Also worth noting that the majority of QC issues that plagued the first impression/printing of the LotR Deluxe have gotten less and less with each subsequent printing.
There were lots of complaints on the 1st, and still a decent amount of issues observed often enough on the 2nd.

I have zero issues with my 3rd impression (still printed by Rotoltio) and have seen very little complaints on Reddit or FB -- though one could make the case that it's because the majority of people in those communities already purchased the book.

I’ll point out that not all 1st printings of the three deluxe books had issues. I have been fortunate with my 1st prints of each. I’m very happy with them. No discoloured pages, fuzzy double print pages, blank pages or smudges anywhere. It was quite hit and miss, with different problems from book to book. I’d advise not buying any of these if they are still in the manufacturer’s cellophane, otherwise it’s Russian roulette.

For the Lord of the Rings author illustrated deluxe edition in particular, there were definitely a lot of issues on the first impression, though as others have said there were plenty available that had no issues as well. I think HarperCollins have done what they can to fix the issues (changing printers, doing a closer inspection at the printer before shipping, handling returns of defective copies).

I personally was able to find first impressions of each that were in perfect shape. Buying new from a reputable retailer that has a good returns policy is always a good idea, especially for the higher priced editions. Always open and inspect your purchases, and don't be afraid to reach out to their customer service contacts if you see any issues. If you are buying on the secondary market, I still recommend only buying from someone who allows returns even if they say they checked every page. I would avoid shrink-wrapped copies unless the return policy allows you to get a refund after opening it yourself.

Yeah I could get the non delux ones, but the edge paper coloring makes me want to vomit. I suppose I could just paint them all black.

I might do that actually haha. Thanks.

Just because these editions are so fun to play with and look at the extras that come with them, I decided to pull mine out and offer some additional observations. I compared the feel of the pages to the new HoMe boxset pages and also to a standard trade hardback of the Fall of Gondolin that I had lying around. The Deluxe Illustrated-by-the-Author LOTR pages feel slightly thinner than both of those comparisons, but if I hadn't been trying to compare page thickness I don't think I'd have noticed. I also very quickly turned through the pages and did not attempt to be delicate with the book: I did not notice any pages sticking or have any concerns that the pages were so thin they might tear.

I agree with Urulókë that just to be safe I would either buy from a seller that guarantees returns for printing defects or buy a book off the shelf that's not in shrinkwrap so you can verify it has no issues. But when these editions are mistake free they're really wonderful. Just holding the Book of Mazarbul pages is a great experience.