I agree. It's very off-putting with reserves. If a seller is cautious about sale price, it's better to list the item with a higher lowest starting bid.

SIGNED & DATED by LEE 1/1 Tolkien CHILDREN OF HURIN 2007 UK + RARE PROMO ITEMS.

£39.99 (0 Bids)
End Date: Monday May-21-2012 15:32:03 BST

Doesn't show up all that often, at a reasonable price.

J.R.R. Tolkien and His Literary Resonances: Views of Middle-earth (Contribution

Buy It Now for only: US $49.99
End Date: Saturday Jun-16-2012 6:32:35 PDT

A fun translation (from FANGORN on these boards)


KLÁVUS BÓNDI Á BÓLI "Faroer Islands" FARMER GILES OF HAM by J.R.R.TOLKIEN

US $25.00 (0 Bid)
End Date: Thursday May-24-2012 12:45:53 PDT

http://www.benl.ebay.be/itm/J-R-R-Tolkien-Unfinished-Tales-/290712322306?pt=Fiction&hash=item43afce0102

Not a very rare book, yet quite uncommon.

A reasonable 1/1 Farmer Giles, at least for the price bid up so far. The seller misspelled "Pauline" however.

J.R.R TOLKIEN FARMER GILES OF HAM 1st Ed [1st imp] 1949 H/B-DJ ill DIANA BAYNES

£60.66 (9 Bids)
End Date: Wednesday May-23-2012 10:49:42 BST

And an old copy of Amon Hen -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amon-Hen-76 ... es_EH&hash=item4ab7a8f90a

- wellinghall

1940s Oxford English Monographs J.R.R. Tolkien C.S. Lewis Viga Glums

US $9.99 (0 Bid)

End Date: Tuesday May-29-2012 8:25:50 PDT

J.R.R. Tolkien Porgils Saga Oxford English Monographs 1952 w/DJ

US $9.99 (0 Bid)

End Date: Tuesday May-29-2012 8:30:32 PDT

That Farmer Giles 1st/1st auction was just pulled. I had a "watching" bid (like £10, or something, early on) in & got a message of bid cancellation. Did someone tangle a pile of money in front of the seller, off-eBay, do we think? (Someone here perhaps...)

BH