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13 Oct, 2011
2011-10-13 2:31:48 PM UTC
I see it went for £380. The winner would have been better just going straight to Thorntons (as Stu mentioned) and buying it...

BH
13 Oct, 2011
2011-10-13 8:49:07 PM UTC
Looking at the bid history, there were two bidders prepared to pay over 250. The second bidder that dropped out may well have been aware of the Thorntons copy. That or a shill bidder of course.
13 Oct, 2011
2011-10-13 10:18:02 PM UTC
That was me. I entered a max of 378 around 2 days before the end of the auction. I thought I could pick it up for around 300 or so. Still can't believe somebody was prepared to overbid me. Next time I'll enter my max bid in the last minute or so maybe that will work better....
13 Oct, 2011
2011-10-13 10:25:03 PM UTC
I got this one for GBP175 though. Merp_shop had listed it for 250 give or take but he accepted my proposal.

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Seller: the_merp_shop
(1100)
Ended Oct 4, 2011
This item ended more than 90 days ago


I think it is a fair price but I'm not 100% sure.

14 Oct, 2011
2011-10-14 12:27:52 AM UTC
SonOfDolf, I think putting your highest bid in at the last minute is the best bet, but putting a higher value than you think it is worth never makes sense. I would question whether the book is worth more than 300-325. It isn't rare and has a non-valuable signature. If you look at all the other bidders except you and the winner, they maxed out at 250. You thought 300 was the probable selling price, but chose to exceed that heavily in your max bid. I don't understand your bidding behaviour as - had you won - you would have overpaid.
14 Oct, 2011
2011-10-14 6:43:42 AM UTC
Stu
I agree but as we have said before a book /any item is only worth what someone will pay at that time. I too wouldnt mind this book but not enough to pay circa £400. Bidding early sometimes works well as other bidders believe their is more interest thus are put off. I have brought some good bargains using this tatic before.
I think we will find in a few years this and the LOTR signed AL copy will both come down in price.
£175 for the LOTR deluxe doesnt seem to bad and at current rates a goodprice i would say.
Sounds like you collection is building SonOf Dolf
14 Oct, 2011
2011-10-14 11:14:40 AM UTC
Stu:

I'm rather new to Ebay so yes maybe my max bid was incorrectly sized. My thinking at the time was that 375 was the max I would be willing to pay because I could pick it up at Thornton for the same price (that is no longer the case though).

Laurel:
My collection is growing slow but steady but still very modest. Why do you think prices will come down for these specific items? Or do you think Tolkien book prices will come down in general?
14 Oct, 2011
2011-10-14 2:30:24 PM UTC
I think the whole market (bar top end) has taken a decline recently vs. I would normally expect Tolkien books to at least hold their value.

As discussed before ebay is an odd sales vehicle at times but overall like other sales vehicles it is open to simple rule of supply and demand. If there is only say 1-2 Hobbit AH books for sale pa then the price will increase. If more prices will decrease.

This is why i believe these prices will decrease. During my time collecting i have noticed 15-20 years after release more books come onto the market and the prices drop albeit maybe only for a short period but they do decrease.

Other factors such as a well known film coming out soon will increase value but only for a short time 3-4 years maybe ?

The question in my mind is wait or not to wait and this is of course dependent on us mad collectors and the desire to own that Tolkein book.

For me it is more the thrill of the chse as well. Yes I could raid my piggy bank and buy the AL Hobbit for £4-450 i am sure but imagine if i can get/find a copy or £250!

What was orignal price of this book, anyone know ?
14 Oct, 2011
2011-10-14 5:04:16 PM UTC
£60.00. That's what I paid for mine, at Oxonmoot 1997.

With hindsight, maybe I should have bought half a dozen...
14 Oct, 2011
2011-10-14 6:26:22 PM UTC
Heavens! --we're on this old "item is only worth what someone will pay at that time" chestnut; sorry laurel ( ). In looking at a range of prices, you simply cannot include the top (and bottom) of this scale. I'm not talking in this case, but if 99% of a particular title sell for, say, £100 (let's say in a £75 - £125 range) --but 1% of copies sell for £200 (or thereabouts) --it seems patently absurd to claim that it is "worth" £200 just because a few people paid this price at some particular time; or even that it was "worth" £200 at that time.

garm, how far did £60 stretch back then though?
[EDIT: Sorry, you said "1997" --which actually wasn't that long ago...]

BH
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