Is it common for the Alan Lee box set of LotR + The Hobbit to just always be damaged? I’ve tried twice off Amazon and 3 times from a local book store and every one has been damaged in some way (usually the slipcase, but still). One was punctured through the middle of the side of the slipcase and into the cover of RotK.

I’m trying to put together my Tolkien collection and settled on the Alan Lee box set to go alongside the hard cover publications of HoME but here I am waiting for my local bookshop to return yet another copy and order a new one again.

Is it common for this box set to be in rough shape directly from the distributor?

My collection of Tolkien books as of now. Really happy to see it coming together now. I started with just the faux leather bound editions on the lower left late last year. 📚🏹💍

I've got the Silmarillion and a few other deluxe editions recently and they're very stiff and don't lay open very well.

My copy of LotR is the 50th HM version that's always behaved nicely due to the thinner paper, and I've always had a great experience reading it.

Is this a thing or so I just read them a bunch?

Anyone know if they’ll be releasing WM versions of e.g. Hobbit/Lotr box set, Great Tales of Middle Earth, Complete Guide, etc.?

At the base of the spine of my first edition (second impression) of Fellowship is the simple letter J. This is the position on every other copy I have seen is the legend George Allen and Unwin, mine simply have J. This version was printed in Great Britain by Jarrold And Sons Limited, Norwich. So would I be right in assuming this J stands for Jarrold

I'm wondering if this signals a change in dust jacket, or if this is some sort of fake copy I just acquired. Asking because I was hoping for a match, but you'll note some differences in type size ("The Return of the King" for example) and especially in location of the JRRT logo. I'm not quite whether they are still printing these.

https://preview.redd.it/yr7ggeiyzjxd1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb4f162ecba269a2d7b56c4fbfb372def1d3fe59

Point of comparison
https://imgur.com/VYUfjLM

 Does "The History of Middle Earth" series include all of Tolkien's legendarium? For example, are the complete stories of Beren and Luthien, The Children of Hurin, The Fall of Gondolin, etc. Included in the series? (The whole story(ies) as told in their respective books). Also, are books such as "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil", "The Peoples of Middle Earth, "Tales from the Perilous Realm", etc. Included in the series? Which of Tolkien's books are considered cannon with respect to the Middle Earth universe? 

I'm looking into putting some of the recent illustrated edition books (from this list) on a gift list, for now probably just the Hobbit + LOTR set and the Silmarillion. However, it seems these versions, at least the Hobbit + LOTR set, aren't sold in the US. They are on Amazon, but I don't really trust Amazon in getting the right version or being in good condition, and since it'd be a gift I couldn't easily return it. I've also looked at ebay, but I can't find any listings for new that aren't $150 or more. Is there any reputable sellers for these books that I could get the set and Silmarillion for under $100 each?

Hi everyone! I'm a huge fan of paperbacks, and want to find a good reading set of LoTR, Hobbit, and Silm. But they have to be "floppy". The kind where the covers are soft and don't crease and you can flop them around!

Does anyone know which editions I should hunt down to fill this need?? Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,

I am looking to start a hardback "collection" and have been looking into some of the new releases from HarperCollins. I find them the best looking. I like The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion illustrated by the author, but I think these are more like collector's pieces rather than reading copies, so I was looking into getting the boxed set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings first (ISBN 9780008376109). I am planning to get all of these in the reading order found on tolkiensociety.org . I will be posting ISBNs next to the titles of the editions I think are in the same style.

• The Hobbit (Included in the box set ISBN: 9780008376109)
• The Lord of the Rings (Included in the boxed set ISBN: 9780008376109)
• The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book (Could not find in the same style)
• The Silmarillion (9780008433949)
• Unfinished Tales (9780008387952)
• The History of Middle-earth series (??? I am lost)
• The Children of Húrin (9780007246229)
• Beren and Lúthien (9780008214197)
• The Fall of Gondolin (9780008302757)

I have many questions...

1. Are the editions I posted in the same style as the boxed set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings?
2. I assume the Tom Bombadil book does not exist in the same style? I intend to skip it for now nonetheless.
3. Regarding The History of Middle-earth, there are SO MANY BOOKS?! Please help!
4. What's the best place to get these in Europe? (Not the UK but mainland Europe, specifically Czechia). Our stores have some of them, but they are either out of stock or about 10% or more, more expensive compared to the prices I found on Blackwells, so I will either wait for them to be restocked or look for a better option. Would Blackwell's be a good place? I’ve never ordered from them and am a little bit worried about possible import fees. Also, what if I need to return any of them due to damage or printing errors? I'm mainly concerned about fees with Brexit... Would you recommend using Blackwell's, or could you recommend other stores based in mainland Europe?

Thank you so much in advance! I hope this post will help any new aspiring Tolkien readers and collectors.

edit: formating and grammar

Hello! I recently received a second copy of the 70th-anniversary edition (I had to return my first copy). This one is perfectly fine, except for some white spots on the Bilbo in Rivendell painting and a minor misprint (as you can see in the image).

Would you return it? I’m a bit hesitant, as I worry that another copy might have even more issues.

Actually it turned out to be better than the set I paid $75 more for from Blackwell’s. Overall both sets were in good condition, but the AwesomeBooks order, which I actually tried to cancel and was instead met with their “come on, give us a chance” customer service (awful, awful tactic, by the way) had no dents on the top of the spine, fewer loose threads, and just overall looked better. If I could afford to order a third set right now so I had one to give to my second child when he’s old enough for it, I think I’d go with AwesomeBooks.

For now, I’m glad things worked out with this retailer, even though others here were sewing some serious doubts in me. And if you’re on the fence about ordering from them, I can at least vouch for the fact that they should be able to send you the correct set.

I’ve been looking into what particular books to buy to enjoy lotr for the first time. I’ve heard and read that Alan Lee’s set from 2020 is very popular, which is confirmed by videos such as this. https://youtu.be/9UqGuR46zSA?si=Mzditq9tbpIYfADT

The only substantive complaint I’ve come across is that the materials of the dust jacket of this set are supposedly very frail: https://youtu.be/crBSEDBIlYg?si=i77X5QqYOAnrLrOs

My question is: What is the experience people have this this set, especially with regards to whether or not there is a need to worry about the dust jackets being frail?

I bought a 70s edition of the revised Return of the King today (9th impression) and happened to walk past the shop again later and looked to see what he replaced ROTK with in the window. It was the afore named. Any good? Worth buying? I've never heard of it before tbh

While quite modest by comparison, I am very happy to have this collection. I’ve seen several posts recently about reading copies - am I nuts to put loving miles on these illustrated editions? I read LOTR in a combined paperback and look forward to digging deeper into Middle Earth.

Obligatory what am I missing question applies as well.

I’m wanting to expand my knowledge of Middle Earth and I’m thinking of getting only the ones that are most vital/fun to read. Which of these Top 2 or 3 would you suggest?

Children of Hurin, Fall of Númenor, Fall of Gondolin, Beren & Luthien, Unfinished Tales