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By JLangh
Not too shy to talk

Silmarillion Deluxe (2021) 2nd impression

11 Aug, 2021 (edited)
2021-8-11 2:33:48 AM UTC

Hello everyone! Just had a question to clarify for future purchases. I recently bought the new 2021 Deluxe Silmarillion from tolkien.co.uk and received it in the mail today! The book itself is beautiful (if expensive), but will make a fine addition to my shelves either way.

This brings us to my question: i purchased the book based 50/50 on the fact that it was pretty (in my eyes anyway) and the fact that it was a first edition as the description says only 4000 worldwide or something to that nature. The book i received has a small "2" signifying a second impression I'm assuming. This wouldn't normally matter to me other then the fact that the book was rather highly priced and didn't mention anywhere that the second impression was already in publication. Obviously it's the fault of myself for not simply reaching out and asking about it but i assumed it would be a first simply do to it being very recently released in March i believe. Is this common with any other tolkien books for sale on the official website? I'm assuming they sell the books based on the book itself (beauty, type, deluxe, non deluxe etc) and not necessarily based on what printing it is as this only matters to a very tiny amount of people. But just thought it was curious and going forward i wanted to see if this is something i needed to keep and eye on if infact that was a reason for buying a book for myself in the future. I find it incredibly interesting that 4000 copies were already sold in just over 4 months but i digress.

Thanks for any insight!

James
11 Aug, 2021 (edited)
2021-8-11 3:37:12 AM UTC

JLangh wrote:

Hello everyone! Just had a question to clarify for future purchases. I recently bought the new 2021 Deluxe Silmarillion from tolkien.co.uk and received it in the mail today! The book itself is beautiful (if expensive), but will make a fine addition to my shelves either way.

This brings us to my question: i purchased the book based 50/50 on the fact that it was pretty (in my eyes anyway) and the fact that it was a first edition as the description says only 4000 worldwide or something to that nature. The book i received has a small "2" signifying a second impression I'm assuming. This wouldn't normally matter to me other then the fact that the book was rather highly priced and didn't mention anywhere that the second impression was already in publication. Obviously it's the fault of myself for not simply reaching out and asking about it but i assumed it would be a first simply do to it being very recently released in March i believe. Is this common with any other tolkien books for sale on the official website? I'm assuming they sell the books based on the book itself (beauty, type, deluxe, non deluxe etc) and not necessarily based on what printing it is as this only matters to a very tiny amount of people. But just thought it was curious and going forward i wanted to see if this is something i needed to keep and eye on if infact that was a reason for buying a book for myself in the future. I find it incredibly interesting that 4000 copies were already sold in just over 4 months but i digress.

Thanks for any insight!

James

Does the paper insert still say "Limited to a first printing of 4,000 copies worldwide"? If it does, then that would be quite misleading.

With deluxe editions prior to the recent UT (which also has the 4,000 copies first print claim), there hasn't been any claim of limitation or stated print size, so has typically been a case of buy reasonably quickly and you will have one with a "1" in it, delay and it may be a later print.

I would expect seller databases (including tolkien.co.uk) to carry the 4,000 first copies claim forever, despite it no longer being relevant, unfortunately. I really don't like the pretend limitation gimick, partly for this reason.

Edit: Was there a reason you purchased it from tolkien.co.uk? That's a very expensive way of acquiring the title (twice the lowest price you can get it for, basically).
11 Aug, 2021
2021-8-11 4:47:08 AM UTC
I agree these limitation claims are 'misleading' and hopefully after the changes with the LOTR Deluxe edition will no longer appear in this format.

The Silmarillion should have been described as "The first printing is limited to a worldwide run of just 4,000 copies" as it is useful to see the number but not essential.

The only real 'limited' editions are usually numbered editions.
11 Aug, 2021
2021-8-11 6:07:35 AM UTC
Since you have a 2nd impression, can you check if they have corrected the mistake on pages xxiv-xxv in which part of the footnote was repeated in the main text?
11 Aug, 2021
2021-8-11 7:17:29 AM UTC
If they have started selling the second printing they should have informed of this. It shouldnt be too difficult adding something like "The first print of 4000 already sold out"
11 Aug, 2021 (edited)
2021-8-11 7:34:13 AM UTC

northman wrote:

If they have started selling the second printing they should have informed of this. It shouldnt be too difficult adding something like "The first print of 4000 already sold out"

What they should have done is changed the ISBN. That's the ONLY thing that would work across all resellers. They did that even for the signed Perilous Realm Deluxe, which was completely identical save for the signature. The colophon simply listed both ISBNs.
11 Aug, 2021 (edited)
2021-8-11 9:25:45 PM UTC

Stu wrote:

Does the paper insert still say "Limited to a first printing of 4,000 copies worldwide"? If it does, then that would be quite misleading.

With deluxe editions prior to the recent UT (which also has the 4,000 copies first print claim), there hasn't been any claim of limitation or stated print size, so has typically been a case of buy reasonably quickly and you will have one with a "1" in it, delay and it may be a later print.

I would expect seller databases (including tolkien.co.uk) to carry the 4,000 first copies claim forever, despite it no longer being relevant, unfortunately. I really don't like the pretend limitation gimick, partly for this reason.

Edit: Was there a reason you purchased it from tolkien.co.uk? That's a very expensive way of acquiring the title (twice the lowest price you can get it for, basically).

Gotcha, that makes sense. As i said that's something i fault myself for. It would have taken no time at all to message them and ask, i just did not. As for why i ordered from there, i don't have a great answer. I searched a few times on Abe and found multiple that were higher then the official site and figured they were dealers trying to make a quick buck. So i just ordered from the official without looking to much further into it. I've had a few orders recently from Abe that hadn't been shipped very well either so maybe subcontiously i decided against looking harder. That's hard to hear that i could have gotten it for less then half though ?. Oh well, it's pretty haha.

Ecthelion wrote:

Since you have a 2nd impression, can you check if they have corrected the mistake on pages xxiv-xxv in which part of the footnote was repeated in the main text?
After looking over the pages in question i am not seeing the footnote repeated anywhere. The footnote remains on xxiv without repetition in the main text or duplication on xxv.

Trotter Edit: 1st Impression Text and 2nd Impression Text, the mistake has been fixed.

10_6114aae799600.jpg 1054X735 px

10_6114aae799949.jpg 1048X908 px
11 Aug, 2021
2021-8-11 10:29:05 PM UTC

JLangh wrote:

Stu wrote:

Does the paper insert still say "Limited to a first printing of 4,000 copies worldwide"? If it does, then that would be quite misleading.

With deluxe editions prior to the recent UT (which also has the 4,000 copies first print claim), there hasn't been any claim of limitation or stated print size, so has typically been a case of buy reasonably quickly and you will have one with a "1" in it, delay and it may be a later print.

I would expect seller databases (including tolkien.co.uk) to carry the 4,000 first copies claim forever, despite it no longer being relevant, unfortunately. I really don't like the pretend limitation gimick, partly for this reason.

Edit: Was there a reason you purchased it from tolkien.co.uk? That's a very expensive way of acquiring the title (twice the lowest price you can get it for, basically).

Gotcha, that makes sense. As i said that's something i fault myself for. It would have taken no time at all to message them and ask, i just did not. As for why i ordered from there, i don't have a great answer. I searched a few times on Abe and found multiple that were higher then the official site and figured they were dealers trying to make a quick buck. So i just ordered from the official without looking to much further into it. I've had a few orders recently from Abe that hadn't been shipped very well either so maybe subcontiously i decided against looking harder. That's hard to hear that i could have gotten it for less then half though ?. Oh well, it's pretty haha.

Ecthelion wrote:

Since you have a 2nd impression, can you check if they have corrected the mistake on pages xxiv-xxv in which part of the footnote was repeated in the main text?
After looking over the pages in question i am not seeing the footnote repeated anywhere. The footnote remains on xxiv without repetition in the main text or duplication on xxv.

Edit: here's a picture of the pages for you to compare to your own just in case!


Do you have a photo of the paper slip that is included with the book?
11 Aug, 2021
2021-8-11 10:46:58 PM UTC

Stu wrote:

JLangh wrote:

Stu wrote:

Does the paper insert still say "Limited to a first printing of 4,000 copies worldwide"? If it does, then that would be quite misleading.

With deluxe editions prior to the recent UT (which also has the 4,000 copies first print claim), there hasn't been any claim of limitation or stated print size, so has typically been a case of buy reasonably quickly and you will have one with a "1" in it, delay and it may be a later print.

I would expect seller databases (including tolkien.co.uk) to carry the 4,000 first copies claim forever, despite it no longer being relevant, unfortunately. I really don't like the pretend limitation gimick, partly for this reason.

Edit: Was there a reason you purchased it from tolkien.co.uk? That's a very expensive way of acquiring the title (twice the lowest price you can get it for, basically).

Gotcha, that makes sense. As i said that's something i fault myself for. It would have taken no time at all to message them and ask, i just did not. As for why i ordered from there, i don't have a great answer. I searched a few times on Abe and found multiple that were higher then the official site and figured they were dealers trying to make a quick buck. So i just ordered from the official without looking to much further into it. I've had a few orders recently from Abe that hadn't been shipped very well either so maybe subcontiously i decided against looking harder. That's hard to hear that i could have gotten it for less then half though ?. Oh well, it's pretty haha.

Ecthelion wrote:

Since you have a 2nd impression, can you check if they have corrected the mistake on pages xxiv-xxv in which part of the footnote was repeated in the main text?
After looking over the pages in question i am not seeing the footnote repeated anywhere. The footnote remains on xxiv without repetition in the main text or duplication on xxv.

Edit: here's a picture of the pages for you to compare to your own just in case!


Do you have a photo of the paper slip that is included with the book?

By paper slip do you mean receipt i got with the book orders? Or would this sheet be inside the book itself somewhere? If so i only have the two folded maps included. I'll have to dig through my box of receipts i have. Off the top of my head i don't remember specifically a receipt included in the box. Just a box of bubble wrap and the folded box in which the book sat.
11 Aug, 2021
2021-8-11 10:56:47 PM UTC
Did your copy come shrink wrapped? Inside the shrink wrap of the first impressions was the below promo sheet. Did your second impression come with one?

1_611455aa69941.jpeg 480X640 px
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