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20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 7:56:10 PM UTC

Ligandil wrote:

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The Children of Hurin
J.R.R. Tolkien
30985431481
(Hardcover)
$632.47
Availability: Not Available


The same seller had a copy still shrinkwrapped, but it's gone.

Why do sellers of bookplated CoH copies always seem to shake the camera when taking the photo. Makes me very suspicious, given the number of fakes floating around at the time. I'm especially suspicious of bookplated deluxe editions, given that we know most of the plates went into trade editions.
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:00:02 PM UTC
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Seller: cranswick-books
(811)
Ended Aug 21, 2021
This item ended more than 90 days ago



Here's one for the deep pocketed amongst us.
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:01:32 PM UTC
The plate is on a different page to mine, which would not normally be suspicious but HC and Waterstones staff stuck the plates into the books and they put them in the same place in each book.

I don't think this copy was from the opening at Waterstones in London.
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:12:49 PM UTC

Trotter wrote:

The plate is on a different page to mine, which would not normally be suspicious but HC and Waterstones staff stuck the plates into the books and they put them in the same place in each book.

I don't think this copy was from the opening at Waterstones in London.

Interesting, perhaps it is a reprint then?
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:18:43 PM UTC

Mr. Underhill wrote:

Trotter wrote:

The plate is on a different page to mine, which would not normally be suspicious but HC and Waterstones staff stuck the plates into the books and they put them in the same place in each book.

I don't think this copy was from the opening at Waterstones in London.

Interesting, perhaps it is a reprint then?

I think there were some loose plates around at the time. But I look at this sellers terms of sale and note that it is direct bank payment, so if it turned out to be fake, you aren't getting anything back from AbeBooks. That and the shaky-cam on the one key photo - plus with it being the same seller as the (obviously) fake BCA signed Silmarillion, and I wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole.
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:23:22 PM UTC

Mr. Underhill wrote:

Trotter wrote:

The plate is on a different page to mine, which would not normally be suspicious but HC and Waterstones staff stuck the plates into the books and they put them in the same place in each book.

I don't think this copy was from the opening at Waterstones in London.

Interesting, perhaps it is a reprint then?

I would call a reprint book-plate in this edition a fake.
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:23:51 PM UTC

Stu wrote:

Mr. Underhill wrote:

Trotter wrote:

The plate is on a different page to mine, which would not normally be suspicious but HC and Waterstones staff stuck the plates into the books and they put them in the same place in each book.

I don't think this copy was from the opening at Waterstones in London.

Interesting, perhaps it is a reprint then?

I think there were some loose plates around at the time. But I look at this sellers terms of sale and note that it is direct bank payment, so if it turned out to be fake, you aren't getting anything back from AbeBooks. That and the shaky-cam on the one key photo - plus with it being the same seller as the (obviously) fake BCA signed Silmarillion, and I wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole.

That's definitely suspect.
But the same seller also sold 2 CoH super deluxe, and listed a Sigurd SD as well, and a trade 1st Sigurd and Gudrun remarqued and signed by Bill Sanderson and other trade 1st edition of CoH also bookplated with CT and AL signatures...
This is strange that some suspect and fake signed copies stand alongside other real ones...

https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/9724 ... 6sts%3Dt%26vci%3D58699418

At least this trade 1st CoH seems right, with the bookplate at the right place (although not signed by Alan Lee on the bookplate but I think it happened that AL just signed some copies on the title page instead of signing on the bookplate.)

This site uses affiliate links for which we may be compensated
The Children Of Hurin
J.R.R. Tolkien
30984363324
(Hardcover)
£528.23
Availability: Not Available
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:27:15 PM UTC

Stu wrote:

I think there were some loose plates around at the time.

The plates were on a roll that had been sent to Christopher to be signed. Not all the plates on the roll were used as some were sent to the US for HMH copies and some were kept by HC for competitions, but as far as I am aware the only Deluxe editions to have the plates were from the Waterstones event and in this case the plate is on the wrong page.
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:34:10 PM UTC
You can always pay for Abebooks listings with a credit card through the website - the other ways to pay are optional and outside of the control of Abebooks. Should one buy through the website, you will have the standard protection from Abebooks for your purchase.

My feeling here is that this seller is/was a Tolkien collector, or else acquired a collection from one. Their knowledge for what they have appears to be limited, but they have been on Abebooks for six years and have a five start rating, so I don't think they are a scam, just more likely they cannot tell what they have in hand.
20 Aug, 2021
2021-8-20 8:36:24 PM UTC

Trotter wrote:

Stu wrote:

I think there were some loose plates around at the time.

The plates were on a roll that had been sent to Christopher to be signed. Not all the plates on the roll were used as some were sent to the US for HMH copies and some were kept by HC for competitions, but as far as I am aware the only Deluxe editions to have the plates were from the Waterstones event and in this case the plate is on the wrong page.

I have one of the US Houghton Mifflin bookplated copies. I recall there being loose bookplates floating around at the time (I will find the thread here somewhere) that people were slapping into books themselves. In addition, of course, to the high res pictures some sellers used for their listings that quicky turned into fake reproductions of bookplates. Forgeries are out there, always be cautious!
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