Tolkienists.org

This running column will seek to shine a light on the world of collecting Tolkien books, books about Tolkien, and other Tolkien related items. A thank you to Mat Suta for helping get this column started and a very big thank you to Jeremy Edmonds, and Lance Schnatterly for all of your help, a wealth of knowledge unequaled.

Collecting Tolkien items is never ending, those who have decided to go on this adventure know that we will never finish it. There will always be something that we don’t have, can’t find at the moment or something new that we would like to have. Whether we are a ​“completist” or a ​“specialist,” meaning we either want a copy of every publication/​edition or we want specific editions, printings, or copies, collecting can be extremely rewarding while, at the same time, slightly frustrating. The feeling we get when we find the exact right item for the exact right price, all the way through the unboxing, is one that we cherish and that we continue to chase. To achieve that moment, it may take months or even years of researching, searching, and negotiating to find the right circumstances to acquire that item, while at the same time competing with a seemingly ever growing market of Tolkien collectors. I collect books and my experience is limited to this branch of collecting. We hope to include other collector’s voices from a variety of areas in future issues of the column.…