Note: This post is now obsolete; for a thorough and up-to-date on the American Tolkien bibliography, check out Devon Press’ TolkienBooks.Us!
Welcome to my Comprehensive (To the Best of My Knowledge) List of Out-of-Print and Current US Editions of The Lord of the Rings (and Selected Editions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion)! The Hobbit and The Silmarillion are only included when they are available in a box set with the novel. I hope this list is useful to you; if you have any questions, corrections, or comments, please feel free to let me know in the comments below and I’ll see what I can do to help. If you’re interested in the British publication history, TolkienBooks.Net has got you covered. Mike’s Tolkien Resources and the Internet Speculative Fiction Database are my main resources for the list and well worth checking out on their own merits.
Houghton Mifflin First Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1955, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1955, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1955, Hardcover
Ace Books Pirated Editions
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ace Books, 1965, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ace Books, 1965, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ace Books, 1965, Paperback
Ballantine Books First Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1965, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1965, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1965, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin Second Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1967, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1967, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1967, Hardcover
(Available as box set, with both black and red slipcovers)
Notes: Cover scans are courtesy Lookout Mountain Bookstore.
Ballantine Special Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1970, Trade paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1970, Trade paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1970, Trade paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Second Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1973, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1973, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1973, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1973, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 1978 Trade Paperback
The Hobbit, Houghton Mifflin, 1978, Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1978, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1978, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1978, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin Silver Anniversary Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, 1981, Hardcover
The Two Towers, 1981, Hardcover
The Return of the King, 1981, Hardcover
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Third Edition:
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
The Silmarillion, Ballantine Books, 1981-84, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Easton Press Tolkien Classics Collection
The Hobbit, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
The Fellowship of the Ring, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
The Silmarillion, Easton Press, 1984, Hardcover
Ballantine Fourth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1985-88, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1985-88, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1985-88, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1985-88, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 1987 Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1987, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1987, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1987, Hardcover
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin One Volume Deluxe Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 1987, Hardcover
Notes: Originally published in 1974, this edition was revised in 1987 as a 50th Anniversary edition. There’s also apparently a green collectors’ edition version kicking around, according to one commentator. If you have any information, let me know!
Houghton Mifflin 1988 Edition
The Hobbit, Houghton Mifflin, 1988, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1988, Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1988, Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1988, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Fifth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine Sixth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 1988, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin One Volume Centenary Edition
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 1991, Hardcover
Science Fiction Book Club Special Edition
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 1998, Hardcover
Ballantine/Del Rey Seventh Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine/Del Rey, 1999, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 1999, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 1999, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 1999, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Notes: An impressive amount of Tolkien’s other works were released in a similar (though not identical) style, making this, I think, an ideal paperback edition for the novels and the other works. My favorite paperback style, hands down.
Houghton Mifflin 1999 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
Houghton Mifflin Millennium Edition Boxed Set
The Ring Sets Out, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The Ring Goes South, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The Treason at Isengard, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The Ring Goes East, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The War of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
The End of the Third Age, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Hardcover
Notes: Looks great, right? And Tolkien preferred this method of publication. But the quality of this edition is known to be poor, especially considering the price. The British version of this set is still currently published.
Houghton Mifflin Trade Paperback 1999 Edition
The Hobbit, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
The Silmarillion, Houghton Mifflin, 1999, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine/Del Rey Eighth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2001, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2001, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2001, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2001, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2001 Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2001 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Trade Paperback
Houghton Mifflin 2001 Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2001, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Ballantine Books, 2001, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Ballantine Books, 2001, Hardcover
(Available as box set)
Ballantine/Del Rey Ninth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2002, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2002, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2002, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2002, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2002 Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2002 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Trade Paperback
Houghton Mifflin 2002 Alan Lee Centenary Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Hardcover
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Hardcover
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2002, Hardcover
(Available as box set)
Ballantine/Del Rey Tenth Edition
The Hobbit, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2003, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2003, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2003, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2003, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin 2003 One Volume Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Hardcover
Houghton Mifflin 2003 One Volume Gift Set Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Hardcover
Houghton Mifflin 2003 One Volume Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Paperback
Houghton Mifflin 2003 Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Houghton Mifflin Deluxe 2004 50th Anniversary One Volume Hardcover
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2004, Hardcover
Science Fiction Book Club 50th Anniversary Edition
The Lord of the Rings, Science Fiction Book Club, 2004?, Hardcover
Notes: This edition is both rare and bare documented. According to eagle-eyed commenter Jeff, “I was a member of the SFBC for 3 years during college, and I received an offer in their mail to order this limited version of the book. I think I paid around $70-$80 for it, and I had ordered 2, but only received one. Must have been very limited.” An e-mail to the Science Fiction Book Club was similarly inconclusive. If you have any more information on this edition, please let me know!
Houghton Mifflin 2005 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, Trade Paperback
Houghton Mifflin 2005 Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Ballantine/Del Rey Eleventh Edition
The Fellowship of the Ring, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2007, Paperback
The Two Towers, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2007, Paperback
The Return of the King, Ballantine/Del Rey, 2007, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Del Rey Twelfth Edition
The Hobbit, Del Rey, 2012, Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Del Rey, 2012, Paperback
The Two Towers, Del Rey, 2012, Paperback
The Return of the King, Del Rey, 2012, Paperback
(Available as box set)
Notes: The corresponding UK edition is the same, but lacks the “continuing the story of The Hobbit” text on the cover.
Mariner Books 2012 One Volume Trade Paperback
The Lord of the Rings, Mariner Books, 2012, Trade Paperback
Mariner Books 2012 Trade Paperback
The Hobbit, Mariner Books, 2012, Trade Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring, Mariner Books, 2012, Trade Paperback
The Two Towers, Mariner Books, 2012, Trade Paperback
The Return of the King, Mariner Books, 2012, Trade Paperback
(Available as box set)
Notice anything missing or incorrectly labeled? Let me know in the comments. If you’re interested in valuing your editions, please feel free to comment below or shoot me an e-mail (my e-mail is listed on my About page); I will respond.
The Literary Omnivore 
I like those 1981 hardcovers! The first editions are really beautiful too, and if I ever feel financially comfortable splashing out a grand on first editions of Tolkien, I will know I have Arrived. :p My copies are reissues, I guess, of the 1987 or 1988 editions, the illustrations by Alan whatshisface. I’m fond of them.
Aren’t they gorgeous? And yeah, it’s definitely a dream.
Alan Lee! His work is so lovely. The early British editions are lovely, although I think the US movie tie-in versions are much better; I just got the 2001 Houghton Mifflin one volume trade paperback off eBay and I can’t wait—the logo is gorgeous. (Not to mention it’s the very edition I first read The Lord of the Rings on.)
I loved this post–thanks for all your hardwork. I’ve book marked it!
Thanks!
Oh, these are lovely! What a useful list, not to mention a great way to compare the covers! I use the 1999 trade paperbacks as reading copies, and I have the 1974 red boxed single volume for “good.” I also have a similar green boxed book of The Hobbit, which I don’t see here.
Too bad the 1999 boxed set is poor quality. I really like that one!
I’m so glad you find it useful! I only list The Hobbit when included in a box set with The Lord of the Rings.
It is lovely, isn’t it? Luckily, the UK has two different seven volume collections in paperback—one mimicking the one above and the other a film tie-in. So they’re certainly available!
In addition to the 1991 Houghton Mifflin One Volume Centenary Edition, HM also put out a three volume centenary set with some great Alan Lee covers. TFOTR has his Rivendell painting, TTT has his Shelob painting and TROTK has the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. They also have silver, not gold trim.
nice list, howeve you’re missing a copy I have as my “display” copy. it’s the science fiction book club 50th anniversary leather-bound hardcover with gold writing, could provide you with a picture if need be
A picture would be great! I found a list of titles published under that particular label—The Science Fiction Book Club 50th Anniversary—but I haven’t seen anything that lists The Lord of the Rings among them, so I’d love to see it!
I realize I’m chiming in a year late here, but I also have this SFBC 50th anniversary leatherbound edition, and am trying to value it. I can’t seem to find it for sale anywhere, so I have not basis for assigning a value (not that I’m going to sell it, I’m just inventorying my collection). Did you ever get your photo of it? I’d be happy to send one, and I’d love to hear from anyone who can help me come up with a dollar amount for the volume.
That’s okay! The Internet is timeless.
If you could send me a photo, that would be fantastic! And I’ll see if I can’t poke around and see what I can find…
Hello, I also have a copy of The Lord of the Rings, Science Fiction Book Club 50th Anniversary leatherbound edition. It will be going up for sale on eBay soon (by the seller shoeshoeshoes). You were right about this edition being barely documented anywhere (which led me to your site). If you are interested, I will send you all of my auction photos that you may use at your discretion. Thanks!
Kevan, that would be wonderful! Thank you so much for reaching out and offering. I’d love to add photos of that edition to this post. Please feel free to send any photos to theliteraryomnivore AT gmail DOT com.
i have the Ballantine 1965 ones => haha
1965 Ballentine paperback 3 set . . . worth?
any idea what these are worth? i have them too, but mine is a 3 set and am only seeing 4 set so far.
I combined your comment since you commented twice in extremely short succession.
As for the worth of them, it depends on their condition. I’ve seen individual copies sell for ten dollars a pop, so I’d gauge about thirty for the whole bunch. If they’re in particularly good condition, I recommend talking to an antiquarian bookseller (although these might be too young!) or checking eBay for going prices, which range from $8 to $30 per book.
I have the all the 1973 Lord Of the Rings editions; except for The Hobbit. I love the cover art.
They are lovely; they’re also art done by Tolkien himself, which makes it all the better. I’ve got them in a box set.
Well, I LOVE ALL of Them..I have a 1973 paperback Ballantine of “The Hobbit”..My auntie gave me when I turned 18..many years ago..I have a hard cover edition “The Hobbit or There and Back Again” that contains all revisions and corrections that have been made since the original publication and conforms in every respect to that of the British Fourth Edition published by George Allen & Unwin 1978. Copyright Restored 1996 by the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien and is Illustrated by the Author as well. I ran across your web page in my search. I was trying to find out what both of my copies were worth..(Just for my own piece of mind) Anyways..found your page very helpful..So..Thank you for taking the time to put it together. If you have any suggestions on a site that I could find out the value?? That would be Great. I have the Extended Directors DVD Box set of the Lord of the Rings and absolutely enjoy watching them..My children have grown up on Them & many, many, movie marathons (usually a Saturday,,ALL day) LOL..Have a Blessed Day..Thanks Again
Personally, to find book value, I tend to use eBay to get an idea of a price range. It depends on the age of the book, its rarity (hold onto your Hobbit; the movie tie-ins will flood the market soon!), and the condition it’s in. eBay listings usually have photos, so it’s easy to identify each edition and their condition.
You’re quite welcome! I’m so glad this page was useful.
The red hardcover one above (1987) was deemed a “collectors’ edition” (50th year anniversary I think) and had a very nice red/black foldout map with lots of detail (I think his son CT did this one). The hardcover and the “housing” had the same red, leatherlike surface. Also released at the same time was a “green” collectors’ edition that was the same height. Just looked on ebay and there was only one of the red cover, but it did not have the book housing.
That would be a The Hobbit anniversary, then; I’ll keep an eye out for any information on a green version, which sounds lovely. Thanks for letting me know—I love hearing about this.
I love the first edition! My set is the HM 1999, inc The Silmarillion. I really love the feel & covers!
That’s a beautiful edition; I especially like how The Silmarillion fits in so nicely, probably because my first edition was a film hardcover tie-in, so there was no pretty or matching The Hobbit or The Silmarillion for me!
We have the Ballantine Second Edition 1973, with all 4 book is terrific shape. I’d like to know what the value might be on these? Anyone have a clue? Thanks.
I did a little research for you; that set, with or without the gold box it comes in, goes for about ten to twenty dollars on eBay in that condition. The older American paperbacks aren’t wildly valuable, unfortunately—even the Ballantine Special Edition tops out around twenty to thirty dollars, and that’s with the box set. If you’re interested in selling, talk to your local used bookstore about it; you’ll probably get better money online. I hope that helps!
Hey, I appreciate it a ton. You’re the best. I looked all over and couldn’t find anything on it, which meant to me that it would be more rare. Of course, quite the contrary. It’s really too bad, because we do have the complete set, gold box in perfect condition and all three books of the trilogy have not even been touched (ie: read), only the hobiit with a slight crinkle from bend. It’s a nice set and when I saw 1973 I thought (40 year old books…wow!)
Here’s my reason why I went wow! my 11 year old son wanted to read the books. He is ENAMORED with the movies and they are the soundtrack of his life. When he discovered we had these, of course he wanted to read right away. I paused because they’re very old.
Telling me they are worth 20 bucks is GREAT news because I can let him read with reckless abandon, and if something happens…by chance…who cares. Books are meant to be read. Masterpiece collectors items are meant to be admired.
Hello Peter,
I had the original set back in 1973 but they became damaged over the years and I got rid of them.
I just purchased a complete set including the Hobbit for $76 on ebay. Bidding was intense to the final second!
Regards,
Mark
Thanks so much, Mark! eBay seems to be the way to go.
I found this page while looking for recommendations for a sturdy paperbook editions of the books, ideally with the 50th anniversary edition corrections. Thanks for putting this together!
My own experience with different editions: I grew up with the 1973 Ballantine paperbacks. As that was the period of my life I read them the most, I can definitely say they are hardy. I really like the cover artwork too.
I got the Houghton Mifflin 1988 paperback boxed set as a gift later, and the binding is terrible quality. The Fellowship started to come apart during the first reading, and had split in two by the second; the others are following suit. I should note that the boxed set books have the same borders and titles as shown here, but without the artwork: in the center, there’s just a pattern of diagonal white lines with black shading.
I’m a little suspicious of HM’s edition quality in general as a result, though I do have the 1999 trade paper of the Silmarillion, and it is a nice, solid edition. I just bought the HM 2005 trade paperback of Return of the King, and am hoping it turns out the same.
Thanks so much for letting us know! I’ve noticed that the 1973 Ballantine paperbacks are particularly hardy as well—I see a lot of them in thrift stores and on eBay in a variety of conditions, but all readable.
Huh! I’ll have to go researching for a photo of those box set covers, unless you would be so kind as to provide one.
I think it will—the new trades look well put together, although you never know.
A wonderful illustrative presentation of ‘all’ of the American published editions of the Lord of the Rings.
A wonderful illustrative presentation of ‘all’ of the American published editions of the Lord of the Rings. But, I’m confused. The red one volume Deluxe Hardcover edition Houghton Mifflin, was originally published in 1974 and then I gather re-released in 1987 as a 50th edition? How could this be? 1987 – 1954 = 33 years? The year 2004 would be 50 years since its first publication.
Then 1954 + 100 = 2054, a volume published in that year would be a centenary edition, the two editions calling themselves ‘centenary’ seem a bit premature, or am I not understanding the meaning of the words?
That 50th edition is going off the release of The Hobbit in 1937, and the centenary editions are going off J. R. R. Tolkien’s birth year of 1892. Hope that helps!
I have a 1978 Houghton Mifflin boxed hardcover set of Lord of the Rings (Hobbit not included with the set) not mentioned here. What’s up?
I’ve not come across it in my research, then! Would you be interested in taking a photo of the set and the copyright page and sending it along to help flesh this post out?
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Thank you for posting this! I’ve had a vague childhood memory of reading my Aunt’s copy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I’ve been searching for that exact copy based on my recollection of the cover. I searched years ago and on a whim thought I’d see if there was any new info on the net. Thanks to you I now know it’s the Ballantine Special Edition set from 1970!
You’re quite welcome, Jenny! I’m so glad I could be of help. I need to update this soon… over my holiday break, perhaps!
Re: Houghton Mifflin One Volume Deluxe Hardcover (The 12th photo)
I have that exact volume copyright 1965 along with a green Hobbit copyright 1966. Received them as a gift in 1980.
As well as a green Hobbit? Thanks for the heads up—I’m going to be updating this in the next few weeks to reflect the new movie tie-in editions.
Surprisingly the finest copy I own of LotR is Houghton Mifflin Deluxe 2004 50th Anniversary One Volume Hardcover. Siurprisingly because usually american book art is repugnant to me over the more staid british versions (example the first eds of LotR and the Robert jordan books over their UK counterparts) yet this version is just beautiful. One that any reverend would be proud to have laid open on it’s plinth for him to read from to his congregation, if it was a bible.
It is a really gorgeous edition; I’m more of a pop culture magpie, so the sillier ones delight me, but if I could only have one elegant copy, that might be it.
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I am crossing my fingers that you are still available for your invaluable insight regarding these amazing books…considering the last post was Dec, 2012. I currently own and have held onto a “Signature Set” Houghton Mifflin 1978 edition (All 4 books)..in anticipation of the movie “The Hobbit” coming out. None of them are read and in quite good condition…is it possible to get your recommendation on what their value could be? I saw them on ebay once for around $600….but I really have nothing to gauge the price from. Looking forward to hearing from you!
I’m so glad you reached out despite the time-stamp; I’ll add a note to the post indicating that I’m always happy to value.
Glancing on eBay, it looks like your set—if you still have the box—is currently going for around forty to sixty dollars. There is a major outlying auction listing it for $150, but I think that seller is a little too ambitious! These are all with the red boxes; the green box listed in my post is not on eBay at the moment, so it be worth a little more.
Oh! I wish someone would re-release all the books in six volumes and not have them be cheap. That would be wonderful. I would buy it in a heartbeat. Nice paperbacks would be perfect — easy to carry around and all. Plus books in boxes are my weakness.
It would be amazing!
Box sets of anything are my weakness. I almost picked up a few Star Trek movies on VHS from a thrift store because they were part of a box set that did a single image across their sides.
hy i have the lord of the rings 1,2 & 3 in 1 hard back book and it was published in 1978 by book club associates by arangement with george allen & erwin ltd. I am havin trouble finding the value of the book as i cant fint this edition anywere else and i was wondering if you could please help me. thanks
Hi, Chris! Thanks for getting in touch. It sounds like you have one of the British omnibus editions. The only ones published in 1978 were paperbacks—one featuring a cover illustration by Pauline Baynes and the other featuring a still from the Bakshi version. The only hardback Book Club Associates edition I could dig up is this one. Without a photo, I can’t be sure.
Glancing through eBay US and eBay UK, this Book Club Associates edition is not going for much—the last two sold listings on eBay US went for about two dollars and five dollars, respectively. However, The Tolkien Bookshelf is selling one of the paperbacks for $285. If you’re interested in selling, I would shoot them an e-mail. I hope this all helps!
Omni
I notice you don’t have pictures of the US 2nd edition of LotR–they were available individually and in a slipcase. If you would like some pics, contact me and I’ll send some.
If you have a guess what the first US edition (but not 1st printing, sadly) might be worth I’d love to hear about it. My google-foo is weak and I can’t find anything resembling a price on-line.
Dennis
Dennis,
Thanks for your comment! I’ve sent you an e-mail about the pictures and about pricing for the first US edition. If the condition is excellent, those Houghton Mifflin hardbacks can run up to over a thousand dollars.
I saw earlier in the comments in regards to a couple people having the 50th SFBC edition of the LoTR and inquiring about value. I have this copy as well, did you ever come across any information on value?
This is such a rare, odd edition! There’s little to no information on it, let alone listings that would let me estimate a price. I haven’t come across any information on what it’s worth, since it’s so rare that I’ve never seen it listed for sale on the usual suspects. If you don’t mind me asking, how much did you pay for it? Was it directly from SFBC?
I don’t remember what I paid for it sadly. I’ve owned it since it was offered by SFBC. If memory serves it was less than $100 but by no means a cheap book to purchase.
I found mine at a Savers and got it for probably less than $10 @.@
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I have a copy of the science fiction book club edition, I found it at a Savers. I didn’t know it was rare! It’s so pretty, I was surprised to find it at a second hand store!
What a great find! Sometimes these things slip through the cracks because thrift store employees don’t have the training to price books the same way a used bookstore would.
Very true. I found & sold a copy of “Houghton Mifflin One Volume Deluxe Hardcover” that way 🙂
I currently have the 1981 HM set listed on ebay – started it at $5, for 7 days.
The prices on some of these things – wow!
I am looking to buy the Ballantine Fifth Edition boxed set with the different colored covers. Can anyone help me find where to buy them? Thanks!
As a boxed set, I think your best bet would be eBay. Those are often labeled eighties, but I find the easiest thing to do is simply scan through the photos. A lot of people selling on eBay don’t know what they have. On their own, though, I see them a lot in thrift stores and used bookstores. If you can find someone with the box and one of the books, it may be cheaper to buy that and fill it out.
I found the Fellowship of the Ring on eBay but it wasn’t in very good condition. I will keep my eye out at used bookstores. (I want to replace my dad’s torn and used ones for his birthday) They don’t necessarily have to be a boxed set just all of the books.
I have a box set of the Houghton Mifflin 1987 Edition
, my question is I have noticed the the cover of the first book, “the fellowship of the ring” is acculy upside down. The I gracing on the front of the other two is on the back upside down. Is this a misprint ? I’m guessing, or are they all like this. That’s the actual cover not the sleeve. Thanks!
Yeah, that’s definitely a misprint! But it does make your copies more valuable, ha. Thanks for swinging by!
So I was trying to look into this error (backwards-upside down cover) a little more and I have having such a hard time trying to figure out if there are any others out there like this, what the value maybe and any other info I can find about it. But I have hit abrick wall after finding out really nothing. Is there anymore info you could give me, or atleast direct me in the right way about more info about this ? Anything would be a help! Thanks!
Yeah, that’s a difficult thing to research. I would point you to Tolkien Library. They’re European-based, so they might not be helpful if you’re Stateside, but they might have some information on Tolkien misprints. You can contact the gentleman who runs the site here. I hope that helps! Good luck!
I just found unusual set of Houghton Mifflin Second Edition.
Can’t find any like this. The books are smaller than regular Houghton Mifflin Second Edition
5 ½ x 8 1/3, in green cloth no picture on front, some different in back spine of slipcovers.
Everething else looks the same # of pages, map. All 1965 third and fourth printings. Anyone know anything? Thanks
Without seeing any pictures, my first impulse is that those might be personally rebound copies of some UK editions. If you haven’t already, I would look to either Tolkien Books, which covers the UK publication history, or The Tolkien Library, which often sells and therefore keeps information on personally rebound copies. Let me know if either of those leads go anywhere for you.
No it is not UK editions, they look exactly the same as Houghton Mifflin Second Edition, same publishers, same copyright page, same design, same pictures, same slipcovers with different design on back spine . Just smaller size and covers are green. Please, let me know if you want to see pictures and how I can send it to you. Maybe it a book club edition, but it not stated anywhere. No price. Thanks
Hmm. Odd! You can send any photos of it you’d like to theliteraryomnivore AT gmail DOT com and I’ll take a look.
I bought this inexpensive, yet handsome 4-book set for a friend, only to find ‘The Fellowship Of The Ring’ ‘s cover upside down? Not knowing much about book collecting, we thought it might make it more valuable in years to come. My uncle who buys & sells collectable books, said likely not for a massed produced set like this… curious what folks more knowledgeable than myself on the subject think… ?
Hmm! Printing errors do occur with mass produced books, and that does make them more valuable—to the right collector. Now, this set came out last year, so you’ll probably have to wait until it goes out of print for its price to rise. I imagine your uncle likely deals with rarer, older, and more expensive (again, to the right people!) books, but there’s enough of a market for Tolkien editions that I think, in some years’ time, it’ll be fun to see how much it could go for. I hope that helped! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Sent you these pictures yestarday. Thanks for looking
You’re very welcome! And thank you for sending them. I’ve e-mailed you a reply.
Acquired from my brothers estate is a 1973 gold box 4-book color set. Non-creased binders, numbered 345-2960* series. I have looked & can’t find an exact match anywhere. Published by Ballantine Authorized Edition. Can anyone help?
Hmm: the 1973 Ballantine paperbacks above do have a gold box set, but I haven’t provided a photo of it. I have one in my collection, but it’s unfortunately in storage at the moment. Are the covers different than what’s listed above?
I just picked up the goofy Book of the month club set from 1995 with covers by Richard Beards. I love that they are paperbacks with fold out maps in the back! I know they aren’t worth much, but they are so bizarre I couldn’t help myself.
Oh, those sound so great! If you like them, then I’d say they’re worth something. I’m very fond of the mid-eighties paperbacks because the art is so… not Tolkien at all.