Most Expensive Book Ever On Antiques Roadshow ❦ The Hobbit (1937)

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Most Expensive Book Ever On Antiques Roadshow ❦ The Hobbit (1937)

Рет қаралды 86,355

Күн бұрын

In this video we look back to a first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit that was taken to Antiques Roadshow in 1990. In today's market it would be the most expensive book ever shown on the programme.
But what was it valued at then, what has happened to the book since, and what would it be worth today?
00:00 - Introduction
00:27 - What Is The Book?
07:48 - The 1990 Valuation
09:33 - What Has Happened To The Book?
10:38 - What Is It Worth Today?
My name's Tom and I'm an antiquarian bookseller making videos about the world of rare books and manuscripts.
www.tomwayling.co.uk

Пікірлер: 182

@clarissagafoor5222 4 ай бұрын

I'm not sure if Tom reads these comments but I'd just like to put out here what a comfort this channel is. In a world gone and going bonkers this is a small touch of sanity that calms the mind and spirit.

@oz_jones 3 ай бұрын

It's like a good book on a rainy day with hot cocoa :)

@Thomas-jl3gn 3 ай бұрын

Very well said & I agree.

@jonathan99399 2 ай бұрын

Well said. I completely agree.

@be_an_rm 4 ай бұрын

Love the long-form video for a change!

@tomwayling 4 ай бұрын

Thank you! New long form videos every Sunday going forward!

@beckycaughel7557 3 ай бұрын

@@tomwaylingwow this is great thank you

@gregralph5168 3 ай бұрын

@@tomwaylinggreat news!!!!!

@alisonhewitt1753 4 ай бұрын

Loved this Tom. Thank you for a wonderful listen

@tomwayling 4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@PhilosopherThom 4 ай бұрын

Yes! I join several others in saying: More long format please! Loved this! Your passion is infectious!

@tomwayling 4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Will do!

@robertgerrity878 3 ай бұрын

Well north of $500k now. I mean, is there another 1st with "from Ronald with much love" out there? Supremely personal. Well presented. Those catalogs are art works.

@Echochamber79 3 ай бұрын

500K? no way, would it break $100K? more than likely.

@winkieblink7625 3 ай бұрын

Possibly 1.5M. Dust jacket is the only tattered-ness….BUT first edition DJ. Books now are VERY VALUABLE …NOW…MEGA market for first editions. 10 x plus now…800K - at least 1M.

@jaxwagen4238 4 ай бұрын

I like how you so politely avoided saying the roadshow expert was wrong. Loving the new content

@stitchgor3 3 ай бұрын

That’s what o hate abt that show😭 they’re typically right with the info but underprice so bad

@JSchroederee Ай бұрын

I'm not sure how the road show could be considered wrong. I'm assuming video referenced The best comparable with the 1989 sale before that episode and it sold for less than the evaluation. A good evaluation is based on actual sale data. Yes the market was on rapidly on the rise based on the 1991 Sale refenced but to me it seems like a good appraisal at the time with maybe a comment warranted that there is a likelihood or suspicion that the market for such books is exploding.

@UncleFester-zz5jj 27 күн бұрын

Tom is a gentleman.

@saintjimmy456 13 күн бұрын

I don't think he was politely avoiding it, I don't think he thought it. If something is valued in 1991 and then re-valued in 2003, after inflation and the resurgence of Tolkien popularity brought by the film trilogy, it doesn't mean the original valuation was "wrong," it means the value has increased based on as I said, inflation, demand and market conditions. Things the original valuer could not forsee.

@user-fh2vx3hd6c 3 ай бұрын

My family still has our first edition inscribed to my Great Uncle C.S. Lewis

@VaryaEQ 4 ай бұрын

I would absolutely die. This is fantastic!! Also, interesting that the Hobbit was first published the day before Bilbo and Frodo's birthdays.

@Syko1985 2 ай бұрын

£48,000 in 2003 seems like an absolute bargain also, i was expecting you to say at least a few hundred thousand, and for it to be worth close to a million today. A first edition Hobbit book signed by Tolkien, personalised to his aunty Jane, also with a hand written letter to her about the actual book. That sounds like the holy grail of all book collections to me.

@eldermillennial2000 29 күн бұрын

I was a teenager during this time, and I remember how the movies created a new wave of fans. I had not read the books at the time and the movies blew me away. If this book had sold after the films, perhaps it would have gone in the six figures.

@townsville69 4 ай бұрын

I remember watching the 3500-pound episode and thinking 'I would have slapped down the money, and been out the door, before the full stop fell'. Then, hidden it under a mountain to keep my precious safe.

@jaxwagen4238 4 ай бұрын

That roadshow expert was definitely trying to get themselves a deal

@oz_jones 3 ай бұрын

@@jaxwagen4238*himself

@richardmaloney9156 2 ай бұрын

Finally a 'reaction video' that's not just taking someone else's work. Great work, Tom.

@hakonsoreide 2 ай бұрын

Only £3,500? Even in 1990 that sounds ridiculously low to me. £35,000 is probably more like it. Whoever bought it in 2003 also seems to have got a bargain.

@gortauth3260 2 ай бұрын

Tape is a b*tch 😂

@JSchroederee Ай бұрын

Based on the 1989 sale refeneced the evaluation could be considered a bit high £3500 in 1990. The later 1991 more comparable sale refenced shows that the market still would not likely support a £35,000 value a year later.

@satubock 4 ай бұрын

I don't know much about rare books but I do know about the LoTR fandom and was thinking the whole time that it had to be worth six digits now.

@Stampistuta 3 ай бұрын

Really well put together giving us the background and the context of who Aunt Jane is. Personally I was shocked how low the roadshow estimate was and even its eventual sale price seems modest.

@reesofraft4166 2 ай бұрын

Well lotr was well received but it got way bigger since the movies - this might be the correct estimate for this book at this time.

@louiseberman4241 4 ай бұрын

I remember watching this episode. I was absolutely gobsmacked by the price. 😊😆

@HaneenIAdam 4 ай бұрын

Wow! you make this whole book talk sound so so enthralling and enchanting. Thanks for such great content Tom.

@stevegeorge7773 4 ай бұрын

Stories are powerful. How apt a tale as this for a book as this iconic in our modern world.

@Bourne1984 4 ай бұрын

Fabulous vid. Looking forward to the longer vids Tom.

@roadrunnercrazy 4 ай бұрын

Fascinating video. Looking forward to the next one.

@OSBA71 3 ай бұрын

Great video, Tom. So very interesting. Can't imagine coming across that book in the ol' family library!

@michaelm7823 4 ай бұрын

I could listen to you do these all day long. Wonderful.

@grisha_prorokov 4 ай бұрын

what a great video, thanks for a longer video!

@infjjedi3335 4 ай бұрын

This was wonderful. Thank you ❤

@simonprocter5505 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the interesting video and enthusiasm about the subject. I remember the original AR valuation and going to grab my cheque book at the time…

@j-dmachado4349 4 ай бұрын

Incredible analysis! Fascinating! What a dream it would be - how I would treasure a signed Tolkien first edition from his own lifetime!! 🤩

@SeamusMartin1 3 ай бұрын

I so love your channel, Tom. Thank you.

@jayrey5390 3 ай бұрын

I'd love more of your long form work, it's a topic I know very little about and a curated dip into rare, important and interesting books, book related topics and frankly whatever you want to show us! Thank you for your work, already a channel I keenly follow.

@romystumpy1197 4 ай бұрын

I agree,the long format is more satisfying

@Nat1videos 3 ай бұрын

Great video! I have always daydreamed about finding a first edition in the back of an old book store, or in an estate sale or loft... this video kind of dashes my hopes as I realise that people are probably keeping goof tabs on them lol. Still really enjoyed this :D

@michaelfotta5781 4 ай бұрын

Mr. Ayling, You are inspiring me to spend much more time at flea markets here in America searching for books. Although I am enjoying the ‘hunt’, my wife may not be your biggest fan 😂

@Trotter_Tolkien 4 ай бұрын

I have only seen one dust-jacket that did not have the Dodgeson>Dodgson correction. Wish my dust-jacket on my copy was in anywhere as near as good a condition as Aunt Jane's copy 😢

@tomwayling 4 ай бұрын

Having one at all makes it better than most!

@Lin-1785 4 ай бұрын

I enjoyed every minute of this, both your passion and research. I'm not Tolkien reader, but fans seeing this must be just beside themselves. But I love any book's story!

@finch45lear 3 ай бұрын

I hope you continue to make videos. Your natural passion for beautiful books is wonderful and I hope contagious so as to encourage others to collect and more importantly read these magnificent works of literature.

@roscelsavery 4 ай бұрын

Oh my this was fantastic 😍 greetings from Dominican Republic 💙

@jmarrero7 3 ай бұрын

This content makes me want to sit down and watch more. Thanks!

@o-scarface6973 4 ай бұрын

I absolutely love your channel

@themasterninja110 4 ай бұрын

Goose bumps watching this. Ive been a huge fan of the lord of the rings for as long as i can remember.

@thomasdequincey5811 4 ай бұрын

This was good. I really enjoyed it.

@chrisroyboat 4 ай бұрын

Incredible video! Hope to see more long form!

@tomwayling 4 ай бұрын

More to come!

@imoenbg1 2 ай бұрын

This video is incredible. Absolutely love your passion!Finally the algorithm did something good!

@kirbymarchbarcena 2 ай бұрын

Tom's excitement is so contagious that I can't help but smile.

@jonathan99399 2 ай бұрын

I can’t stop watching these videos!

@AmericanaGardens 3 ай бұрын

Your love for books is contagious!

@evah1928 3 ай бұрын

I’m considering getting a degree in rare books so your channel is so helpful! Keep at it!!

@NRTSean 4 ай бұрын

Thank you. As a bibliophile and fan of Tolkien was fascinated by this.

@hikinanyakin8540 4 ай бұрын

One of your best videos!

@tomwayling 4 ай бұрын

Wow, thanks!

@eskybakzu712 3 ай бұрын

My grandfather owns a numbered first edition first printing signed edition of Ulysses ...

@brandoncornwell52 3 ай бұрын

That was a complete surprise, and I think that you have correctly assessed the actual value of this incredible little book. I’m surprised that it was seemingly so undervalued in the Sotheby’s auction, but with such a high profile, public space at which to be sold I suppose that was its approximate worth, though I’d have paid twice that if I had the means to do so. Interesting video.

@DRpokeme 3 ай бұрын

Wonderful to see and hear, love books.

@panicbuyflax3461 4 ай бұрын

How could he not use gloves for such a priceless book! Kidding I love your videos, Tom❤️

@Tvianne 4 ай бұрын

because you risk to tear it.

@panicbuyflax3461 4 ай бұрын

@@Tvianne twas a joke

@Tvianne 4 ай бұрын

@@panicbuyflax3461 ahhhh, ok.

@X_Ov3R-_-Ki11 3 ай бұрын

Your passion is infectious.

@WordsCanBeLikeXRays 3 ай бұрын

I love the long form content.

@lebronzejames 4 ай бұрын

350k seems like still a bargain ♡

@yurkshirelad 3 ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure my dad had a copy with that cover many years ago. Unless my memory is playing tricks on me.

@joker_g7337 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for taking the time of making this video. You have a very calm voice. I have a question if I may. I own first editions of old books (Hornblower series, several Antoine de St. Exupery and Montecristo). I also inherited a short manuscript of a children book written by my grand father at the beginning of WWII. None of those books were expensive but they are nonetheless treasures. What simple precautions should I take to protect them for a long time?

@tomwayling 4 ай бұрын

Luckily books are relatively easy to look after, and they are hardy enough to survive for hundreds of years. The ground rules are: Keep them in a stable environment - around 60-70F or 16-20C and at a stable humidity (40-50% relative humidity if you measure it). Keep them out of direct sunlight. Shelve them upright on a shelf with other books, using bookends for support if necessary. Take them off the shelves to look through them and lightly dust them from time to time. Hope this helps!

@joker_g7337 4 ай бұрын

@@tomwayling thank you very much for your answer! :D

@jonjonsson6323 3 ай бұрын

I saw that episode and at the time it was seriously underprised even then

@mulemule 3 ай бұрын

*A fine and fun revisiting of perhaps THE greatest copy of "The Hobbit" in public hands. Your deliberate and **_fact-based_** valuation is esp. welcomed.* *(A rare and refreshing approach amidst KZfaq's commentariat where "armchair experts" shoe-horn mere opinion in place of **_inviolable facts.)_* 🏆

@annfahy2589 Ай бұрын

Amazing😮

@pulchralutetia 4 ай бұрын

Brilliant video Tom but please speak closer to the mic - we can't hear you properly!

@CarMaBear 28 күн бұрын

Heya Tom! Brilliant work! As it happens, I just received a metric assload of books and comics -- some more than 100yrs old. Including a printing of Macbeth. Where should I go to have them valued, if you know? I'm in the US

@jtb811 3 ай бұрын

Man looking at that book I am drooling. I have a couple of signed first editions but nothing like that. I would love to have something like that on my bookshelf.

@therealinformalmusic 14 күн бұрын

I notice that Tracy Tolkien, wife of Simon and daughter-in-law of Christopher, did not bother to research her husband’s family enough to know who Aunt Jane was. Dodgson’s surname was pronounced Dodson; we know this because he wrote to penfriends explaining that the name should be spelled with a g though the letter was not pronounced.

@acousticboy9029 4 ай бұрын

Look at the crowd gathering

@Tvianne 4 ай бұрын

only the popcorn is missing 😁

@SprocketGames 2 ай бұрын

Great video! Your microphone kept cutting out when you lean back or hold a book between you and the microphone.

@HemiChrysler 3 ай бұрын

I was surprised to observe that my 1995 hardback edition has the same dust jacket design as the original 1937 edition.

@bazza945 3 ай бұрын

In the early 1960s, I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even though I was an avid reader of anything I could get my hands on, I didn't like LotR. However, sometime later I read The Hobbit and loved it. In my opinion The Hobbit should have been Book One of the Lord of the Rings QUARTET.

@MarcusVipsaniusAgrippaLXIII 2 ай бұрын

I have a first edition of the hobbit. Would be glad to share photos.

@TheMoneypresident 3 ай бұрын

Remember, my school library having a dust cover exactly like that.

@ariochiv 3 ай бұрын

I remember watching that Roadshow episode and being surprised at the low figure for the book... but I'm certainly not a book collector.

@chrisgreaves8855 4 ай бұрын

Awesome, than you.

@terryl858 3 ай бұрын

Thanking you

@jeewa7114 3 ай бұрын

I borrowed a copy that looked like that from my library recently. Unfortunately I didn't have much time so I didn't get to read the whole thing

@oz_jones 3 ай бұрын

Probably a fascimilie. I hope at least 😂

@TrippinDrago 4 ай бұрын

Absolutely brilliant!

@willk7184 3 ай бұрын

I thought it was generally better *not* to have a personalized inscription, but rather simply a signature.

@nicks40 3 ай бұрын

Other way around - especially if the dedicatee is someone well-known or with a connection to the author.

@saintjimmy456 13 күн бұрын

"I would have easily paid £3500 for it" But you none of you were there in 1991 when the item was valued. Otherwise the demand would have been huge and the price would have gone up... simple supply and demand. The price was that low because there was a much smaller market, and you have to take into account inflation.

@PatTriesAgain 3 ай бұрын

make your volume a little louder. outside of that, it's perfect.

@dannil9878 3 ай бұрын

More long form vids pls

@Rocketboy1313 3 ай бұрын

I was going to guess a quarter million.

@rjlchristie 11 күн бұрын

Insane prices. Insane.

@WizardKingCorey 2 ай бұрын

A magic piece of history

@rob-brushandsword8277 2 ай бұрын

The date (Sept 22nd) is also important for another reason... it's Bilbos birthday! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

@benwakefield93 3 ай бұрын

Can I offer a tip for your videos. Some sort of opening and closure with a logo? Maybe some music? Just to make you stand out a bit more

@Meevious 2 ай бұрын

Sackville-Bagginses watching intently. =^p

@cdub4693 3 ай бұрын

The great British missionary to Australia and New Zealand FW Boreham. Who is the greatest Christian essayist in history. His rarer books are going for thousands now and are highly collectible in the states for years. Maybe you can honor him with a video.

@jeffreylyons1531 2 ай бұрын

I agree I would see no reason it wouldn’t fetch 350k, it’s the holy grail.

@jimmunro4649 2 ай бұрын

Got same Book to

@PopeLando 3 ай бұрын

Buyer pays $300,000. Opens the book. "Hey, where's the letter to Auntie Jane??" "Oh, I put that in the recycling..."

@BKNeifert Ай бұрын

Tolkien would pen in a correction. You sometimes just have to have faith in the stories we've pass down.

@richardseymour3399 2 ай бұрын

September 22 is also Bilbo's birthday.

@zacharyhockett6248 12 күн бұрын

Maybe its just me because I really don't have a family history but I can't imagine selling something like that. I have a gold watch from my great grand father and other than my kids and wife it's the one thing I'd save in a house fire.

@mistakay9019 22 күн бұрын

Really need to adjust for inflation for all of these things mind!

@dc7370 3 ай бұрын

Goring's estate could purchase the book

@gargoyle7863 2 ай бұрын

I'm not so bad about the glue strip. It proofs letter and book are one entity.

@discomcpeej7574 3 ай бұрын

Homie this is an extremely interesting video. Simply fascinating source material, and for me, easy click bait. But every time you bounce away from the microphone it. is. maddening. I have to keep turning up and then instantly lowering the volume whenever you go back to the original video. The sound on the A.R. portions are far louder than when it cuts back to you. Great content, though.

@adam_meek 4 ай бұрын

begging the question = assume as true the very proposition you're trying to prove.

@saifonlawrence2044 2 ай бұрын

The Hobbit...never heard of it !

@morefiction3264 24 күн бұрын

What a treasure.

@rosettiwrites 3 ай бұрын

I'll have to check out if my 1937 second impression is worth anything!

@nicks40 3 ай бұрын

UK or US? Second impression or second edition?

@rosettiwrites 3 ай бұрын

@@nicks40 UK 1937 Unwin second impression but no dust cover.

@woofbarkyap 2 ай бұрын

@@rosettiwrites definitely, take it to a reputable auction house or dealer, preferably several of them, don't just jump at the first offer

@rosettiwrites 2 ай бұрын

@@woofbarkyap Absolutely - I had it valued by Bonhams Auction House just from photos but haven't decided whether or not to sell it. It's been with me since I was 10!

@benwakefield93 3 ай бұрын

Am i the only one who's never heard it called a dust wrapper before? Dust jacket right? I am English too 😂

@woofbarkyap 2 ай бұрын

both terms are common