Proof trilogy on Ebay

[Rafellin]

Beyond affordability, but something to see.

Complete with pencilled annotations and corrections.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/J-R-R-TOL...t=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item1c4b5ffb8b

 

[Extollager]

Thanks! That was fun to look at.

To anyone who's interested: if you could acquire these, what would you do with them? Store them in a bank vault and look at them once a year?

 

[HareBrain]

what would you do with them? Store them in a bank vault and look at them once a year?

My car's worth more than that, and I just leave it lying around in the street. I'd probably read them in the bath -- life is for living!

I'm intrigued by the annotations. Most of them seem to be checking that the dates and times stack up. But why would they belong to a proofreader or publisher's editor if they're in a published edition? Isn't that leaving it a little late?

 

[Rafellin]

It's not a published edition. The fancy binding and slip were commissioned by the current seller, after he bought them as unbound editions.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

$4,500 isn't a huge amount.
I know people that spend more than that on their hobby.

It's x20 more than I'd spend on any one item. People leave cars costing x5 more lying in the street. $25,000 isn't even a very special new car (there is a lot of duty as well as VAT here though). $4,500 would be a 3 or 4 year old or older small car in good order (bigger cars devalue faster).

 

[Michael F]

Every one places their own value on things I suppose. Personally I think the seller has taken away much of the inherent 'joy' in those pages by adding the bindings.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Personally I think the seller has taken away much of the inherent 'joy' in those pages by adding the bindings.

And possibly lowered their value for collectors.

 

[Michael F]

Probably very true Teresa

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Personally I think the seller has taken away much of the inherent 'joy' in those pages by adding the bindings.

True if they are bindings.
But it says "Slip cases"? Perhaps they are not physically attached.

 

[Boaz]

I really don't know this stuff... but the pix (if you click to show all) include the title pages and forward. They definitely look bound to me. So... the original covers have been replaced? What I really wanted to view was a pic of the handwritten notes... To me that's half the value.