Rare First Edition of The Hobbit Sells for $58,000 at UK Auction

Movie poster for The Hobbit

 

Rare First Edition of The Hobbit Sells for $58,000 at UK Auction

A rare first edition of The Hobbit by British author J.R.R. Tolkien has sold for £43,000 (approximately $57,600) at an auction in Bristol, England, according to auction house Auctionium. The book was discovered by chance during a house clean-out and significantly exceeded initial estimates of £10,000 ($13,400), ultimately being purchased by a private UK collector for more than four times the expected price.

Auction specialist Caitlyn Railey described the result as “an extraordinary price for a truly exceptional book,” noting that the sale attracted bids from around the world.

This copy is one of only about 1,500 printed in 1937 as part of the first edition of the literary classic, which went on to become one of the best-selling books of all time. It comes from the library of botanist Hubert Priestley, who is believed to have personally known Tolkien.

The discovery was entirely unexpected. “No one knew the book was there,” Railey explained, adding that she was stunned when she found it during the clean-up: “I couldn’t believe my eyes… it’s an astonishingly rare find.”

Bound in a faded green cover, the book features black-and-white illustrations drawn by Tolkien himself. Later editions included colored illustrations instead. Originally written for children, The Hobbit tells the story of Bilbo Baggins and a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the Kingdom of Erebor and its treasure from Smaug, a fire-breathing dragon.

This is not the first time a rare edition of The Hobbit has drawn attention from collectors. In 2015, a copy inscribed by Tolkien in his fictional Elvish language sold for £137,000 (about $183,000 at today’s rates) at a Sotheby’s auction in London.