Gold, silver, and jools

[Selmo]

Originally Posted by Sir Kohran

Bilbo who is well-off is treated with disdain by most of the 'normal' people, despite the fact that he isn't actually that rich and is quite generous with his money.

Bilbo wasn't treated with distain because of what he brought back from his journey but because he went off with the Dwarves in the first place. It was his eccentricity, not his wealth, that normal Hobbits disliked.

Bilbo was different and difference always attracts wild rumors. Consider how, in our own world, some sections of the mass media continually generate and propagate stories about celebraties.
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