I have a question for anyone out there who is familiar with the 1982 Super Deluxe Silmarillion. Why is this book so expensive compared to the 1987 Super Deluxe Hobbit? It simply does not make sense to me that this 1 of 1000 edition should be valued higher than the 1 of 500 Hobbit (signed copies aside). I realize that it is a binding of the first printing of the Silmarillion, but so many of those were printed that $2000+ prices can not be justified. I realize that it is a very nice binding and quite an attractive book, but I just can't understand why it is so rarely for sale and when it is, it costs nearly as much as a first edition of The Hobbit! (not quite, but you know what I mean)

I have over the last year, been able to track down and purchase 3 copies of the 1987 Super Deluxe Hobbit (2 of them unopened in their original shipping carton), and I never paid more than $600 (USD) for any single copy. Why is it that the only copy of the Super Deluxe Silmarillion I can find available for sale is one offered by 'The Tolkien Bookshelf' and is listed for $2400?! I would just think that supply and demand for this book shouldn't dictate prices higher than maybe $500 to $800.

Any thoughts on this one?