Heat is a great example that can cause chemical reactions (breakdown of complex organic molecules). The uniform fading of the UT from blue to grey could very well be because that book was stored near a heat source, for example.

Very helpful, thanks Urulókë and LanceFormation ...I may need to move some books around. I have several Sil's and a couple of UT's that I would like to keep from fading.

insurrbution wrote:

Mr. Underhill wrote:

insurrbution wrote:

I don't know much about printing, but wouldn't sun fading be more.....messy?

The edition with the white instead of blue, it looks like it was printed that way, is what I mean.

Certainly wasn't printed that way. All the 1st Edition Unfinished Tales originally had the blue ink on the dust wrapper when printed.

I understand that - I just mean, if one has never seen a non-faded UT or Silmarillion, they wouldn't know that it is faded, ya know? I meant that I thought that fading would be more messy or splotchy, not as even as it is

Ya, there has to be something in the chemical make up of the blue ink here, that is causing it to fade so uniformly that the other colors don't have.

Thank you, that's what I meant. You worded it better than I did.

Sun definitely accelerates the fading. I had mine in light for a few months before I realised and the spine started to lose some blue. This halted once I put it back in the dark. Heat may also be a factor on some copies, but it would have to be over 35 degrees C as my copy got that pretty often in Brisbane and Perth and there was no change. Maybe if it is next to a strong radiant heat source, that causes fading (as well as the obvious UV fading). Being on a shelf in the sun would cause heating through the entire book, potentially. That would explain why we often see fading to half of the front cover closest to the spine.

Certainly, the key is to keep them in dark conditions away from anything extreme.

insurrbution wrote:

I don't know much about printing, but wouldn't sun fading be more.....messy?

The edition with the white instead of blue, it looks like it was printed that way, is what I mean.

I definitely was not.

Mr. Underhill wrote:

Urulókë wrote:

They were all blue when printed.

The blue ink is extremely prone to fading. The UV in sunlight definitely causes it to fade but absolutely, other environmental factors can cause it as well.

We do y'all think if for example, you have your books on a shelf and they're not getting any direct sunlight but say some light on a daily basis from a window where the blinds are shut or sunlight reflecting off another surface and not direct. Would the jackets sustain damage then, albeit less?

Yes, the very mild fading mine got to the spine was in this very scenario. No direct sunlight at all. Fortunately I noticed it very early and changed the storage. Interestingly, the Silmarillion was next to it on the shelf and did not undergo any change whatsoever.

Worth saying that fading to The Inklings also indicates that direct sunlight exposure isn't the only factor in play, as we usually see the dramatic fading on the light exposed areas and then a gradient through the adjoining areas until the unfaded areas. That would definitely indicate localised heating from the sun exposure having an effect.

Hello Everybody! It's been a good start of the year so far...

1) S&G and CoH Super Deluxe edition.

2) A Remembrancer Deluxe edition

3) A L.E.G.O. first printing of the HoME deluxe set. (volume II is Clays, I and III L.E.G.O.).

Now I've got first printings of almost all HC deluxe editions (I'm still missing that elusive LOTR 1st printing...)

Nice !!!

Congratulations Max

Your 1st HoME set was not cheap, am I wrong ?