The Art of J.R.R Tolkien - The Hobbit and more (An Antique Books Guide)

The Art of Tolkien

J.R.R Tolkien is best known for his world-famous fantasy world - Middle Earth. His 'big four' books (The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy) have sold more than 250 million copies combined, making him one of the most popular authors the world has ever seen.

Sadly, this popularity has overshadowed a skill that few people know of - his skill as an artist.
J.R.R Tolkien in fact illustrated The Hobbit and created the now iconic dust-jacket design as well as the numerous maps and designs that go with the series.

Below I have collected a range of images from his books (all from my own collection) in the hope that I can enlighten just a few people to the skills of this multi-talented legend.

The Iconic Hobbit Dust-jacket

This famous design was first used in 1937 when the book was originally released and has been used for many different editions and is still being used to this day. The simple colours reflected the cost of print in the 1930's, meaning that the more colours, the more expensive the printing costs.

And yet that is what makes the design so striking, for it simple shows the misty-mountains and sweeping forest that many associate with the world of Middle-Earth.

The Map of Middle Earth

Another fairly renowned illustration of Tolkien's is the map of Middle Earth which features all of the assets of modern fantasy including mountains, a compass and a dragon as well as mysterious names like 'The Misty Mountains'.

This is true fantasy gold.

Hobbiton-across-the-water

This plate is the original frontispeice of early editions of The Hobbit and is still used today. This single scene effectively summarises the peace and tranquility of the Shire. Reminiscent of the English countryside where Tolkien found influence, this illustration is one of his brightest and is a true joy to behold.

If one example of Tolkien's artistic prowess were to be called for, this would be it.

Various Other scenes from The Hobbit:

These four illustrations all show various aspects of Tolkien's skill. The Rivendell scene is reminiscent of the Hobbiton-across-the-water scene but with the sculptured and rather fantastic mountain faces added.

The eagle scene is perhaps the most unique of the illustrations found in The Hobbit for it's harsh, bright colours and angry Eagle focus. Yet as ever the mountains are in the background and firmly place this scene in Middle Earth.

The Smaug scene below is another classic and was in fact used in a modern edition for the cover design. Here is anther unique illustration for its childish simplicity and bright colours.

And lastly the black and white illustration of Bilbo's Hobbit-hole. This is the last illustration in the book and firmly closes the tale to the reader by entering into the Hobbit's domain. The glimpse of Middle Earth outside of the hobbit-hole reminds us of the journey that has been and gone and makes this one of Tolkien's cleverest illustrations.

The 'secret' illustrations

Included in the 1987 edition of The Hobbit were a few extra illustrations collected by Tolkien's son. These are all line-drawings and far more simple than the colourful plates previously noted. Yet they strike to the bare bones of his fantastic creation more effectively and are very interesting for the advanced reader.

The Map

Tolkien was adept too at map-drawing and quite convincingly created the contour-map for Middle Earth. Below is a zoomed-in section just to show the exacting measures he applied to all of his work.

Mr Bliss

This more recent book was only published in the early 1980's and was published on the merit of Tolkien's illustration alone, from an original manuscript discovered by Christoper Tolkien. Tolkien left a mighty collection of background information and scene-setting regarding Middle-Earth, enough to create a ten-book series in fact as his son actually did. However, this charming tale is more important to this post for its artistic value.

Charming and nostalgic.

And that brings this post to an end.
I hope that I managed to impress upon you at least a little of Tolkien's skill as an artist and if you ever read The Hobbit again, maybe take a moment to appreciate the illustrations as well aa the story.

Thanks for reading and as ever please share and comment if possible!

Top Ten Alice In Wonderland - The Most Popular Editions (An Antique Books Guide)

Alice in Wonderland

This story has captivated audiences the world overs, spawned numerous films and is still in print today, nearly one-hundred and fifty after first being published.

Hundreds of artists, illustrators and publishers have taken on this iconic tale of youth, disobedience and nonsense but only a few have made this list of the most important editions ever published.

Among the top ten expect to see famous Golden Age illustrators, beautiful covers and huge variation as I guide you, the reader, through the very best of Alice.

10.  Backhouse edition

Illustrated by the creative G.W Backhouse, this edition is 1940's gold with bold black and white illustrations interspersed between the large and vivid colour ones.

Look out for: The story-boars style illustrations are cartoon-esque and very inventive for a children's book.

9. Humphrey Milford edition

This particular edition is quite difficult to write about as the illustrator is not listed.

The stunning cover decorations straight out of the art-deco 1920's and the sombre illustrations akin to Arthur Rackham allow this edition to hit the number nine spot.

Look out for: The highly decorative covers

8. Gwynedd M. Hudson edition

Illustrations don't get any more vintage than these - delightfully toned down to reflect a more grown up interpretation of Alice. The presentation of this edition is remarkable with Hudson's flair running from the half title page to the very end.

Look out for: The fashionable outfits given to Alice by Hudson are immaculately imagined.

7. Tenniel 'Children's Edition' 

This art-deco edition ran from the late 1920's through to 1978 which is testament not only to the popularity of the book but to the appeal of this edition. With bold art-deco covers and the traditional illustrations by the famed Sir John Tenniel, this edition is delightfully charming throughout.

Look out for: Tenniel's rare colour plates

6. Margaret Tarrant edition

The Tarrant illustrated edition is, in its original form, the most Art-Deco and probably most appropriate of the Alice's listed here. By this I mean that from the covers to the charming period illustrations this edition is exactly what most imagine Alice to be like.

Look out for: The famous colour cover plate perfectly captures one of Alice in Wonderland's memorable scenes.

5. Harry Rountree edition

This rare 1900-1920 edition is not quite as artistically lavish as some of the other editions in this list. What it does have however are illustrations by the famed Harry Rountree who is known for his warm style and especially for his work on Alice.

A classic Alice in Wonderland.

Look out for: The subtle art-deco influence on the covers

4. Rene Cloke edition

This is one of the most common of the vintage Alice's and is remarkable for the level and style of the illustrations. Rene Cloke's edition is a little late for the Art-Deco that seems to influence many other editions in this top ten and so the illustrations and style are a little more creative, a little more varied whilst still relying on bold designs and straight lines.

Look out for: The bold black and uni-colour illustrations between the colour plates are quite simply excellent.

3. Harry Rountree elusive edition

The rating of this edition is solely due to personal favour - I find this one of the most unique editions of Alice out there.

This rare edition comes around for sale online once in a blue moon and always sells well. The decorative boards show the age of this volume and are more highly decorated than any other edition.

Whilst the illustrations are Rountree again, here also features a number of in-text illustrations, making this a rare and well-presented edition.

Look out for: The fantastic reason are partly to blame for the high prices this book achieves.

2. Arthur Rackham's Alice

This is one of the most collected of the Alice's and quite rightly so for the famed Golden Age illustrator Arthur Rackham lent his hand to the story and created a visceral and moody take on the tale.

This edition is the first (1907) and is valued by collector's as one of Rackham;s best works.

Look out for: The frontispiece of Alice is a perfect example of Art-Nouveau illustration and exhibit's Rackhams tone at its best.

Joint 1st: The People's Edition

This edition is truly iconic.

Featuring green covers with a bold red print of Alice among playing cards and with the original John Tenniel illustrations, this Victorian edition was very bold for the era and is one of the first popular editions of this book. This edition is published by the original publishers who printed the first edition of Alice not twenty years before, making this one of the most authentic editions and more than deserving of first place in this count.

The copy pictured below is the joint edition which features 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass'

Look out for: The bold, Victorian covers and original Tenniel illustrations

Join 1st: The Tenniel Colour Illustrated edition

It was too difficult to choose first place in this top ten and so this John Tenniel edition is joined with another John Tenniel edition.

This edition was printed from 1911 onwards and features all of the original black and white illustrations that made Alice in Wonderland so remarkable among children's books and also a good number of colour plates too.

Importantly, the 1911 first edition was the first time these colour plates were printed and the colour is quite different from later editions, making this edition hugely important in terms of Alice history.

With the icon of the white rabbit on the front cover and a great quality shown throughout, this is the definitive edition of Alice in Wonderland and is my first place edition.

Look out for: The remarkable colour illustrations first seen in this edition and the iconic gold rabbit motif on the front cover. The epitome of Alice in Wonderland.

Thanks for reading. I hope you agree that Alice in Wonderland has been marvelously represented by illustrators from around the world and I have only been able to show those that I have been lucky enough to have owned.

As ever all photography is my own and i'm always open to offer advice if you have any questions.

Please share/ comment - I would love for more people to see this one.

Chris

1000th view special repost - How to sell on eBay photo guide (An Antique Books Guide)

(Here is a special repost to celebrate hitting 1000 views! Thanks for all the support and please share this post as much as possible!)

                              eBay.

The simplest way to successfully sell your books, England's largest online marketplace is a useful tool for book sellers..

Yet some still struggle with getting to grips with the website so I shall hopefully give a brief run through of what to do and how to do it.

As a seller on eBay with over 800 feedback, chiefly from book sales, I can give you some handy tips and hints to help you sell your book.

Don't worry - photos are further down and will illustrate how to sell your book(s) on eBay.

Step 1. Set Up An Account

Setting up an account on Ebay is really quite simple. Follow the instructions and you can do little wrong.

It is useful to have a PapPal account for this as PayPal is the primary way of paying on eBay.

(Please note that if you are new to eBay people will be less inclined to buy from you or even in some cases sell to you. This is purely due to the low 'Feedback Score' you will start off with. Simply make a few purchases so that you get your feedback above 10 and you will find things much easier.)

Step 2. Photograph your item(s)

Before you even begin to list what you are selling, you will need to have photographs of the items (books in this case). If you list without a photograph it is highly unlikely that your book will sell.

Make sure you use a well lit room and have the book in focus - using Macro is useful here if your camera has that setting.

Avoid flash as it can cause reflection.

A tip here: If you cannot find somewhere suitable try the bath! The white, smooth edges are bound to create a professional looking backdrop. Make sure you get the lighting right also so that the book appears as realistic as possible.

How to transfer:

Where possible use the USB cable your device came with (if it did) or otherwise use a memory card. You may well know the easiest way from experience but if not then attempt to upload the photos first from your camera (or phone) vias USB to 'My Pictures'.

If you are using a phone and cannot do this then attach the photos to an email via your phone and then access that email on your laptop or Computer.

Important photos to take:

The front cover - if the book can stand up by itself this is the best option here.

The rear cover (if the book is a high value item)

The front/ end papers if particularly interesting eg. Maps or decorative

The title page (introducing the book and it's publisher etc)

A print details page if relevant (showing date, edition etc)

A sample page (any will do - if illustrated choose a few nice ones to show)

A selection of illustrations (not overly necessary unless nicely illustrated or rare)

Step 3. List the item(s)

You have your account and your photographs. Now is the time to actually list your book(s).

First enter your required item - here I find it always useful to enter 'Antique Book'. If your book is particularly rare, old or nice then this will be the most successful for you.

Tick the box 'Antiquarian & Collectable' and then click 'Continue':

Now you will see the actual listing page for your book.

Starting from the top, fill in the information regarding your book.

 Remember: the more information, the easier it is for a buyer to search and identify what you are selling

Begin with a title that will grab reader's attention. 

Research your book if you wish through 'Abebooks.co.uk' - the leading boom selling website in the UK I believe. Her you can search through millions of books to find ones similar or the same as yours. This is useful for description and for pricing.

Here's a few tips:

Capitalize the occasional, important word (such as GILT)

Use the full space if possible - this means there are more words for searchers to locate your book with

Enter the printing date of your copy at the beginning of the title

Remember to include the book's title, the author's name and any themes relating to the book (eg Travel, Africa, Exploration or Story, Illustrated etc)

Put here if the book looks especially nice (eg Gilt, Decorative, Stunning

Also ALWAYS ensure you have put Antique (or vintage) if relevant and that you have typed in Book

Don't worry about the condition description - it is easier to describe the condition later on.

Now to add some specifics.
Fill in as many catagories as possible here to encourage search options for buyers.
Your book will most likely be Fiction. 

The date here is important as people can search this easily - if unsure feel free to contact me and I can try to help.

It is now time to upload your photos.

Try to upload as few as possible to save money but also make sure all the important aspects are shown to the buyer.

The first photo is free and each after is 12p currently.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a way to embed images for free but this will be described  in a later guide due to it's slight complexity

Click 'add pictures'

Now 'browse and find the pictures - if using memory card, USB or memory stick then the pictures will be locateable from 'Computer'.

(If you followed my advice at the beginning then they will be found under 'My Pictures'.

Choose your pictures and then click 'Upload'.

This may take a few minutes so don't close the box until they are fully uploaded.

Now for the description.
This part is extremely important in selling your book.

Begin with a line detailing the book in the following manner:
Author, Book Title, Publisher, Publication date of copy, Number of pages.
This will ensure book collectors can simply and effectively view the details of your book.

Below this write a brief section about the book detailing what looks nice, what features it has and anything else of interest.

Eg. This book has a stunning Art-Nouveau cover with elaborate gilt detailing and strong gilt edging to the page block.
The book features several black and white illustrations and a few colour plates which are beautifully drawn by the renowned Arthur Rackham

This book is currently listed at £80 on Abebooks.co.uk so I am listing it for much less.
This is a true collector's book.

Now the above description may be a slight exaggeration for what you may want to put but it gives you an idea I hope.
Please note that Abebooks.co.uk is a huge book selling website and a useful tool if you want a guide to pricing your book. Remember that book prices on this website are not auction fueled and are often optimistic so your book may be worth only half or less than the prices given on this website.

After the description, write the condition. Again this is an important section. Highlight any faults or flaws. Using terms such as 'The covers show general wear' or 'The pages are generally clean but show some signs of age and wear' can help cover you if the buyer finds the book is worse than imagined. Always try to be accurate however!

Lastly if you have any other books for sale put this here, eg 'Please take a look at my other books for sale'
And finally it's always useful to write that you are happy to try to answer any questions asked.

Pricing

This is the tricky bit.

You want to get the maximum profit but not overprice your book.

With some collectable books such as Tolkien's The Hobbit, a 99p start can often result in a greater selling price.

Yet with many titles it is wise to start higher.

You can always lower it if the book does not sell the first time listed.

eBay users are erratic in searches meaning that the book may not sell first time around. For instance I've had many occasions where the book has failed to sell at, say, $£4.99 but the next time round managed to get bids in excess of £10. It all just depends on who is browning and when.

Look at the competition and then set your price - a slightly lower price can help to undercut rivals. If your book appears to be unique then start with a higher price than you think it is worth.

NEVER use Buy It Now unless you know the value of the item. Many have listed book for the set price Buy It Now option, only to find the book sell in a few hours. Later they realize that the book was in fact far more valuable than they thought.

Auction allows such a price to become possible.

 There are tools on eBay to prevent your item selling for less than you want it to although thee are only useful if your book is definitely worth a bit.
You can set a Buy It Now which means the buyer can instantly pay the amount you set. Alternatively you can choose Best Offer which is the same as Buy It Now (BIN) with the only difference being that users can submit a lower price to you and you can choose to accept or decline that price.

Lastly a reserve can be put in to make sure your book does not sell for less than the price you have in kind. This however is costly and not worth doing on most items.

I would suggest choosing the longest period for your item to sell - 10 days is usually the best bet for most books as it allows longer and more exposure and thus higher chance of collecting 'Watchers and selling.

(A 'Watcher' is a person who chooses to 'watch' your item, meaning that can follow the price and bidding. This often results in a sale)

Another useful tool here is the 'Schedule Listing' which means you can list a book and then choose the time that you want the book to start selling (this will also be the time the book finishes at.)
7 to 8 is usually the best time to choose.
Alternately save yourself the 6p and list it at that time.
If you have multiple books it is sometimes better to schedule so that they will all end at approximately the same time.

Postage.

This part is also important. Use the Royal Mail Price Finder if unsure of the book's postage cost:
http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder
Make sure you have weighed the book on scales if possible to get the most accurate quote.
Otherwise for a standard measure, small paperbacks weigh between 200-400 grams usually whilst hardbacks weigh from 600-800 grams usually. e careful that your book is not heavier than you think as just a few grams can change everything.
If your book is 999g, Royal Mail will charge £2.60 for a small packet. But if your book weighs 1000g then the price rises to £5.60 for a small packet.
(Prices correct as of 2013)

For valuable books choose the option that best suits your book such as special delivery and when posting the book ensure that you get proof of posting as this is vital in the case your book is lost in the post.

Package the book well - usually in a padded envelope.
These are cheapest from Poundland and other pound shops - costing one pound for five medium size jiffy style envelopes. Alternately the Post Office and stationers will sell individual envelopes ranging in price from 70p to over £1 for just one.

Returns.

If you choose not to offer returns as many do you must still accept them if the book is damaged or incorrectly described and the buyer opens a case against you.

However usually this is the best option as it prevents fussy buyers constantly asking for money back due to a change of mind/ opinion.

The click 'Continue'

 Here you have a last chance to look over your listing.
eBay allow you an opportunity to view your listing in a smaller window as it will be when actually listed.

If you are happy scroll down to the bottom and review your fees to make sure you are fine with paying the amount.

If you wish to change something then simply click 'Edit Listing'

After clicking 'List Your Item', congratulations! You have successfully listed a book for sale.

on 'My Ebay' you can see the book's progress over the course of the listing.

Once sold, wait for payment (or send payment details through Ebay) and then post.
Et Voila! You should receive feedback and give feedback regarding their payment and then you have successfully sold your first item.

If you are happy with this guide please share it with others!

This special repost celebrates my 1000th view - thanks for reading and if you have any comments or questions I am happy to offer advice