Dagoth wrote:

Trotter wrote:

Dagoth wrote:

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN 1965-1966 FIRST EDITION 15TH, 11TH, 11TH

314477080083

Seller: mfr_rare_books

(2995)

Ended Mar 25, 2023

This item ended more than 90 days ago

stinky jacket late printing set just sold for $1800 or am I crazy?

I think that is a pretty good set and $1800 is probably a good price in today's market.

If you say so. You’re more the expert than I by far, but it’s quite moldy and yellow and aren’t the last printings numbered in the thousands? Off the top of my head anyway. I’m just thinking, as I’ve recently won that literal mint/fine 7,5,3 for just $300 more than that after fees. Has the desperation for 1st Ed LOTR really skyrocketed so much so fast? Looks to be so. I’m keeping tabs on every single 1st sale just out of pure interest and nothing more. It’s almost amusing to watch!

I picked up the following all 1962 set for £950 buy it now a couple of weeks back (I was born in 1962 and a I have a VG 6th state slip case to put them into replacing the scabby DJ mixed year book set I had before. Books themselves were VG but DJ were very worn).

I prefer the the unfaded spine writing, especially the red even with honest discolouration, to some examples I have seen that look spotless but the red writing seems somehow faded. Part of the charm is the showing on 60 years of age rather than the look of a modern facsimile. Each to their own and individual examples I guess.

Regarding mine, the jackets are in one piece, covers are clean, the book boards are good and there is no writing or other marks in the books.

So I take it there is a wide range of prices and it depends on what the buyer is looking for and what is easily available?

As if by magic this 1965/66 set just appeared on ebay, I prefer my copies at less than half the price but thats just my opinion - notice the faded writing which I dislike more than any discolouration

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J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, First Editions Imp. 15, 11, 11, Last Set

234946926380

Seller: dogfark

(2528)

Ended Jul 11, 2023

This item ended more than 90 days ago

billhinge wrote:

As if by magic this 1965/66 set just appeared on ebay, I prefer my copies at less than half the price but thats just my opinion - notice the faded writing which I dislike more than any discolouration

This site uses affiliate links for which we may be compensated

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, First Editions Imp. 15, 11, 11, Last Set

234946926380

Seller: dogfark

(2528)

Ended Jul 11, 2023

This item ended more than 90 days ago

Looks like the same set but nearly £600 more.

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN 1965-1966 FIRST EDITION 15TH, 11TH, 11TH

314477080083

Seller: mfr_rare_books

(2995)

Ended Mar 25, 2023

This item ended more than 90 days ago

Yes just noticed that

with same pictures...

I agree with Trotter's original statement that it was a good price in today's market for a set in good condition all factors considered. Not, so much now that a dealer has bought them to flip. The "stinky" jackets as they have been described (don't really know what that means to be honest) belong to books that are well over fifty years old and subject to use and wear over time.

Standard book grading applies here: Fine to very good to good, etc... and I would call these "good" which if one surveys the market for sets of LOTR UK "good" sets are in deed selling in this price range.

Dagoth wrote:

I’m just thinking, as I’ve recently won that literal mint/fine 7,5,3 for just $300 more than that after fees. Has the desperation for 1st Ed LOTR really skyrocketed so much so fast? Looks to be so. I’m keeping tabs on every single 1st sale just out of pure interest and nothing more. It’s almost amusing to watch!

I don’t understand why you talk about price differences like this as though they’re linear. If you bought a fine set for $2100 and another person buys a good set for $1800, it does not follow that prices or “desperation” have increased “so much so fast.” The only thing that follows is that you paid two different prices (perhaps you were lucky, perhaps the other person had different priorities than you, etc.).

Here is a 1962 set with slipcase with 5 days to run for comparison

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JRR Tolkien. 1962 The Lord Of The Rings 3 Vol Set. 1st Edns In Scarce Slip-Case

175659705191

Seller: patsite

(5678)

Ended Mar 31, 2023

This item ended more than 90 days ago

Here is mine for comparison

Paid £600 for the box which came with a mixed 61/62/63 set, FotR had worn & torn DJ etc
Purchased new all '62 replacement set for £950
Total outlay £1550 with a 'throwaway' set for free

I like the fact that it all looks equally aged like it always has been so, and its the same age as me

PS Wish I knew what made that 'splosh' on the RoTK dust jacket spine - I could make a fortune cleaning old DJ's