I am back with a small rundown of some of the best collector’s editions of Tolkien’s books that I’ve seen. This is by no means a comprehensive list; merely a few. All prices from Amazon in CAD.
2021 Super Deluxe Edition. LotR: $246, Silmarillion: $132, Hobbit: $200. This edition comes in red, blue, and green respectively with a slip-case and reproductions of the art drawn by Tolkien himself. The LotR also comes with the pages of the Book of Mazarbul and the King’s Letter. This is likely one of the most expensive (and most amazing) editions ever printed.
2021 Basic Deluxe Edition. LotR: $90, Silmarillion $90, Hobbit $75. This edition is my choice; it sits on my shelf in the place of honour as I write. The gilding is red, blue, and green respectively with white tengwar characters spelling out the ring inscription, Valinorean characters, and dwarvish runes respectively. Tolkien’s illustration, and maps. At a (relatively) reasonable price, this edition can be read without fear of destroying it, is quite robust, and even comes in a beautiful box with the Gates of Durin on it (LotR only).
LotR 50th Anniversary Edition: $250. This book is just standard beautiful. It has no bling, or fancy advertising, or tengwar gilding, slipcase, etc, but it has a natural beauty that makes it perfect for reading the book rather than have it sit on your shelf. This would 100% be my first choice, if I had that kind of money to spend on a book.
LotR 2004 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition: $400. No, that wasn’t a typo. Four hundred bucks for this purple-and-white, slipcased edition. The case has a hole to reveal the eye on the cover, which is surrounded by tengwar and other decorations. This is the ultimate collector’s piece; once you have it, there is nothing greater to obtain. But $400 is a bit steep, and it’s hard to come by after 20 years since printing. It certainly isn’t getting cheaper.
These are so far my favourites, if I find something better I’ll be sure to let you know. Remember these are just the most popular single-volume editions; plenty of 3-volume editions are also wonderful, I just prefer the single-volume because it reminds you that Lord of the Rings is not, in fact, a trilogy.
I will be getting back on track with regular articles soon. I have one in the works about the current craze of the sci-fi world, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune… Stay tuned