purse strings! :.) i spent the last 3 years building up my set and still would like to change 1 or 2 - guess thats the fun of it.
Maybe HC will have a sale if future !
16 Apr, 2010
2010-4-16 8:51:38 PM UTC
On tolkien.co.uk all I keep getting is Commerce Server Error when trying to buy the new HoME Index...

BH
16 Apr, 2010
2010-4-16 9:11:56 PM UTC
Hi laurel

Thanks for the advice. As you suggest, shopping around for early impressions via various sources is the option I've chosen. I imagine this will take several years, but it will be more fun that way (the hunt) and at least it won't be a single large sum coming out of my pocket at once.

For the record, here's the reply I received from HC when asking what discount was offered on the complete set:

---

Dear Mr Burns

Thank you for your recent e-mail to Harper Collins regarding the Tolkien print on demand series.

We are happy to offer you a 10% discount when ordering the whole series of 13 titles. The total of the order would therefore be £468.00 plus free delivery to UK.

As these are print on demand titles these books get made on a customers request, therefore the delivery time is roughly 28 working days.

Can you please advise if you wish to order these titles.

Kind regards
Michelle

---

Needless to say, I thanked Michelle but chose not to order at this time. Perhaps I'll order the hardback Index one day, but I think looking for copies already out there is a better way forward.

Anyone have favourite haunts for seeking out the HoME series? My plan was going to involve lots of Google, Amazon, Ebay and garage/yard/car boot sales. I'd be surprised to find something of this calibur in a bargain book shop.
17 Apr, 2010
2010-4-17 6:36:33 AM UTC
£468 - a bargain - mmmm
Oxfam sometimes have some odd copies for sale at reasonable prices but i think you will find ebay best bet. There is a nice set 1-9 i think up at moment - not sure what reserve is but certainly cheaper thans £468.

I too was having problems buying the index on Friday - gave up will try again later /tomorrow.
19 Apr, 2010
2010-4-19 5:13:39 AM UTC
Khamul wrote

On tolkien.co.uk all I keep getting is Commerce Server Error when trying to buy the new HoME Index... BH

I bought the book this morning through the site so it seems to have been fixed, 28 days for delivery, be interesting to see what it is like.

I also cancelled my Amazon order for the HoME Index.
19 Apr, 2010
2010-4-19 9:01:17 AM UTC
>Anyone have favourite haunts for seeking out the HoME series? My plan was going to involve lots of Google, Amazon, Ebay and garage/yard/car boot sales. I'd be surprised to find something of this calibur in a bargain book shop.


I have a few imperfect copies of some of the volumes kicking around that I have no need for (as I have two full sets of 1/1s that are my "keepers"). I am far too lazy to sell them via eBay (I have never sold a book, I just chuck 'em into boxes when I get better copies). Not 100% sure which ones I have, but I'm pretty sure I have fairly reasonable 1/1s of Lays of Beleriand, War of the Ring [some foxing, particularly to inside of DJ], Treason of Isengard [PO signature to board], BoLT2 [PO Signature, I think]. Plus I think I have near fine copies of 1/2's of BoLT2 and BoLT1. If you are interested in any, let me know and I'll dig them out and take some snaps for you. Above descriptions are purely from memory, and I haven't looked at them for a long while....


Stu
19 Apr, 2010
2010-4-19 11:44:58 AM UTC
(Mr Burns) Here is a link to a previous post on TCG, regarding HoME format & prices, that may be helpful...

History of Middle-earth (TCG Feb. 2008)

That was all a couple of years ago now, so here is a price update from eBay sales only (that I've monitored)...

Actually, before I go into individual prices of each volume; eBay seller fivegoodbooks has some great auctions, with books conservatively graded at VG+ to F (they always look F tho'). At the tail end of 2008 and July 2009 they listed (individually) all 12 volumes. I think they are a great barometer of eBay 'thinking' on prices; & they are reliably graded --unlike many other auctions.

[Note: all discussion is of books in 1st impression status, unless otherwise noted. All books were graded VG or better, unless noted.]

2008 Auction Prices:

BoLTs 1 £66 (UNpriced)
BoLTs 2 £72 (UNpriced)
Lays £69 (priced)
Shaping £87 (UNpriced, no sticker)
LR £73 (priced)
Return £59 (priced)
Treason £77 (UNpriced)
WR £82 (priced)
Sauron £83 (UNpriced)
MR £185 (UNpriced)
WotJ £276 (UNpriced)
Peoples £500 (UNpriced) [Total £1630]

2009 Auction Prices:

BoLTs 1 £72 (priced, with sticker)
BoLTs 2 £41 (priced, with sticker)
Lays £45 (priced)
Shaping £107 (priced, with sticker)
LR £63 (priced)
Return £77 (priced)
Treason £38 (priced)
WR £38 (priced)
Sauron £69 (priced)
MR £180 (priced)
WotJ £192 (priced)
Peoples £302 (priced) [Total £1224]


All of these prices are at the top of the eBay price range I would say. But, as I said, people do pay for peace of mind in terms of auction & seller reliability; as well as the condition of the books themselves.

More generally, prices for each individual volume through 2009, and into (very early; I haven't been keeping my note book up lately!) 2010 are as follows..

BoLTs 1:
72 (Dom)
44 (Exp?)
48 (Exp?)
(2010)
39 (Exp)

BoLTs 2:
58 (Sticker residue)
37 (Exp?)
16 (Ex-lib)
41 (Dom)
22 (Exp)
28 (Exp?)
34 (Sticker)
22 (Missing endpaper)
34 (Exp?)

Lays:
42 (Price-clipped)
20 (Exp?)
45 (Dom)
31 (Dom)
30 (Price-clipped)
57 (Dom)
(2010)
31 (Dom)
36 (Dom)

Shaping:
29 (Exp?)
107 (Printed price)
50 (Sticker)
(2010)
27 (Sticker, DJ only 'G++')
36 (Price-clipped)

LR:
20 (Price-clipped)
63 (Dom)
30 (Exp?)
35 (BCA)
50 (Exp?)
(2010)
50 (Dom)
36 (Dom)
82 (Dom)

Return:
13 (Ex-lib, Exp?)
77 (Dom)
(2010)
59
(Dom)

Treason:
43 (Exp)
15 (Exp?)
26 (Exp)
16 (Exp?)
38 (Dom)
37 (Exp?)
15 (Exp)
8 (Exp?)
25 (Exp)
27 (Exp)
10 (Exp)
17 (Exp?)
16 (Exp?)
(2010)
29 (Exp)
25 (Price-clipped)

WR:
27 (Exp?)
31 (Exp?)
38 (Dom)
37 (Exp?)
22 (Exp?)
33 (Dom)
21 (Dom)
31 (Dom)
(2010)
40 (Exp?)
21 (Dom)
27 (Dom)
66 (Dom)
31 (Price-clipped)

Sauron:
46 (Exp)
31 (Exp?)
36 (Exp?)
100 (Exp?)
14 (Exp?)
80 (Exp?)
69 (Dom)
37 (Exp?)
30 (Exp?)
25 (Exp?)
45 (Exp?)
46 (Exp?)
33 (Exp?)
35 (Ex-lib, Exp?)
(2010)
30 (Exp, Badly sunned spine)
33 (Exp)

MR:
67 (Imp?)
103 (Price-clipped, 2nd imp.)
53 (Dom)
123 (Dom)
129 (Exp)
180 (Dom)
100 (Exp?)
91 (Price-clipped, 2nd imp.)
86 (Dom)
100 (Exp)
100 (Dom)
(2010)
90 (Exp)
91 (Exp)
49 (Dom, 2nd imp.)
104 (Exp?)
112 (Dom)

WotJ:
176 (Dom)
190 (Exp)
177 (Dom)
192 (Dom)
175 (Exp)
165 (Dom)
166 (Exp?)
(2010)
117 (Exp)

Peoples:
377 (Exp)
161 (Dom)
256 (Dom)
362 (Exp)
250 (Exp)
250 (Exp)
302 (Dom)

Clearly there are some huge inconsistencies, not only in the note taking of one person, but also in the quality of information given in auctions for potential buyers to go on.

The last three in the series and Treason remain reasonably consistent. The last three books (Morgoth's Ring, War of the Jewels, and Peoples of Middle-earth) principally because auctions for these books don't go unnoticed. Copies of Treason just seems to be plentiful.

The early books are probably the most difficult to find in the condition the collector wants; there are lots of variables here: reprints, BCA copies, stickered, un-stickered, & books in a wide range of conditions.

I still think you should put aside around £50 for each of the BoLTs volumes. You don't really need to pay more, and you may get for less.

Lays you should get for slightly less: perhaps £20 to £40.

Shaping
is difficult (like BoLTs) to get in the condition your after. You might get lucky and get a nice copy for under £50.

LR probably in the Lays range: £20 to £40.

Return seems to be quite uncommon. I suppose, again, you'd aim for getting a copy for under £50.

Treason: shop around! There are many copies out there, I'd aim (if I was buying now) to get a copy for no more than £20.

WR has definitely decreased the most over the years since I've watched prices. I bought my copy for ~ £60. But now you'd aim for picking up a copy for less the £30 I'd say.

Sauron has come down too, but not as much. Again, aim for under £50.

Now for the more expensive volumes...

MR has seen some low prices. If you can get a copy for under £100, in top condition I'd say that is good. But you don't really want, or need, to go any higher than double figures I don't think.

WotJ is still selling quite high. I have never seen any decent copies go for under £100. Aim for getting a copy for under £150 I'd say.

Peoples! I really don't know. It's not a book I have. Prices have remained stubbornly high. ADCBooks sold a copy in 2007 for £830; which is an incredible price. However normally prices have stayed around the £200 to £300 mark. Very few copies go for under £200; I think I noted one copy. In the £300's is not unusual.

As for where to buy? If you can find Tolkien books in the flesh anywhere for cheaper than eBay I'd be surprised. Car boot sales is not something I've been to; I suppose there must be bargains out there somewhere.

Well, I hope this awfully long post is of use to anyone who cares to read it...

BH
19 Apr, 2010
2010-4-19 3:24:31 PM UTC
Incidentally, if anyone else has had problems with buying on tolkien.co.uk (altho' nobody posting seems to have been...) just phone them up; number given in top right hand corner. They're very helpful & will take your order manually over the phone.

BH
19 Apr, 2010
2010-4-19 3:52:57 PM UTC
For Khamul....


very useful post on price history, thanks so much! There's a definite article in there to post over in "news" - do you have additional information you want to add? Have an image or two to spruce it up? Just email me whatever you want and I will scrub it up.
19 Apr, 2010
2010-4-19 5:44:20 PM UTC
Eh, clearly you think I haven't got anything better to be doing on my day off!?

Nah, afraid that's all your getting. I don't think, other than a few cover images, it really requires any images. So you'll have to spruce it up yourself Jeremy *chuckle*

But please, be my guest, scrub away...

BH
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