THE HOBBIT, 1937 FIRST EDITION, 2ND PRINTING

J.R.R. TOLKIEN

Published by George Allen & Unwin, London, 1937

About this Item

George Allen & Unwin, London, 1937 First Edition, Second Impression, 1937A near fine very clean unrestored copy. The first printing of The Hobbit was issued on 21st September 1937 with a print run of only 1500 copies. The book was an immediate success and sold out within months. The second impression (of which this copy is one), was printed in December the same year in an edition of 2300 copies (423 of which were destroyed at the warehouse of the binder, Key and Whiting, in the bombing of London on November 7th 1940) and was the first printing to convert four of the authorâ s black and white illustration plates to color. These were initially commissioned for and later published in the American edition. [Hammond A3a.] We have only spotted one other second printings, one with a complete original jacket, listed for $56,000.00 (since sold); and then an inferior third printing withOUT a dust jacket listed for $12,500. Today first/firsts are selling for $140,000 and up in an original jacket. This unrestored book is in near fine/very good plus condition for the Second Impression. The boards have but a touch of fraying to the very lower spine edge and a few corner tips, otherwise the boards are remarkable condition and without any brittleness. The cloth is in supple condition, overall clean with spots of toning/aging. The book has sharp corners, one very lightly pushed. The binding is tight and square. The original end papers are present and clean and bright with no owner names, no inscriptions, no bookplates and no bookstore stamps, but with a few tiny illegible letters along the top edge of the front fly leaf. The internal pages are all clean, bright and flat with no handling marks, no bent pages and no stains. Very slight pale and occasional intermittent foxing. An overall very clean fresh unrestored book. Lacking the dust jacket. Please see all the images. A superb very early printing in very clean condition. ADDITIONAL IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Please see our store for other landmark Fantasy and SciFi titles.

Seller Inventory # 002049

Bibliographic Details

• Title: THE HOBBIT, 1937 FIRST EDITION, 2ND PRINTING
• Publisher: George Allen & Unwin, London
• Publication Date: 1937
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Children's Rare Books