A 1937, first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘There and Back Again’, better known as ‘The Hobbit’, sold for £24,000 last year, causing experts to re-adjust their estimations on the book’s worth. Last May, Kinghams Auctioneers estimated that the original book, which was one of only 1,500 copies printed in September 1937, would fetch between £7,000 and £10,000 at auction. When it went under the hammer, however, it achieved more than double that estimate, reaching a staggering £24K.
The Tolkien novel, set in the magical Middle Earth, follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and thirteen dwarves as they attempt to retrieve a treasure from the dragon Smaug. “When published it was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction,” the auctioneers explained previously.
“she showed innovative pedagogical methods.”
“It is illustrated in black and white by Tolkien who also designed the dust cover. During the war, the book was unavailable due to paper rationing. On the first edition, first impression there is a manual correction on the rear inner flap for ‘Dodgeson’”; better known as Lewis Carroll author of Alice in Wonderland.
Rare first editions of The Hobbit can sell for £6,000 to upwards of £20,000 with signed copies fetching more than £60,000, according to David Joyson, a home insurance specialist at Homeprotect. In 2023, a first edition copy sold for £10,000. While one copy of The Hobbit, featuring an Elvish inscription hand-written by Tolkien, previously sold for an incredible £137,000.
What’s more, The Hobbit isn’t the only novel that could fetch a handsome price at auction. First editions of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night could be worth over £10,000, first editions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl could be worth approximately £1,000, and first editions of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles are estimated to be worth approximately £5,000.
“It’s amazing to see how much the value of these novels has increased, and during tough financial times, it may inspire a lot of us to dig through our garages, attics, and storage units for hidden treasures that may be worth far more than expected,” Joyson said.
“First edition books are a highly collectable and often overlooked and underestimated item of value, so before you give away or donate your old children’s books, do your research to ensure you aren’t throwing away a small fortune.
“If you have any of these valuable items lying around your home, or if you come across an item you think may have a high value, get them professionally valued, so you know if they are worth insuring and to avoid underinsuring.
“Rare or antique books may be covered by your contents insurance, but it’s always worth checking the specific policy terms with your insurer and to confirm that you have an adequate amount of contents cover.”
