Rare ‘The Hobbit’ First Edition Discovered in Estate Sale Sparks $57,000 Bidding Frenzy
Auctioneum Caitlin Riley poses with the first edition copy of The Hobbit.
However, auction house officials do know that it was once part of the library of Hubert Priestley, a botanist who had ties to the University of Oxford, where Tolkien was a professor. It’s possible that Tolkien and Priestley knew each other back in the 1930s.
“It’s the connection to Tolkien and the important provenance that makes this book so special,” Riley said. “It’s not just any first edition; it belonged to someone who very likely called Tolkien an acquaintance.”
Before the book went up for auction, it was expected to fetch between $13,000 and $16,000. However, it just sold for $57,000, making it the most expensive first edition copy of The Hobbit to ever sell without its blue dust jacket.
After reading about the auction of this first edition copy of The Hobbit, look through the drawings and maps released by the Tolkien estate. Then, learn about the cave wyrms that inspired Tolkien and countless other fantasy writers.
Post Comment