A rare first edition The Hobbit sold for $57,000 after being discovered during a house clearance in Bristol. The 1937 copy is one of few surviving originals
First edition The Hobbit made literary headlines this week after a rare 1937 copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic novel sold for a stunning £43,000 ($57,000) at auction.
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Discovered during a routine house clearance in South-West England, the book was unearthed on an unassuming bookcase in a Bristol home by Auctioneum, a local auction house.
“It was just a run-of-the-mill bookcase,” said Caitlin Riley, Auctioneum’s rare books specialist. “I couldn’t believe my eyes it was an unimaginably rare find.”
One of only 1,500 original first editions published in 1937, this particular copy features the light green cloth binding and black-and-white illustrations by Tolkien himself, hallmarks of the original print run.
Fewer than a few hundred are believed to still exist today.
The book came from the estate of botanist Hubert Priestley, who reportedly had ties to Tolkien and shared mutual correspondence with C.S. Lewis at Oxford University.
Bidders from around the globe pushed the final sale price to more than four times the estimate, reflecting soaring demand for literary treasures.
“The surviving books from the initial print run are now considered some of the most sought-after books in modern literature,” said Auctioneum in a statement.
The sale is a reminder of Tolkien’s enduring impact The Hobbit has sold over 100 million copies and inspired blockbuster films.
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But for collectors, first edition The Hobbit books are increasingly seen as priceless relics of fantasy’s golden age.
