Tolkien Collector's Guide
Sign In
Tolkien Collector's Guide
Important links:

Guide to Tolkien's Letters
-
Winner of the 2019 Tolkien Society award for Best Website

12
9 Dec, 2015
2015-12-9 4:34:37 AM UTC

Berelach wrote:
Can't say I haven't been thinking about it! I always assumed (especially after the films) that there are very many serious long-term collectors out there... I guess I could be wrong.

Honestly, I think once you disregard movie-related collectables, and people who are interested for a couple of years and then move onto something else, I think the number of "serious" Tolkien-oriented book collectors is actually fairly small. 99.9% people that like the books (a huge number, of course), aren't that interested in collecting them (beyond a nice copy or two and some "deluxe" editions, perhaps). Building large collections is such a long-term commitment that it is beyond the casual fan drawn in by the movies, and it also requires quite a bit of money, even just for postage (depending on where you live, of course).
9 Dec, 2015
2015-12-9 4:59:23 PM UTC
I have been thinking about this very thing lately and have noticed that items are not selling on auction sites any more and the quantity of books has risen sharply since the last Hobbit movie was released.

I picked up a Deluxe Beowulf for €20 recently which is quite cheap I would think. The number of Deluxe editions starting to pop up online is increasing
now.

For a time it was a cool thing for some to collect but as you say they move on to other things.
9 Dec, 2015
2015-12-9 5:37:16 PM UTC
I'll say what Stu always says in this regard: don't buy & collect books with thoughts of future profit (--unless of course you like that game!); collect because you like the author &/or because you like books. Think about book collecting like any other hobby; it costs money, most of which you shouldn't have any thoughts about getting back.

Having said this, books are pretty good investements in my opinion; they're just not easy to shift at a later date, quickly. I mean, what market would I be able to use to shift most of my Silmarillion collection? I bought these mutiple copies for very, very specific bibliographical reasons at the time; but now they aren't worth any more than any other standard 1977 copy. And 1977 copies of The Silmarillion are ten-a-penny in any condition on eBay. My signed editions are a different matter of course...

Still, it's a great time to be buying; prices are very low, as low as they were maybe 10-15 years ago. Sellers are still asking for high prices for reasonably rare items, and these aren't selling. As Stu says, which I agree with --there just aren't that many serious long-term Tolkien collectors out there.

BH
9 Dec, 2015
2015-12-9 10:50:19 PM UTC
I started buying books in October 2014 and spent a good number of months immersing myself in the various websites trying to organize it all in my head. I think I now have a decent handle on most of the major items but it wasn't easy to track it all down and I have nowhere near the knowledge of most here. I am a cross-over collector that really lives in the world of statues and toys. I am not sure what gave me the bug, likely a google image search that turned up some wonderful looking libraries. I started with the basic deluxe editions and slowly put that set together to my satisfaction. I then added the 1997 LOTR Centenary and several of the black edition slipcases sets from HC, along with a few minor sets here and there whose design I quite liked. I am by no means a completist and have no real interest in the various text changes, etc. I just like the look and feel of quality books, an edition size and signature help but only because the two go hand in hand (a signed random common book would have little appeal to me).

All that said, I think I am pretty much down to a short list of pieces I'd like to acquire. I'm not sure I have the patience to put together a set of HOME hardbacks.

So as a newbie I would say the frustrating things are the lack of inventory offered at true auctions. Its the same overpriced thing listed again and again. Another annoyance is the lack of clarity on what editions or impressions are being offered. Finally, as noted there is a surprising lack of clear information online about these details. I think all of this makes the new collector lose interest rather quickly. I think many are likely happy with a colorful set of new HC deluxe editions and leave it at that. The poor handling of the 1997-2202 sets (different materials, case sizes) I know also turns some people off.

Chris
11 Nov, 2017
2017-11-11 5:59:22 PM UTC

Stu wrote:

There aren't that many serious long-term Tolkien collectors, so you may need to jump in at the deep-end and make your own site!

Ok!

www.TolkienBooks.US

It's my first website... please go easy on me!
12 Nov, 2017
2017-11-12 2:23:27 AM UTC
Looks great. Would be useful for some of the HMH editions that are basically identical save minor details to the HarperCollins editions (e.g. Centenary Alan Lee LoTR) to include a link to the corresponding entry on tolkienbooks.net, whilst noting any differences.
12 Nov, 2017
2017-11-12 5:38:45 AM UTC
Thanks, I'll look into that
12 Nov, 2017
2017-11-12 8:29:27 AM UTC
There is a problem with the site certificate for tolkienbooks.us,

https://www.sslshopper.com/ssl-checker ... tname=www.TolkienBooks.US

You need to install an intermediary certificate, the sslshopper.com tells you how to do this.

Very impressed with the site though, well done.
12 Nov, 2017
2017-11-12 5:14:42 PM UTC

Trotter wrote:
There is a problem with the site certificate for tolkienbooks.us,

https://www.sslshopper.com/ssl-checker ... tname=www.TolkienBooks.US

You need to install an intermediary certificate, the sslshopper.com tells you how to do this.

Very impressed with the site though, well done.

Thank you Trotter, I really appreciate that. And thanks for the kind words too, means a lot!
12
Jump to Last
All original content ©2024 by the submitting authors. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Contact Us