About Festival Art and Books
We are located near Machynlleth, North Wales, UK. We travel a lot in our business so it is best to reach us by email and we will call you back. We sell and deliver books all over the world.
We started in the rare book dealing business as Mark Faith Books in January 2001. We have been a Tolkien collector for at least five years before that. I also sold Wilbur Smith first and signed editions for a short time. Both were my favourite authors.
Ebay and the internet had a crucial impact on rare books dealing, and the market for all collectibles for that matter. With the new global market many items which collectors thought were rare, turned out to be not so scarce. This in turn reduced the prices which customers were willing to pay or pay more when they discovered the true rarity. Part of the internet transparency was the now open availability of information and specialized knowledge, which dealers previously held as their main competitive advantage.
The downside of the internet then, even today with AI, was deciphering from all the information overload, what was credible and actually true, versus what is conventional wisdom, popular opinion, or simply outright fabrication. Many traditional dealers were caught out, in particular what they were charging for now relatively common books as evident from the live prices on the internet. While it was wonderful to have more choice and lower prices at their finger tips, customers now had to decide who they wished to do business with and not just on what. This was a significant change in markets where only a few specialist dealers had the main share of business and best stock, like Rare Tolkien books, or where there were had no specialist dealers at all. The internet opened new doors, but also upset the established markets and key players.
New and old dealers were suddenly placed on an equal footing for a time and both would have to rise to the new challenges the internet offered. Many book dealers at the time with physical high street shops and many did not survive the changes. Perceptive customers, then and now, felt the internet ought to make things easier and faster, a convenience for them and not just for the seller/dealer trying to increase profits, whether they were buying on-line or in person. Those on-line and physical rare bookshop dealers at the time who understood this enjoy a combined on-line and physical shop business today.
However, our path took a slight detour before we got to where we are today. We discovered back then that established collector customers were having a difficult time adjusting to the market changes the internet brought. They also still demanded personalized customer service and were not going to be fobbed off with some on-line gimmick, peddled by someone providing poor service. They asked us to find their rare books for them because they liked our great service. We then went from general rare book dealer to specialist dealer providing a bespoke sourcing and buying service for an ever-smaller circle of serious dedicated collectors.
These customers would include private museums, institutions, celebrities, and wealthy individuals building collections of specific authors. In the area of Tolkien collectables, this would include art and other memorabilia. Actually only a small fraction of our business with regard to Wilbur Smith and Tolkien, particularly the latter, was conducted over the internet. Despite this, we transacted millions of pounds sterling in rare items. Over this period, if it came on the market or even if it was sold privately, the most important and rarest items passed through our business. This is how we became such experts even though we were relatively new to the market. This included a signed Hobbit book, which sold for £54,000, and a Lord of the Rings set for £75,000, the highest prices at the time ever achieved for these books. (Now they seem cheap!) We also handled many dozens of pieces of original art and limited prints that were Tolkien inspired. This is how we know so many artists producing work inspired by Tolkien, and still work with them today. Unlike the situation with many authors, books and art form a single market for collectors of J.R.R. Tolkien.
In 2010, our aim was to create a festival – Festival in the Shire. This was both to create a major event for fans as well as a world centre for collectors of Tolkien books and Tolkien inspired art. We had many famous artists and authors speak at the event. Thanks in part to this event we are now one of the largest and most recognised dealer of collectible Tolkien books and art in the world.
The Festival was designed to bring all facets of the Tolkien fan market together under one roof and one major event. While many film and book fans collect, serious collectors are fewer in number and we still provide bespoke services for those wishing to build a complete Tolkien collection without the hassle and without it taking all their free time. They let us do the work for them, sourcing and buying rare copies of books as well as art and other items.
Click here for the Festival in the Shire page
We continue to hold small exhibition and fan events, both for fans and serious collectors.
Mark Faith, Owner and Founder Festival Art and Books, Festival in the Shire
Contact Mark Faith on markfaith@festivalartandbooks.com for further information.