Rare copy of The Hobbit sells for 'record-breaking' sum

A rare first edition of The Hobbit, written by JRR Tolkien, has been sold for a record-breaking £43,000 at an auction in Bath, Somerset. The book was discovered during a house clearance in Bristol and is one of only 1,500 copies printed in 1937. Even though it was missing its dustcover, the book was in excellent condition, which made it very valuable. The auction house, Auctioneum, expected the book to sell for between £10,000 and £12,000, but it attracted hundreds of bidders from around the world and ended up selling for much more.

The book originally belonged to Hubert Priestley, a well-known botanist from the 1930s, whose brother was the famous Antarctic explorer Sir Raymond Edward Priestley. The Priestley family had close ties to the University of Oxford, where Tolkien worked as a professor. Because of these connections, it is likely that Hubert Priestley and Tolkien knew each other personally. Caitlin Riley, the book specialist at Auctioneum, said that this connection to Tolkien and the book’s history made it even more special. She also mentioned that it is extremely rare to find a first edition of The Hobbit in such good condition, especially since most copies were read by children and often got damaged.

The Hobbit is one of the most popular children’s books ever written, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide. The story takes place in the fantasy world of Middle-earth and follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who goes on a quest to find treasure. The rare edition that was sold also includes unique drawings by Tolkien himself, which adds to its value. Caitlin Riley said that this book could have easily been thrown away or lost if someone had not realized its importance during the house clearance. Instead, it became a dream find for collectors and set a new record for the price of a first edition without a dustcover. This story shows how valuable and meaningful rare books can be, especially when they have a special history and connection to their author.