THE HOBBIT (1955 7th impression)
George Allen & Unwin, London, 1955. 1st Edition. Hardcover.
George Allen & Unwin, London, 1955
Seventh Impression, 1955: A Fine book in a near fine original correct dust jacket for this printing.
Important Point-What is unique about the 1955 printing:
The clipped corners on 1955 printing dust jacket of The Hobbit are specific to this printing. The corners were "clipped" by the publisher, George Allen & Unwin. During production, they raised the book's price and mechanically clipped the corners of the surplus dust jackets from the previous 1955 run, overprinting a new price on the flap. The Publisher's Price Hike: Allen & Unwin decided to increase the price of the book from 9s. 6d. to 12s. 6d. AND Instead of throwing out the surplus 1955 dust jackets from previous impressions, they were repurposed to save costs. Mechanical Clipping: The publisher mechanically clipped (or trimmed) the old price off the corners on both the front and rear flaps. Overprinted Price: The new price of 12s. 6d. was then overprinted below the impression notation on the front flap. Therefore ALL 1955 printings will have this mechanical clip with new 12s. 6d price placed on the flap.
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. Today first/firsts are selling for $300,000 and up in an original jacket, and any early printing in an original dust jacket are highly collectible.
This book is in fine/near fine condition with crisp boards, sharp corners and no edgewear. Some slight fading to the outer edges of the the book. The binding is tight and square. The end papers are clean and bright and in perfect condition with no owner names, no inscriptions and no bookplates with a tiny bit of rubbing to the touch edge. The internal pages are clean, bright and flat appearing as unread with no handling marks, no writing, no bent pages and no foxing. Please see all the images.
The original dust jacket has benefited from some very slight restoration by an expert paper conservator to the very outer spine and corner tips, and as such and presents as a near fine example. The jacket has strong vibrant colors with a bit of overall toning, but with no edgewear, no rips, no chips, no tears, no rubbing, no fading and no foxing. The jacket is NOT price clipped but has the mechanical clip as described above, and has a stated price of 12s. 6d. net. The jacket is now protected in a new clear removable archival cover. Please see detailed images.
A superb very early printing in the original dust jacket.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Please see our store for other Fantasy and SciFi listings. Fine / Near Fine. Item #3277
Price: $5,995.00