The copyright page of the William Morrow edition has no mention of it (for anyone hoping in vain for a US release).

Greetings. This is my first posting on this site. I felt moved to comment on the recent appraisal of Alan Lee's signature. I have at least a dozen items ( calendars, books, ) signed by Alan. I have been fortunate enough to have some of them signed in person, and as many people will testify ,he is not only an extremely talented artist, but a thorough gentleman as well. I have never considered the signed items in monetary terms. I didn't get the items signed so I could cash in at a later date and make a tidy profit. For me, it was all about the enjoyment to be got from not only meeting the man in person, but to have the signed items and enjoy them as nice collectable items. Nice to have on the shelves with no consideration of profit. A nice thing to have and enjoy, nothing more. Similarly, I cannot understand the excitement generated by the deluxe limited editions which seem to crop up on what seems like a regular basis, whether they come from the Folio Society, or Harper Collins. Who are these aimed at ? Investors ? Speculators ? Hardcore Tolkien fans with too much spare cash ? I know it's all down to personal preference , but these reissues and vastly overpriced items leave me cold. The Tolkien cash cow being milked for all it's worth.

It’s aimed right at me. Folio too expensive for me, it’s a nice looking set, hopefully well made. To have Alan’s signature, my favourite Tolkien artist, inside my favourite book is something I’d love to have.

I like the idea that a publisher produces many editions, giving the consumer CHOICE.

I never understood the use of complaining about an object existing a person has no interest in purchasing.

The Middle-earth books are the most popular and beloved fantasy books ever (going by classification, definition and where pretty much every bookstore shelves Tolkien’s books) so OF COURSE quite a few different ones exist. I remember we when the Jackson trilogy was ‘in progress’ (2001-2003) and bookstores actually carried books (as opposed to being a glorified HomeSense), there were THREE ENTIRE BOOKCASES of various Tolkien books!

For me, I love beautiful books, and I love Tolkien. They've got me hooked!

Gerontius Took wrote:

It’s aimed right at me. Folio too expensive for me, it’s a nice looking set, hopefully well made. To have Alan’s signature, my favourite Tolkien artist, inside my favourite book is something I’d love to have.

It is barely cheaper than the Folio retailed at.

The late Stu wrote:

Gerontius Took wrote:

It’s aimed right at me. Folio too expensive for me, it’s a nice looking set, hopefully well made. To have Alan’s signature, my favourite Tolkien artist, inside my favourite book is something I’d love to have.

It is barely cheaper than the Folio retailed at.

It is if you have a limited budget

Gerontius Took wrote:

The late Stu wrote:

Gerontius Took wrote:

It’s aimed right at me. Folio too expensive for me, it’s a nice looking set, hopefully well made. To have Alan’s signature, my favourite Tolkien artist, inside my favourite book is something I’d love to have.

It is barely cheaper than the Folio retailed at.

It is if you have a limited budget

I mean, you could say that about any price difference at all. The fact remains that £750 and £1000 are very much in the same ball-park price-wise for a very, very different product. If one can't afford £1000, then £750 is probably also an unwise purchase, because stretching oneself for a deluxe edition of a book is nuts.

The Folio was generally considered to be overpriced at the time, but compared to this new edition, it looks like an absolute steal. As someone who does have the Folio and also has the 70th anniversary deluxe to compare side-by-side, these two products are not even in the same class, and I can't really see how the latter could be turned into something that is without major changes that aren't being made as part of this new product.

People will buy this - and good luck to them. I hope they enjoy it. For me, this is just a cynical release at a cynical price point. But HarperCollins is a business -- their job is to sell books. I can't really fault them for it, but I can lament that they are taking this path vs producing something more in line with my own interests and values.

shirewalker wrote:

Who are these aimed at ? Investors ? Speculators ? Hardcore Tolkien fans with too much spare cash ? I know it's all down to personal preference , but these reissues and vastly overpriced items leave me cold. The Tolkien cash cow being milked for all it's worth.

Aimed at all of those markets, and completists, but speculators are definitely a big part of that market. We have been living through an abnormal period where you could buy a Limited Edition book and sell it for more than the purchase price the day after. Folio, for example, has really been selling LEs based on that, but there are signs of normality returning. IT sold out very quickly, but other recent LE titles are faring less well on the secondary market. The "scalper" market, at least, seems to have fizzled. I personally wouldn't buy this edition with a particular hope of significant profit, once shipping, fees, taxes, risk, etc, are taken into account. I think it will live in the shadow of the Folio and be held back by the fact that it is basically just the 70th edition with a bit of spit and polish.

The thing I find interesting is how many "hardcore" collectors that I know that are saying "Nope". To be fair, they all already have the Folio, mind.

Folks, The late Stu is right about THIS PART - "If one can't afford £1000, then £750 is probably also an unwise purchase, because stretching oneself for a deluxe edition of a book is nuts."

Feel free to buy whatever you want, but from personal experience, the above statement by Stu rings true every time. For me, I am sadly sitting this edition out, even though I want a pretty edition and love Alan Lee.

The late Stu wrote:

shirewalker wrote:

Who are these aimed at ? Investors ? Speculators ? Hardcore Tolkien fans with too much spare cash ? I know it's all down to personal preference , but these reissues and vastly overpriced items leave me cold. The Tolkien cash cow being milked for all it's worth.

Aimed at all of those markets, and completists, but speculators are definitely a big part of that market. We have been living through an abnormal period where you could buy a Limited Edition book and sell it for more than the purchase price the day after. Folio, for example, has really been selling LEs based on that, but there are signs of normality returning. IT sold out very quickly, but other recent LE titles are faring less well on the secondary market. The "scalper" market, at least, seems to have fizzled. I personally wouldn't buy this edition with a particular hope of significant profit, once shipping, fees, taxes, risk, etc, are taken into account. I think it will live in the shadow of the Folio and be held back by the fact that it is basically just the 70th edition with a bit of spit and polish.

The thing I find interesting is how many "hardcore" collectors that I know that are saying "Nope". To be fair, they all already have the Folio, mind.