Looking back at the beginning of this thread reminds me that it was Fordim who initiated the discussion project! His introduction is well worth rereading.
I began thinking about the Prologue even before I actually reread it - I looked up information on war and weapons as concerning hobbits for another thread just a few days ago. This introduction to the book is an absolute essential for anyone writing a Hobbit RPG or fanfiction! There is so much invaluable information contained in it. I know that I read it very closely when beginning to write a story, and rereading it just might inspire me to finish it in the near future...
The second part, 'Concerning Pipe-weed', contains spoilers about Merry's future - is it really necessary to have that at the beginning of the book, or would it have been better placed in the Appendices? The same thought applies to the 'Note on the Shire Records' - it is chockfull of spoilers! Now, I'm definitely a person who reads all introductions, forewords, even acknowledgements, when I read a book, so I assume I must have read this part before delving into the story, but I don't remember whether I realized the spoilers back then. It's been awhile!
The future of Merry, Pippin and Sam and their offspring is mentioned, and the fact that Frodo writes the Red Book gives away the fact that he survived the War of the Ring. Does anyone remember realizing that when you first read the book? I would definitely have placed this section in the Appendices, to be read afterwards.