Mr. Underhill wrote:

Stu wrote:

I really like the tiny red BCAs. The first Silmarillion I read was one of those.

Nice Stu! But no fold out map? BCA went cheap in '78

Yeah, I didn't have a regular Silmarillion, so I didn't know any better!

Awesome Trotter! And yes it is annoying, I've put in some work in the past to find one's with unfaded spines for what I thought was a good price.

Ordinarily, this is where I would wheel out my "as new" Billings (ignoring the fact that that is about the extent of My Sil collection).

Stu wheel it out!

Mr. Underhill wrote:

Stu wheel it out!

Then I would have to remove it from its dark cave. There is a thread on here somewhere lost in the mists of time with some proper pictures. Can't find it, though.

I'd call those "fine"

Oh, here we go. Found it

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... hp?topic_id=2751&start=10

Stu wrote:

Oh, here we go. Found it

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... hp?topic_id=2751&start=10

So, if I followed the thread correctly, you were able to get that one new, just many years after the publication? That's so cool Stu

Mr. Underhill wrote:

Stu wrote:

Oh, here we go. Found it

https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... hp?topic_id=2751&start=10

So, if I followed the thread correctly, you were able to get that one new, just many years after the publication? That's so cool Stu

Yeah, I bought it circa 2002, I think (from a box of new GA&U stock).

I really like the looks of the A&U hardbacks from the '70s - until HarperCollins took over. If they're all on a shelf, they blend in with one another really well: the first edition Silmarillion really goes with the Lord of the Rings hardbacks (from 1973), as well as the first edition of Unfinished Tales, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, and others such as Letters.

I know there's some here who don't care for matching editions, though, to me, all titles part of a design style look like....well, a collection.

That said, there have been some nice 'unique editions' throughout the years (ie: Michael Hague's & Jemima Catlin's Hobbit as well as certain editions of LotR, like the hardbacks from 1987 that feature Tolkien's artwork on the covers of the dustjackets. Nice set, though no other titles blend in with that particular style, in terms of design)