LORD OF THE RINGS 50th Anniversary Hardcover Slipcase JRR Tolkien

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Hardcover/Slipcase) UNREAD!! Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, 2004. SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS FOR PRIMARY DESCRIPTION OF CONDITION. Lord of the Rings : 50th Anniversary Edition by J. Book and case in excellent, UNREAD condition.

Gilt edges with scarlet ribbon place marker. All books carefully wrapped and sent boxed. Will provide additional details & photos upon request. You may enlarge any image to more closely examine characteristics of the item captured in the picture. Why this book is important. Text of this commemorative edition fully corrected under the supervision of Christopher Tolkien to meet the author's exacting wishes, two large-format fold-out maps, a ribbon placemarker, gilded page edges, a color insert depicting Tolkien's own paintings of the Book of Mazarbul and exceptionally elegant and sturdy overall packaging housed within an attractive slipcase, this is the finest trade edition ever produced. Please examine photos which are included as part of the description. FINE Marginally less than perfect, and may designate a book that is still new, or a book that has been carefully read. The use of the term Fine (as compared to Near Fine or Very Good) often depends on when the book was published. A recent book should have no notable defects at all. But the dustjacket of a Fine older book may have a small closed tear, or be a little rubbed, even a bit worn at the edges. Such defects, if present, must be minor and should always be noted.

Note also that a book may be new and unread, but it may have aged on the shelf to the point of being considered Near Fine or even Very Good. Similarly a unique 200-year-old book might be viewed as "Fine", while a recent book in the exact same condition could only be described as "Very Good".

NEAR FINE Somewhere between Very Good and Fine. The distinction is usually in the eye of the bookseller and involves minor defects (always described). Near Fine is generally meant to inform the customer that the condition is excellent but "not quite Fine".

VERY GOOD A used book that shows shelfwear and visible signs of having been read. Its dustjacket may be rubbed, chipped, or even missing small pieces, but it should generally be clean and bright, depending on how old it is. The book should always be clean and tight, and the overall appearance should be of a desirable copy.

A very old book may show some foxing. The description of a Very Good book ought to include all notable flaws. GOOD Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. A Good book may be cocked, have loose joints, and be missing a dustjacket. But it must be complete, clean, and worth keeping. Its value will be a fraction of a Fine copy, unless it is very scarce.

Grading definitions from Vermont Antiquarian Booksellers Association. I have never described even books in pristine condition as "Fine".

UNREAD Sometimes I add a note that a book is "unread". A book which is in very good condition with notable defects can also be unread-in fact this is common. "Unread" does not mean free of defects, but means just not read, and it's hallmark is that the front board of the book does not flop open perpendicular to the text block when the book is placed flat on its spine. The boards retain some stiffness at the hinges and tend to cling to the text block. Unread does not mean never opened.

An unread book is more desirable than one with boards that flop open when unsupported, and so "Unread" should be noted in a description if present.