EmilK's recent acquisitions
12 Nov, 2025
2025-11-12 8:18:23 PM UTC
2025-11-12 8:18:23 PM UTC
So far I am mostly botanizing among books still in print, although I often browse and ocassionally buy from the second-hand market in my country (although I am too scared to try Ebay).
The most recent book I got was the blue deluxe slipcased Hobbit from November 2025. I already had the Lord of the Rings box set from earlier. Here are some photos:
The book arrived in prestine condition and I have noticed no faults or problems. I bought it from the problematic rainforest website (although I would like to buy less from it), but I made sure to add a cloth gift bag because I anecdotally believe the books are handled better at the warehouse and because it seems to reduce the risk of shipping damage.
On my list to get right now is the third HoME box set, the 60th Anniversary edition boxset (gave the one I had away to a friend a few years back), J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, The Atlas of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth and The Complete Guide to Middle-earth (although I have not yet decided which edition). I am trying to buy the dip after tracking prices for a long time. Since I purchased the 2025 signed limited edition of Lord of the Rings, perhaps I will wait a bit with buying more books. 😅
The most recent book I got was the blue deluxe slipcased Hobbit from November 2025. I already had the Lord of the Rings box set from earlier. Here are some photos:
The book arrived in prestine condition and I have noticed no faults or problems. I bought it from the problematic rainforest website (although I would like to buy less from it), but I made sure to add a cloth gift bag because I anecdotally believe the books are handled better at the warehouse and because it seems to reduce the risk of shipping damage.
On my list to get right now is the third HoME box set, the 60th Anniversary edition boxset (gave the one I had away to a friend a few years back), J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, The Atlas of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth and The Complete Guide to Middle-earth (although I have not yet decided which edition). I am trying to buy the dip after tracking prices for a long time. Since I purchased the 2025 signed limited edition of Lord of the Rings, perhaps I will wait a bit with buying more books. 😅
Looks like some posts in this thread are missing? I distinctly remember posting about the standard hardcover edition of the Complete Guide to Middle Earth...perhaps a bug?
Anyways, I let myself be manipulated by black week sales (although I did my due dilligence and checked price comparison websites with historical data for many years), so got a few new items both from the rainforest website and the national second-hand market.
New:
1. The deluxe edition of The Complete Guide to Middle Earth was still in first printing and the printing error existed in this edition as well.
2. I finally got around to getting Box three of the History of Middle Earth, so now that set is complete.
3. I managed to buy a pristine as new copy of the 2014 60-year anniversary single volume with a blue spine and the plastic slipcase on the second-hand market. It was too pricy (76 GBP). Had apparently been opened once but never read. Spine completely intact. As always, the illustrations by Alan Lee is great, but not sure I was that big of a fan of either of the two 60-year anniversary editions. I would like to read this, but I am too paranoid about the spine getting folds as it seems that this is a risk with this edition. To be honest, I often read with the books open at an angle of ~40 degrees at most, so perhaps it is safe.
4. An as new paperback edition of the Desolation of Smaug official movie guide by Brian Sibley (second-hand). Always a joy to see books being taken care off.
I have yet to pick up the first edition, first printing of Silmarillion and a few other items from my proxy delegate location, but that is for tomorrow morning. I also caved and got the Unfinished Tales book in the same format as the deluxe CGME. Really don't want the corresponding Silmarillion because the orange hurts my brain, but the FOMO completitionist in me may have other plans. The signed Road Goes Ever on and on should arrive next week.
Anyways, I let myself be manipulated by black week sales (although I did my due dilligence and checked price comparison websites with historical data for many years), so got a few new items both from the rainforest website and the national second-hand market.
New:
1. The deluxe edition of The Complete Guide to Middle Earth was still in first printing and the printing error existed in this edition as well.
2. I finally got around to getting Box three of the History of Middle Earth, so now that set is complete.
3. I managed to buy a pristine as new copy of the 2014 60-year anniversary single volume with a blue spine and the plastic slipcase on the second-hand market. It was too pricy (76 GBP). Had apparently been opened once but never read. Spine completely intact. As always, the illustrations by Alan Lee is great, but not sure I was that big of a fan of either of the two 60-year anniversary editions. I would like to read this, but I am too paranoid about the spine getting folds as it seems that this is a risk with this edition. To be honest, I often read with the books open at an angle of ~40 degrees at most, so perhaps it is safe.
4. An as new paperback edition of the Desolation of Smaug official movie guide by Brian Sibley (second-hand). Always a joy to see books being taken care off.
I have yet to pick up the first edition, first printing of Silmarillion and a few other items from my proxy delegate location, but that is for tomorrow morning. I also caved and got the Unfinished Tales book in the same format as the deluxe CGME. Really don't want the corresponding Silmarillion because the orange hurts my brain, but the FOMO completitionist in me may have other plans. The signed Road Goes Ever on and on should arrive next week.
Another batch of Black Week purchases have arrived.
1. First edition, first printing (export) of Silmarillion.
2-4. The 2014 set with Lord of the Rings, Hobbit and Silmarillion. Told myself for the longest time that I would never get these editions, but they were discounted quite a bit so I told myself that I might as well get them. Very unlikely that I would get more in this set, with possible exception of Nature of Middle Earth, History of the Hobbit and possibly Unfinished Tales.
I got them from Amazon, but the Hobbit copy was a first printing (Rotolito). How is this possible to get a first printing after 21 years? The other two were double-digit printings. Did Amazon just keep restocking later printings on top of a small supply of first printings in the back? Kind of like the opposite how they do it in the supermarket (putting earlier produced products in the front).
The Lord of the Rings is also slightly taller and slightly deeper than the other two. Perhaps it is because it is printed by another printer (one in China), so the specifications were different?
I need a good solution for all the small information sheets that come with the books. I am thinking a simple binder, but don't want to separate them too much from the books, so I may need a better organization scheme. Perhaps a punched pocket, but I would want something that closes at the top too. Any ideas?
Only thing currently in transit is the 2020 deluxe edition of Unfinished Tales (well, and the John Howe signed copy of The Road Goes Ever On and On mentioned in another thread). I don't "need" it, but it goes well with the corresponding Complete Guide edition I got previously. I really, really don't want to get the painfully orange Silmarillion, but something tells me that the completitionist in me will buy it anyway. Nature of Middle Earth seems cheap at the moment too, so I will consider it.
1. First edition, first printing (export) of Silmarillion.
2-4. The 2014 set with Lord of the Rings, Hobbit and Silmarillion. Told myself for the longest time that I would never get these editions, but they were discounted quite a bit so I told myself that I might as well get them. Very unlikely that I would get more in this set, with possible exception of Nature of Middle Earth, History of the Hobbit and possibly Unfinished Tales.
I got them from Amazon, but the Hobbit copy was a first printing (Rotolito). How is this possible to get a first printing after 21 years? The other two were double-digit printings. Did Amazon just keep restocking later printings on top of a small supply of first printings in the back? Kind of like the opposite how they do it in the supermarket (putting earlier produced products in the front).
The Lord of the Rings is also slightly taller and slightly deeper than the other two. Perhaps it is because it is printed by another printer (one in China), so the specifications were different?
I need a good solution for all the small information sheets that come with the books. I am thinking a simple binder, but don't want to separate them too much from the books, so I may need a better organization scheme. Perhaps a punched pocket, but I would want something that closes at the top too. Any ideas?
Only thing currently in transit is the 2020 deluxe edition of Unfinished Tales (well, and the John Howe signed copy of The Road Goes Ever On and On mentioned in another thread). I don't "need" it, but it goes well with the corresponding Complete Guide edition I got previously. I really, really don't want to get the painfully orange Silmarillion, but something tells me that the completitionist in me will buy it anyway. Nature of Middle Earth seems cheap at the moment too, so I will consider it.
Today I picked up two new deliveries:
1. The 2020 deluxe Unfinished Tales (second series, in the same format as Silmarillion and Complete Guide, the latter I already had). I have a sinking feeling that my completionist spirit will force me to get the ultra-bright orange Silmarillion. I already have 10 editions of that book, but I guess I would feel bad if I didn't get the complete set. I do like the artwork and the paper quality etc. so it isn't a complete disaster if I were to get it.
2. Red hardcover version of The Road Goes Ever on and On (2009, second printing) signed by illustrator John Howe (fine, not too far off as new).
Got it from an auction and ended up paying 160 GBP, far above any estimates that I have seen, but my chances of getting the equivalent product of the same quality and signed in the future is probably low (still afraid of buying from Ebay and mostly sticking with domestic marketplaces, but will get there eventually; Sweden only has 10-11M people, so market obviously limited). Second ever signed Tolkien or Tolkien-adjecent book for me, so it has a certain sentimental value to me and I developed a nice report with the seller.
The map is in great shape and looks beautiful.
Currently waiting for standard and deluxe version of Nature of Middle Earth. Seen it get sold out on many websites, possibly just temporary, but I am quite week to the fear of missing out during periods of a lot of sales and discounts, although I do use price comparison websites that track the price over months and years. I think this is the downside of overly planning purchases. The ideas just sit there for years and years and then all of a sudden fear and panic strikes over possibly not being able to get those editions as new anymore.
1. The 2020 deluxe Unfinished Tales (second series, in the same format as Silmarillion and Complete Guide, the latter I already had). I have a sinking feeling that my completionist spirit will force me to get the ultra-bright orange Silmarillion. I already have 10 editions of that book, but I guess I would feel bad if I didn't get the complete set. I do like the artwork and the paper quality etc. so it isn't a complete disaster if I were to get it.
2. Red hardcover version of The Road Goes Ever on and On (2009, second printing) signed by illustrator John Howe (fine, not too far off as new).
Got it from an auction and ended up paying 160 GBP, far above any estimates that I have seen, but my chances of getting the equivalent product of the same quality and signed in the future is probably low (still afraid of buying from Ebay and mostly sticking with domestic marketplaces, but will get there eventually; Sweden only has 10-11M people, so market obviously limited). Second ever signed Tolkien or Tolkien-adjecent book for me, so it has a certain sentimental value to me and I developed a nice report with the seller.
The map is in great shape and looks beautiful.
Currently waiting for standard and deluxe version of Nature of Middle Earth. Seen it get sold out on many websites, possibly just temporary, but I am quite week to the fear of missing out during periods of a lot of sales and discounts, although I do use price comparison websites that track the price over months and years. I think this is the downside of overly planning purchases. The ideas just sit there for years and years and then all of a sudden fear and panic strikes over possibly not being able to get those editions as new anymore.
The latest batch of early Christmas gifts to myself had some strange things in it:
1. Tolkien: Maker of Middle Earth & The Nature of Middel Earth (standard version)
I had a lot of the drawing and painting books apart from Maker and Author and Illustrator. Felt that I should get it because it is big, so you get a lot of material for the price. The standard version of Nature was also on my list for a very long time.
2. Large Print editions:
Thanks to Mr. Underhill and Trotter, I discovered this set of books that are paperback but big text so that my eyes do not hurt even after reading for some time. The Silmarillion copy was damaged by cardboard being glued to the top right part of the front-flap, so I sent that back for a replacement. I will get all eventually.
3. The Nature of Middle Earth (deluxe)
Had it on my priority list for a long time (for similar reasons to the standard edition). Did not plan to get this series of deluxe editions, but have settled on getting a smaller subset of the books that matter most to me. Will not go for the full set. In particular, I will almost certainly not get any non-Middle Earth-related deluxes.
...but something strange happened! I got two identical book slips. The printer was also LEGO, but a second printing.
4. One Ring RPG
Although less related to Tolkien's work, I decided to get all available books in the FreeLeague One Ring RPG series. I heard that it is a great adaptation that is relatively close to the source material or the spirit of the source material with multiple solo modes and more flexibility than the DnD 5e version.
I decided to significantly reduce my list of Tolkien books I wanted to get to focus on the ones I really cherish having in physical format. For deluxe books, I am probably going to focus on the annoyingly orange Silmarillion (although I do not completely rule out more from the 2004 style). I also want to pick up the remaining large print paperbacks and the great tales hardcover box. For arts and maps, I am missing the atlas and author and illustrator. There are also a few more Hobbits I want, such as facsimilie edition (standard + gift edition), annotated Hobbit (want to wait for a new HC Edition), the green letherette and the standard hardcover from Jemima.
I also want to explore some older editions, perhaps from Ebay. I recently jumped into the waters and bought by first book on Ebay (non-Tolkien), so I feel like a child opening a Christmas present to scroll around among thousands of Tolkien books. Reminds me of the XKCD comic "Stove Ownership", but for Ebay and Tolkien. I generally feel that I should slow down a bit with purchases, but it goes in ebbs and flows.
1. Tolkien: Maker of Middle Earth & The Nature of Middel Earth (standard version)
I had a lot of the drawing and painting books apart from Maker and Author and Illustrator. Felt that I should get it because it is big, so you get a lot of material for the price. The standard version of Nature was also on my list for a very long time.
2. Large Print editions:
Thanks to Mr. Underhill and Trotter, I discovered this set of books that are paperback but big text so that my eyes do not hurt even after reading for some time. The Silmarillion copy was damaged by cardboard being glued to the top right part of the front-flap, so I sent that back for a replacement. I will get all eventually.
3. The Nature of Middle Earth (deluxe)
Had it on my priority list for a long time (for similar reasons to the standard edition). Did not plan to get this series of deluxe editions, but have settled on getting a smaller subset of the books that matter most to me. Will not go for the full set. In particular, I will almost certainly not get any non-Middle Earth-related deluxes.
...but something strange happened! I got two identical book slips. The printer was also LEGO, but a second printing.
4. One Ring RPG
Although less related to Tolkien's work, I decided to get all available books in the FreeLeague One Ring RPG series. I heard that it is a great adaptation that is relatively close to the source material or the spirit of the source material with multiple solo modes and more flexibility than the DnD 5e version.
I decided to significantly reduce my list of Tolkien books I wanted to get to focus on the ones I really cherish having in physical format. For deluxe books, I am probably going to focus on the annoyingly orange Silmarillion (although I do not completely rule out more from the 2004 style). I also want to pick up the remaining large print paperbacks and the great tales hardcover box. For arts and maps, I am missing the atlas and author and illustrator. There are also a few more Hobbits I want, such as facsimilie edition (standard + gift edition), annotated Hobbit (want to wait for a new HC Edition), the green letherette and the standard hardcover from Jemima.
I also want to explore some older editions, perhaps from Ebay. I recently jumped into the waters and bought by first book on Ebay (non-Tolkien), so I feel like a child opening a Christmas present to scroll around among thousands of Tolkien books. Reminds me of the XKCD comic "Stove Ownership", but for Ebay and Tolkien. I generally feel that I should slow down a bit with purchases, but it goes in ebbs and flows.
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