Do you have these Lord Of The Rings books lying around your house? They could be worth up to £30k
TODAY marks the 63rd anniversary of the release J. R. R. Tolkein’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
The magic surrounding The Lord Of The Rings trilogy certainly hasn’t died down – as collectors are still snapping up rare books for thousands of pounds.
So do you have any of the novels lying around at home?
It is surprisingly easy to tell whether or not a book could be of value.
With the help of Peter Harrington, here are the key signs to look out for…
The Hobbit - up to £30,000
No one could have known how successful J. R. R. Tolkein was going to be when 1,500 copies of The Hobbit were released on 21 September, 1937.
In a matter of months, all of these editions had flown off the shelves.
Unsurprisingly, if you have one of these rare first editions, you could be sitting on a fortune.
Check the book's title page for the publishers George Allen & Unwin Ltd.
On this page, it should also read: "First published in 1937".
Another sign to look out for is an error that was accidentally printed during the manufacturing process.
On the dust jacket of first editions, “Dodgson” is incorrectly spelled “Dodgson”.
Amusingly, this mistake has sometimes been scribbled out in ink by the publishers.
If you don't have a first edition, not all hope is lost.
Illustrations and artwork can add value to books.
If your copy reads "second impression" on the title page, it's also likely to be of value.
This is because the stunning illustrations on the front cover make the item desirable to collectors.
The Fellowship Of The Ring - £15,000-20,000
On July 29, 1954, the first instalment in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy hit the book stores.
Initially, only 3,000 copies were manufactured.
To spot if you have one of these, check the publication information at the front of your copy.
If this reads "George Allen & Unwin Ltd", you could be onto a winner.
While you're scanning this page, look for the date 1954 to confirm when this has been published.
Don’t be put off if your novel mentions future books in the front cover.
Peter Harrington explains: “Because the series was originally written as one long book, and only split into three for financial reasons, the publishers could anticipate the books to come and used the dust jacket flaps to advertise them.”
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The Two Towers - £15,000-20,000
The second novel in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy was launched on November 11, 1954.
Even though J. R. R. Tolkein had seen success with his earlier novels, publishers remained cautious not to print too many copies.
Initially, only 3,250 volumes were released.
Just like with The Fellowship Of The Ring, check the publication date and credit to George Allen & Unwin Ltd to see if you're holding a first edition.
While your copy could fetch £20,000, this price may increase further if it is signed by the author and is in tip-top condition.
The Return Of The King £15,000-20,000
WANDERFUL NEWS: Do you have these Harry Potter books lying around your house? They could be worth up to £40k
J.R. R. Tolkein rounded off the trilogy with The Return Of The King, which was released in 1955.
By this point, publishers were aware that the popular series was lucrative enough to print in a bigger bulk.
For this reason, 7,000 first editions of the novel hit the book stores.
This makes The Return Of The King slightly easier to get hold of.
To spot a first edition, check that the publication date reads 1955.
The publication information at the start of the novel should always read "George Allen & Unwin Ltd".
Last November, a rare jewel-encrusted Harry Potter book was put up for £500,000 at auction.
Although stumbling across such an unusual find is definitely not an everyday occurrence, there are plenty of popular books that can be high in value.
And recently, book expert Pom Harrington told The Sun his top tips on spotting valuable books.