Limited edition LOTR and Hobbit advice please

[Rohansgirl]

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Hi all,


I have two limited edition Tolkien books:
<UL>
<LI>The Lord of the Rings 1997 edition limited to 1000 copies
<LI>The Hobbit 1997 edition limited to 600 copies and signed by Alan Lee.</LI>[/list]


I would appreciate advice on the best way to go about valuing and selling these books. Is eBay the only way to go or do I have other options?


Thanks,
RohansgirlEdited by: Rohansgirl

[geordie]

Hi, Rohansgirl, welcome to the Plaza.

These look to be two very nice copies - I looked them up on abe.com, to get an idea of what they're selling for these days. Here's a link to the results page for TH:

Look here

I searched for TH, Alan Lee, 1997 - note that only the first three entries are for the de luxe edition. They're all listed by the same seller - I've bought stuff from him before; he's sound, and his prices are fair.

Bear in mind that he's selling retail; if he or any dealer were to buy from you, they'd have to pay you less money. Typically, expect to get somewhere between a third to a half of the expected retail price.

Sometimes dealers will sell on commission; that's someting you'd have to sort out with them. I've done it in the past; I had a set of books for sale, the dealer had a buyer in mind, and we both made money on the strength of a phone call. But then, I'd known this guy for some years by then, and I'd helped him out with questions on Tolkien 'points', so we had a pretty good working relationship.

I can't find a copy of the 1997 LotR on abe.com right now - but there is another forum I can recommend:

look here

This is a site for Tolkien biblionuts; people there know a lot about Tolkien and his works, and they also have a good idea of current book values, so you should be able to get a pretty accurate valuation. The people who run this site, and those who frequent it, are friendly and knowledgable; you can rely on them. You might well get an offer or two, into the bargain.

good luck.




Edited by: geordie

[halfir]

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<DIV leftmargin="1" topmargin="1" marginheight="1" marginwidth="1" ="WebWizRTE">geordie- you have been tributed both for knowledge and helpfulness.
<DIV leftmargin="1" topmargin="1" marginheight="1" marginwidth="1" ="WebWizRTE">
<DIV leftmargin="1" topmargin="1" marginheight="1" marginwidth="1" ="WebWizRTE">Rohansgirl: A warm welcome to the Plaza and especially the Lore Forums. Enjoy!geordie's response is a fine example of both the expertise and the friendliness exemplified by true Plaza Lorists.Edited by: halfir

[Rohansgirl]

Thanks for the welcome and links, Geordie. I'm impressed that you took the time to write such an extensive reply and I'm sure it will be very helpful.I'll have a look at the linkstomorrow when I'm not at risk of falling asleep on my keyboard.

Halfir: thanks for the welcome. I'll definitely be exploring the Plaza further.

[geordie]

Rohansgirl - you're welcome.

halfir - thanks.

[Trotter]

I have managed to find a copy of your 1997 Lord of the Rings for sale from the same dealer that geordie recommended for the deluxe Hobbit.

I entirely agree with the comments on price that geordie made and about the dealer.

Look here

Thanks for the comments on the Tolkien Collector's Guide as well.

Rohansgirl - Some people on Tolkienguide may be interested in making you an offer on the books as geordie pointed out.Edited by: Trotter

[geordie]

Trotter - you're welcome.

Looking at the front page of the Tolkienguide site, I see Thornton's also have a copy of the Alan Lee de luxe Hobbit, for £375.

Thornton's are another very good bookdealers' - they were in Oxford's Broad St for around 180 years, till the city council forced them out (along with doubtless many more businesses), by a combination of rates rises and crazy traffic schemes. (time was when folk were allowed to drive, and park, in the city centre without being made to feel like a criminal).

Thornton's was a bookshop based on the model once described by Terry Pratchett - modest-looking from the outside; with an inside of Tardis-like proportions. All proper bookshops seemed to have more floors inside than there appear to be from the outside; and there was actually a door which looked too small for a person to get through, as per Pratchett's recipe...

I loved Thornton's - a visit to their used to be one of the highlights of a trip to Oxford, esp. during Oxonmoot. The shop's proprietor, Mr Wim Meeus, is a Tolkien enthusiast; he used to publish pamphlets such as Auden's 'good and Evil in the Lord of the Rings', and 'Publishing Tolkien', by Rayner Unwin. Nowadays they've joined the ranks of the internet bookshops - well worth a virtual visit.



Another item of interest on Thornton's list is a 1st ed. set of LotR with two volumes which used to belong to Philip Toynbee (who once confidently reported that the books had passed into a 'merciful oblivion' - this was some fifty years ago, mind).

The set is bound by Ian Barnes of the Temple Bindery in Oxford. I've met Ian a couple of times; I have a couple of custom-made boxes by his bindery. A fascinating place to visit.



Edited by: geordie

[Rohansgirl]

<DIV =WebWizRTE marginheight="1" marginwidth="1" leftmargin="1" topmargin="1">Thanks again, all. I don't think I would have found the Tolkien Guide on my own.
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<DIV =WebWizRTE marginheight="1" marginwidth="1" leftmargin="1" topmargin="1">What a shame Thorton's no longer exists in the "physical" world. When I was in the UK in 1998 I visited the shop - to pick up my limited edition copy of The Hobbit as a matter of fact. I've never found a shop like it here in Australia.