Rare first edition of The Hobbit found among ‘unremarkable’ books at Oxfam charity shop sells for £38,000 at auction
A rare first edition of JRR Tolkien’s beloved fantasy novel. hobbitIt fetched more than £38,000 at auction after it was discovered among “fairly ordinary” donations at an Oxfam charity shop.
The first edition in 1938, the second impression, was donated to the Oxfam store in Harborne, Birmingham, alongside what staff described as a collection of “otherwise unimportant” books.
Recognizing its potential importance, staff sent the volume for expert evaluation.
This special edition is one of approximately 2,300 copies ever printed and notably includes four color illustrations by Tolkien himself, which appear for the first time in this second edition.
The book later sold for £38,400, with all proceeds directly supporting Oxfam’s global efforts to fight poverty and inequality.
Julian Grist, director of Oxfam Harborne, expressed regret that he “didn’t have the opportunity to tell the person who donated the book how important it was”.
He said: “It arrived with a fairly ordinary pile of books and by the time I realized what we had, the donor had already left.
“I would love the opportunity to tell them how extraordinary their donations are.
“Every time I see a copy hobbitI always find myself thinking: ‘Please make this count for something.’
“Tolkien is highly collectible and even something that looks quite ordinary can be incredibly valuable – sometimes an old dust jacket is all it takes.”
Mr. Grist said he had learned to keep his “eyes open” in his job because treasures could emerge at any time.
He said: “That’s one of the things that makes working at Oxfam bookshop so exciting.
“We can never get enough of Tolkien. His books fly off our shelves. This has been truly special and it’s wonderful to know that Oxfam will now make such a difference through his work.”
Oxfam’s book expert Ian Falkingham said the discovery was “incredibly exciting”.
He said: “The £38,000 raised from this single donation will help fund Oxfam’s work with communities around the world.”
The discovery comes after a book signed by Sir Paul McCartney was sold at auction for nearly £1,000 after being donated to an Oxfam charity shop.
copy Paul McCartney In His Own WordsA collection of interviews with the Beatles legend has been donated to the store in Ceredigion, Aberystwyth.
Donated as part of a 1970s memorabilia collection, the book sat unnoticed in the store for months before manager Joan Randle noticed the valuable inscription.
It was later sold at auction with Bonhams, raising £950 for Oxfam.
