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6 Jan, 2008
2008-1-6 9:11:42 AM UTC
£196 if I recall!

By far the most interesting (from a bibliographical perspective; although haven't seen it) Silmarillion variant to appear on Ebay over the past 3-4 years. (Dummy copies generally don't seem to come up on Ebay that often do they.)

On the subject of Silmarillion's: why on earth are later Folio printings going for so much (I know it was Christmas; & there not that expensive)?? I'm looking for a few of the later impressions; just to examine - but all impressions now seem to be going for £20-50! No bargains seem to be had...

By bargain I mean <£5

BH
7 Jan, 2008
2008-1-7 9:01:48 PM UTC
It is out of print (I think) so they are getting scarce.
Back in 2000-2001 they sold for silly money until it was reprinted in 2002.
7 Jan, 2008
2008-1-7 10:23:56 PM UTC
I have been checking up on Variant 3 of the Silmarillion dummy. It has no jacket, but it does have the 'Realms of the Noldor and Sindar' map on the left hand side page, so is likely to be a Clowes book rather than a Billing copy.
8 Jan, 2008
2008-1-8 3:26:35 PM UTC
(Deagol) You say its likely to be a Clowes book rather than a Billing copy; I take it it doesn't have a copyright page then?

My confusion around the Folio prices is simply over the prices paid for later impressions, when the 1997 1rst impression comes up (probably) more frequently. There seems to be (at present) no graduation in prices through the impressions (with the highest prices being realised for 1rst impressions). Buyers seem to be paying £20-25+ for any impression; which shows an alarming disregard for collecting etiquette ( )

BH
8 Jan, 2008
2008-1-8 5:13:00 PM UTC
Deagol, I'm confused - why does the presence of a map make it more likely to be a Clowes copy?
8 Jan, 2008
2008-1-8 7:13:13 PM UTC
Variant 3 is totally blank except for the map.

The reason the map positioning makes it likely to be a Clowes book rather than a Billing copy is that in the Clowes 1st Impression the map is on the left hand page while the Billings 1st Impression (and all later impressions) had the map bound in the other way round as the right hand page.

These three bibliography entries record the map facing an odd page number for the Dummy and Clowes 'Export' Editions, and facing an even page number for the Billing 'Domestic' Edition and later impressions:

Dummy
Export
Domestic

I guess the people buying the Folio copies aren't 'hardcore' collectors and just want a good looking set of books. The Folio editions fit in nicely (price-wise) between trade hardback editions and the various HC deluxe editions.
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