The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (UK Edition)

Not worth the money. It reads just like any paperback would.
 
Well we've usually said that books are only worth what people are prepared to pay for it. There will be some out there that paid £100, never mind £66, and been quite happy to do so.

So why might people be prepared to pay that sort of money? I've held and read from a copy but not bought it: I've 4 or 5 copies already! - and it's a nicely made copy built to last. The paper's good, the type's clear.

The sort of people who would buy a copy of this are ones who may not already have a copy but want a copy that can be read, reread and then handed down through the generations.

They clearly love the book.

If it is your favourite book (and for a lot of people out there, it is) then perhaps that makes its value.

Mark / Hobbit
 
astra_lestat said:
Do you have it?
Did you see it?
Did you hold it in your hands?

What does make it special?
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Nope, don't need to. I'm not the collecting type unless they are 1st editions. I simply will not spend that amount of money just for the sake of having something that looks pretty.

Nothing wrong with anyone else who likes more visually pleasing books but its no my thing.
 
Hobbit said:
Well we've usually said that books are only worth what people are prepared to pay for it. There will be some out there that paid £100, never mind £66, and been quite happy to do so.

So why might people be prepared to pay that sort of money? I've held and read from a copy but not bought it: I've 4 or 5 copies already! - and it's a nicely made copy built to last. The paper's good, the type's clear.

The sort of people who would buy a copy of this are ones who may not already have a copy but want a copy that can be read, reread and then handed down through the generations.

They clearly love the book.

If it is your favourite book (and for a lot of people out there, it is) then perhaps that makes its value.

Mark / Hobbit
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Interesting point of view.
I will consider it.
 
Wrath said:
Nope, don't need to. I'm not the collecting type unless they are 1st editions. I simply will not spend that amount of money just for the sake of having something that looks pretty.

Nothing wrong with anyone else who likes more visually pleasing books but its no my thing.
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I see :)

Well, usually, I don't spend more than Amazon's 34% off sale for hard back editions too.
The only exception is The Lord of the Rings.

I have The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit (illustrated hardback)
It is a superb edition. Extremely beautiful. Worth every penny I spent on it. However, it is a bit on heavy side for everyday reading :)
 
I'm not the collecting type unless they are 1st editions. I simply will not spend that amount of money just for the sake of having something that looks pretty.
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Fair enough, Wrath. They're not for everyone and you certainly don't have to buy it to read the book. For many a paperback copy will do.

They do tend to fall apart though: my trusty original copy - bought for me in 1972/3! - is held together by cardboard and plastic covering (just!).

It's quite nice to have a copy that will stay in good condition, in my opinion. But it does depend on whether you have the money, can afford it AND think it's worth it.

One more point: it can be very difficult to get those US editions in the UK, nice though they are; publishing rights means that many companies such as Amazon, won't ship them here.

LATER EDIT: We're clearly passing posts here, astra. Got one of those myself and agree with you. Love the Alan Lee paintings though which I don't have in my original. You can buy those as three seperate volumes too, of course: slightly lighter on the wrists!

Mark / Hobbit
 
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It looks like a beautiful edition to me. 66 pounds is pretty expensive, but when I was younger I paid almost that much for a Harper Collins LOTR three-hardcover set (with the original covers drawn by Tolkien) in a nice sturdy slipcover. Of course I would never have the cash to buy that now...but if you have the money, and you love LOTR, why not?
 
Hobbit said:
Fair enough, Wrath. They're not for everyone and you certainly don't have to buy it to read the book. For many a paperback copy will do.

They do tend to fall apart though: my trusty original copy - bought for me in 1972/3! - is held together by cardboard and plastic covering (just!).

It's quite nice to have a copy that will stay in good condition, in my opinion. But it does depend on whether you have the money, can afford it AND think it's worth it.

One more point: it can be very difficult to get those US editions in the UK, nice though they are; publishing rights means that many companies such as Amazon, won't ship them here.

LATER EDIT: We're clearly passing posts here, astra. Got one of those myself and agree with you. Love the Alan Lee paintings though which I don't have in my original. You can buy those as three seperate volumes too, of course: slightly lighter on the wrists!

Mark / Hobbit
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You make a good point for having a hardcover edition with a slipcase. I'm just a a little anal, I put all of the paperbacks that I intend to keep for a long time int plastic storage bag. So far, I've got some paperbacks that are getting near 20 years old and still in very good condition. Still, I can see where someone might want a more durable binding. :)
 
People have mentioned such storage around here before. It seems to work, though I would get annoyed at having to take them in and out of the plastic bags all the time, myself!

If you look after them, they can last - I've got some paperbacks from the 50's and 60's myself, not to mention some of the old pulps.

I love the old books, in all their baroque weirdness, even down to their fadedness and smell (which is clearly odd! :) )

But as Miri has said if you want one to keep and keep using then this may be one to do that. And if you're a fan of LotR it's not a bad one to keep.

(Alternatively, think of all the books you could buy for £66/£100!) :D

Mark / Hobbit
 
Hobbit said:
People have mentioned such storage around here before. It seems to work, though I would get annoyed at having to take them in and out of the plastic bags all the time, myself!
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Yeah, I can see that but I don't reread books very often. I re-read LotR maybe once every 4-5 years. I have read most of GRR Martins books twice, though I have hardcovers of those ones.


I love the old books, in all their baroque weirdness, even down to their fadedness and smell (which is clearly odd! :) )
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Geez, I thought I was the only one that liked the smell of old books!:eek:
 
Geez, I thought I was the only one that liked the smell of old books!
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Oh no.... there's a lot of us round here. Bibliophiles, this way.... :D

It's a nice place, feel free to pull up a chair!

But bringing the thread back to topic, does the creation of a nice copy (admittedly with a slipcase) justify the cost?

Mark / Hobbit
 
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Hobbit said:
does the creation of a nice copy (admittedly with a slipcase) justify the cost?

Mark / Hobbit
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Depends on the edition and how much of a fan you are.
I believe that The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit (illustrated hardback) worth it. However, I am not sure about 50th anniversary edition at all. Unfortunatelly, my local Waterstone doesn't have one, so I cannot have a look at it and hold it in my hands.
It is a huge sum and frankly speaking reviews on Amazon.co.uk are not very encouraging.
 
Are you sure you can't get the US edition? I get hardbacks from the UK now and then via The Book Depository.
 
I can order it from Amazon.COM and it is about 1/2 price including shipping.
I wonder whether it is good...
You said you like it?
 
Astra_ said:
I can order it from Amazon.COM and it is about 1/2 price including shipping.
I wonder whether it is good...
You said you like it?
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Yes, it's a nice hefty, well made book. My biggest worry was that the text was going to be tiny since it's one volume, but it's quite readable.
 
Are you sure you can't get the US edition? I get hardbacks from the UK now and then via The Book Depository.
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Yes, and I order books and DVD's regularly from the States to the UK. However, last time I looked, orders of Tolkien (unless secondhand, and I guess possibly through places like e-bay) are stopped. Remember this is Tolkien US - UK, not Tolkien UK - US.

Not impossible though if you're determined enough, though, I bet.

Astra_: be interested to see if that works. I know the US copy to the UK isn't possible though Amazon, though.

Mark / Hobbit
 
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