wiseSam wrote:

This is a small thing, but I was happy to see this boxed set packaged with the extra cardboard protection while shipped. Maybe all the current boxed sets come like that now, but I had several other boxed sets (e.g. recently purchased 2014 boxed set of LOTR + Reader companion) that were not similarly packaged and arrived in terrible shape.

Again, HC/WM are not perfect but are making decent books for the price. When something arrives in poor quality, whether due to pre- or post-shipping issues, I will have no qualms returning or exchanging.

I think discussion on these forums did help with HC making a decision to include the extra cardboard box. It is an extra expense for them, but I believe that it has helped a lot in reducing the number of returns that they get from damaged items.

Trotter wrote:

wiseSam wrote:

This is a small thing, but I was happy to see this boxed set packaged with the extra cardboard protection while shipped. Maybe all the current boxed sets come like that now, but I had several other boxed sets (e.g. recently purchased 2014 boxed set of LOTR + Reader companion) that were not similarly packaged and arrived in terrible shape.

Again, HC/WM are not perfect but are making decent books for the price. When something arrives in poor quality, whether due to pre- or post-shipping issues, I will have no qualms returning or exchanging.

I think discussion on these forums did help with HC making a decision to include the extra cardboard box. It is an extra expense for them, but I believe that it has helped a lot in reducing the number of returns that they get from damaged items.

The cardboard box packaging with crumple zones at the ends is a huge improvement. It doesn't always manage to mitigate retailer packaging carelessness, but the damage rate in my personal experience has dropped considerably. Didn't quite work on this particular set for me (and there were other issues anyway), but it almost did.

Second set arrived quickly. Packaged the same way and damaged the same way. Have swapped the jackets from the second B&L and FoG onto the first and used the slipcase from the second (which is the better of the two) and I've mostly teased out and repaired the bumped corner by pressing from the inside and then injecting PVA using a syringe to puff out the crumpled paper covering. Remembered why I never use Amazon. They are fine in that they refund, but actually getting an un-knackered product is a challenge. On the plus side, I couldn't see any obvious production defects on the second set.

A definite limitation of the slipcase is that they are purely folded with no glue at all. Their entire structure is held together by the very, very thin paper covering, so any minor bump is going cause it to deform fairly badly. Not an unusual way of making slipcases for trade books, but definitely leads to a fairly flimsy result. The main issue here is Amazon, though (and e-commerce sellers of books generally) with their lack of sh*ts given with packaging. I have to say, I've had my problems with Kennys as well, but the last set I bought for them was bubble-wrapped and arrived in perfect condition, so I'll give them a go again where possible.

Edit: Kenny's seem to have a good price (70 EUR) on the set, given their cheap postage. Prob worth pinging them an email after ordering to ask for extra bubble wrap if anyone orders this (apparently they are pretty good at doing so). https://www.kennys.ie/shop/the-great-t ... dited-by-christopher-tolk

The first set gave me a good basis for playing around with a bit of jacket restoration on the two damaged jackets (something I REALLY don't approve of on rare books, FWIW). Not perfect, but definitely better than a big white missing chunk.

I would have laid in a bit of low-gsm japanese tissue and feathered the edges, but I couldn't find where I have put it (so I didn't)...

I don't know if this kind of short video will interest TCG readers (let me know!), but it gives a good overview of the box set :

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LbdmZ8JjLtM

I somehow managed to miss this set. Does anyone know if it's still in its first print run?

Emilien wrote:

I just received the Harper Collins set and even in this one there aren't first edition/impression but following the impression number from the first editions.
Therefore, Children of Hurin is a 23rd, Beren and Luthien is an 18th and The Fall of Gondolin is a 16th.
These are not considered to be *new* editions by the publisher

This answers my question above — I should have scanned the thread first. The same thing happened with The History of the Hobbit a few years ago. I was surprised to see a newly released edition carrying such a high impression number.

If I am looking to get "standard" (here meaning non-deluxe) hardcover editions of these three books, would you recommend this box set or getting the individual books separately (here I am only considering retail purchase)?

I have all the HoME box sets (+ the 2020 Alan Lee set) and four single books of this design line (Complete Guide, Maps, Nature and Unfinished) for comparison.

Are there any benefits from getting them as individual volumes? If I understand earlier comments in the thread correctly, the binding is better for the box set?

EmilK wrote:

If I am looking to get "standard" (here meaning non-deluxe) hardcover editions of these three books, would you recommend this box set or getting the individual books separately (here I am only considering retail purchase)?

I have all the HoME box sets (+ the 2020 Alan Lee set) and four single books of this design line (Complete Guide, Maps, Nature and Unfinished) for comparison.

Are there any benefits from getting them as individual volumes? If I understand earlier comments in the thread correctly, the binding is better for the box set?

Binding is currently better for the boxed set. Image reproduction is better on early prints of the individual books, but this likely doesn't hold true for recent prints.

I'd go used and early or just get the box, personally.