The Tolkien Collector's Guide®

The Tolkien Collector's Guide®

There is one guide, The Tolkien Collector's Guide®, free to read here chapter by chapter, and available as a PDF e-book when you buy from us or join the newsletter. Twenty-five years as a specialist dealer distilled into practical advice on condition, market behaviour, printing history and what actually holds value.

Eleven first-edition Hobbit impressions lined up by printing, the kind of detail The Tolkien Collector's Guide® helps you identify

From the introduction

A note from Mark

Thank you for investing your time in The Tolkien Collector's Guide®. I hope it will enhance your Tolkien collecting experience, save you time and help you to make better choices. Many people consider their Tolkien book collecting just a hobby, but for most it's very much a paying hobby. I financed my first collection by re-selling spare copies. If you are old enough and lucky enough to have begun collecting early editions before the Peter Jackson films came out you will have acquired some real bargains given current valuations. Tolkien early editions and printings are easy to identify, but prices do vary widely so it can be tricky knowing what to pay for a particular copy.

I have been a specialist Tolkien dealer for twenty-five years and was a private collector before that. I am not an antiquarian book or literature expert; I only know Tolkien books as a personal reading passion. I think I know more than most dealers because I have specialised so narrowly and have handled thousands of copies myself. There were no other full-time specialist Tolkien dealers when I started. I am not a broker; I have dozens of rare editions in stock ready to buy. At the core of my business is a true passion for the author and the fantasy genre. This guide is my way of sharing what I have learned.

Please feel free to call me or email your own tips, anecdotes and suggestions so I can improve future editions of The Tolkien Collector's Guide®.

How to get the PDF e-book

The Tolkien Collector's Guide® is the same content whether you read it here or as a PDF, one guide, two formats.

  1. Step 1: The Tolkien Collector's Guide® PDF is free with any purchase from Festival Art & Books.
  2. Step 2: The monthly collector's newsletter is also free.
  3. Step 3: For a PDF copy or to join the mailing list, email markfaith@festivalartandbooks.com