Christopher Tolkien to finish lost Middle Earth novel

[Hyarion]

davem, thanks for the link

I believe Megan of Houghton Mifflin stated the number of copies was in the hundreds, but not thousands. I would assume these were split between HM and HC, which would have me guess at a max of 500 total, 250 for HM (if they were split evenly), but I don't know if HM would give them all to B&N.

I think the limit of 5 per person was simply a B&N standard and was not considered for the specific event or based on how many were available, and then when all those phone calls started pouring in they began to realize what the demand would be like

I definitely think there is going to be more than 10 or 20, but I can't imagine more than 200/250. Which means if you're past number 100 in line, you won't have much luck.

The fact that there haven't been any other announced events makes me think the number is so small, that they didn't bother giving some away in LA or some place as well, so it could very well be they have more like 100 to give away.

However, our copies are from HarperCollins, not Houghton Mifflin, so this leads me to believe that HC still has their share, why they haven't announced anything is beyond me, as I haven't heard of any other events either.

I'm in the same boat as you regarding feeling a bit upset about this whole situation. I've had people from NY tell me they will be going to B&N, and they saw the films but haven't read the books yet...so obviously these copies are probably not going to be distributed to the biggest fans. And selling for loads on eBay is simply going to disperse them to the rich.

I think the other 2 copies we give away will be based on a trivia contest, or at least one will be, that way at least those who know a lot about the stories will have a higher chance of winning.

Best of luck in getting one

[davem]

Hyarion I can see, as you say, some very rich collectors ending up with most of the signed copies - which seems completely unfair. These copies should go to serious collectors (& while I would love a copy myself I just feel that people like my friend geordie over at the Plaza ought to have a copy signed by CT, given the amount of time & effort he's put into his collection - though if one of your copies is available to the winner of a Tolkien trivia competition he has a pretty good chance!).

I wish this part of the launch (small though it be) had been better organised by the publishers. This is a unique event in publishing, & the appearance of this book is so significant to so many, that to simply 'dump' so many of the signed copies in one store seems WRONG.


Mind you, what you say about Harper Collins having some gets me thinking - they are about to launch their re-vamped Tolkien.co.uk site .... might we expect a 'Site launch competition, with a few hundred signed copies on offer?????

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

I'm reassured to hear that, Hyarion. I agree with davem that there are some people who are so dedicated to Tolkien that they seem to deserve to have the latest collectables. A trivia competition seems a better way of finding out who they are than blind luck. However, market forces being what they are, I can see that only the the rich or the very dedicated will be able to get hold of one of these once the initial round of sales and competitions is over.

Naturally I've not been working on my Tolkien collection long enough to count among the meritorious, but I'll be taking every chance to get hold of a signed copy anyway for obvious reasons. I doubt that CRT will be available to sign any copies I might buy in the near future.

It's tempting to think of a HarperCollins competition to give away some goodies. Judging by some of the items that crop up on collectors' sites they keep back some rare Tolkien publications, like signed first impressions of LR, but such retention would still leave them with a good few dozen copies to give away or offer for sale at a higher rate. Only time will tell what they mean to do.

[Sauron the White]

There seem to be several stores which are making available singed copies by Alan Lee the illustrator. That does not seem to be the problem. However, the sought after signature seems to be that of Christopher Tolkien. The solution to this lack of availability rests completely in his hands. There will be as many signed bookplates available as CT deems there will be. Mr. Tolkien is in his 80's and probably is not eager to sign thousands of bookplates in time for the release date in Mid April.

As a solution perhaps he could be convinced to sing more bookplates over time, say a few hundred a month and make them available as needed selling just one or two to collectors. This would keep availability at a high level while keeping the scalpers at bay and keeping the price affordable. In addition to his fine work as editor and keeper of the flame, this would be a great service to his public.

[davem]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

As a solution perhaps he could be convinced to sing more bookplates over time, say a few hundred a month and make them available as needed selling just one or two to collectors. This would keep availability at a high level while keeping the scalpers at bay and keeping the price affordable. In addition to his fine work as editor and keeper of the flame, this would be a great service to his public.

Possibly - though that would decrease the rarity value of signed copies. My own solution would have been for the books/bookplates to have been made available via the Publishers websites - either for direct sale or as prizes. As I said, the most annoying aspect of this is that if you happen to be in New York you can line up & pick a couple of signed editions off the shelf & if you live elsewhere you have virtually no chance - when did Big Apple residents become the 'chosen few' with special priority over the rest of us 'lesser' mortals?

However such a thing has happened before. At the 1992 Tolkien Centenary Conference in Oxford attendees were each given a cassette recording by Christopher Tolkien of 'The Homecoming of Beortnoth' which have never been made available elsewhere - but they at least went to serious fans (well to serious fans who could afford to attend a week long Tolkien Conference........). At the 2005 Conference we got a plastic pen with 'Tolkien 2005' on it.

[Sauron the White]

davem - what is the goal here? You mention rarity of signed copies. Of course the law and supply and demand will raise its head - ugly or otherwise and the smaller the number of signed copies the greater their cost. But is that of any concern to a true Tolkien collector who wants a signed copy on their shelf? For me I really could not care less about how much something is worth unless I am purchasing it and have to shell out the cash. I imagine my heirs will care a great deal when they have to dispose of all this stuff - but until then it all stays here and I enjoy it. It matters not to me if there are 250 signed copies of COH or 2,500. It matters not to me if they are worth the issue price of under thirty dollars or if someone on ebay manages to get a thousand dollars for one. I merely want one signed copy to go with the rest of my collection. I imagine many others are in the same boat.

[davem]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

It matters not to me if they are worth the issue price of under thirty dollars or if someone on ebay manages to get a thousand dollars for one. I merely want one signed copy to go with the rest of my collection. I imagine many others are in the same boat.

Of course - yet there will never be 2,500 signed copies. There will inevitably be a limit & because of that the ones there are should be made more widely available. Certainly it would be nice if every copy was signed. Yet rarity is special. To own something rare appeals to our natural egotism if nothing else - but I think there is more to it than that. I have books that were owned by Michael Tolkien, given him by his father. No-one else has them because they're unique & therefore 'special'. Its the chance discovery, the 'odd' coincidences that lead to such things, that make them special. The chase, the possibility of not obtaining them for oneself, & the holding of them when you eventually do get them, is part of what makes it special.

When I heard about the books I have I wanted them, & the whole process of contacting the seller, waiting with anticipation for a reply, sending off the cheque, even worrying whether they would get lost in the post( ) was all part of the excitement. Even the disappointment that I'd have felt if I hadn't got them added to the whole thing.

Having so many copies available to so few people which are innaccessible to the rest of us is unfair. I want all fans to have a fair & equal chance of getting the signed copies that there are. That way I'd mind less if I didn't get one myself - because I'd know I'd had as much chance as anyone else, & that the ones who did get them didn't get them just because of where they happened to live, or enough money to buy them on ebay.