# What One Tolkien Item Would You Save If Your House Were Burning Down?



## frodolives7601 (Aug 21, 2020)

So I'm sitting here looking at a grocery bag which contains, among other items, my battered paperback copies of _The Hobbit_ and _Lord of the Rings_, the same ones that introduced me to Tolkien's world after my dad gave them to me lo these many years ago. Why are they in a bag? Because of the wildfires raging in my part of the country. I don't really think it'll be necessary to evacuate--this time!--but given past experiences, I like to be prepared, so I've bagged up some of my most treasured possessions to take with me just in case I have to leave at some point.

The one gift of this situation is that it's just given me an idea for a question to ask all of you. If your house were burning down and you could only take one Tolkien book or Tolkien-themed item with you, which one would you choose, and why would you pick that one? (Let's say that you can count _TH _and all three _LOTR_ books together as one item.)


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## Starbrow (Aug 21, 2020)

I would save my box set of LOTR. They are dear old friends of mine and it is so good just to hold them. Even though books are replaceable, I would be sad to lose my copy.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Aug 21, 2020)

Yeah, probably that for me, too -- the set I showed in the Book Covers thread. I'd want to save that one first edition. 

Be safe, Frodolives -- and if you're talking about California, the same goes for our other members there. And all others.


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## Ealdwyn (Aug 22, 2020)

The 30 year old set of LotR that I posted in the book covers thread. It's not a particularly rare version, but it has sentimental value as it's the first nice set I had with the fold-out maps.


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## frodolives7601 (Aug 22, 2020)

Starbrow said:


> I would save my box set of LOTR. They are dear old friends of mine and it is so good just to hold them. Even though books are replaceable, I would be sad to lose my copy.


That's how I feel, too. Even if they're all tattered, there's something special about books you've had for a long time.



Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> Yeah, probably that for me, too -- the set I showed in the Book Covers thread. I'd want to save that one first edition.
> 
> Be safe, Frodolives -- and if you're talking about California, the same goes for our other members there. And all others.


Thank you, S-eS!


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## Olorgando (Aug 22, 2020)

Thankfully, my wife and I are not in danger of such wildfires - yet. I hope you are spared having to flee from the ones occurring where you live, frodolives7601. But we do live (in southern Germany, Middle Franconia, one of the driest regions) very close to a forest with all too many coniferous trees that are ill-equipped for the droughts we've been having since at least 2015.

I'd be thinking of saving important documents much more than any books, including those by JRRT.

But as per your question - I'm wavering between the 2002 LoTR hardcover edition illustrated by Alan Lee, and an equivalent of by now rare or out-of-print books.


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## frodolives7601 (Aug 22, 2020)

Olorgando said:


> Thankfully, my wife and I are not in danger of such wildfires - yet. I hope you are spared having to flee from the ones occurring where you live, frodolives7601. But we do live (in southern Germany, Middle Franconia, one of the driest regions) very close to a forest with all too many coniferous trees that are ill-equipped for the droughts we've been having since at least 2015. I'd be thinking of saving important documents much more than any books, including those by JRRT. But as per your question - I'm wavering between the 2002 LoTR hardcover edition illustrated by Alan Lee, and an equivalent of by now rare or out-of-print books.





Olorgando said:


> Thankfully, my wife and I are not in danger of such wildfires - yet. I hope you are spared having to flee from the ones occurring where you live, frodolives7601. But we do live (in southern Germany, Middle Franconia, one of the driest regions) very close to a forest with all too many coniferous trees that are ill-equipped for the droughts we've been having since at least 2015. I'd be thinking of saving important documents much more than any books, including those by JRRT. But as per your question - I'm wavering between the 2002 LoTR hardcover edition illustrated by Alan Lee, and an equivalent of by now rare or out-of-print books.



(For some reason, your quote above appears twice; I must have hit the wrong key.) Thanks, Olorgando. Having evacuated twice in the last three years, I'm not eager to do it again! I know what you mean about drought worries, especially with forests. Drought has been a major contributing cause of many of the recent fires here. Your point about important documents is a good one; the first time I evacuated, I pulled a bunch of important papers together and put them in one folder so I could carry them easily.

A rare or out-of-print book would definitely be one to take along.


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## Hisoka Morrow (Aug 23, 2020)

Models for board games, CD cracks for games, and model toys such swords I think,these stuff are expensive, and about books..., books works you can read online after all


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## 1stvermont (Aug 23, 2020)

My USB drive that holds all the information I have written and saved about Tolkien and Middle-earth.

Crap, I forgot, my war of the ring board game and expansions....... to hard to chose. Nope, I will stick with my original choice.


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## Elthir (Aug 23, 2020)

Tough choice. It would be difficult to let old, beloved editions go!

But *orc-blade to my neck and fire at the door,* at the moment I'd choose my_ Indogermanischen Sprachwissenschaft_ . . . a copy from Tolkien's own library and signed by JRRT in calligraphic hand.

🐾


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## frodolives7601 (Aug 23, 2020)

Elthir said:


> Tough choice. It would be difficult to let old, beloved editions go!
> 
> But *orc-blade to my neck and fire at the door,* at the moment I'd choose my_ Indogermanischen Sprachwissenschaft_ . . . a copy from Tolkien's own library and signed by JRRT in calligraphic hand.
> 
> 🐾


Goodness, yes! What a wonderful book to have! How did you come to own it?


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## Olorgando (Aug 23, 2020)

frodolives7601 said:


> Goodness, yes! What a wonderful book to have! How did you come to own it?


I'll risk getting hissed at by Elthir of the aliases, but I suppose being an old geezer (similar to myself, you're possibly already too young as a 60s-born) was helpful. I mean, anyone just the odd handful of years beyond Hobbit coming-of-age is just way too young to have been around when such occasions still occurred outside of the Sotheby's or Christie's totally-ridiculous-prices universe. 😁


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## Elthir (Aug 23, 2020)

*Frodolives*, I got very lucky there -- as, not long after, the seller regretted parting with it.

And I was able to avoid any auction setting, as *Gando* guessed.


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## Halasían (Aug 23, 2020)

If I have time after grabbing the photo albums, I'd grab my 1st set of paperbacks. They are the early 1970's with the Tolkien art covers.


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## frodolives7601 (Aug 24, 2020)

Halasían said:


> If I have time after grabbing the photo albums, I'd grab my 1st set of paperbacks. They are the early 1970's with the Tolkien art covers.


Mine are, too. They're so worn that the bowl of Tolkien's pipe is missing from the back cover of _ROTK_!


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## Rivendell_librarian (Aug 24, 2020)

My Folio Society standard LOTR/Hobbit/Silmarillion set. Probably replaceable but it would have to be second hand and Folio sets can be expensive second hand (and less than perfect).


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## Halasían (Aug 25, 2020)

frodolives7601 said:


> Mine are, too. They're so worn that the bowl of Tolkien's pipe is missing from the back cover of _ROTK_!


I think I recounted my tale in the 'Book covers' thread. I got a rather distressed set back in the mid 70's after I read the story once. Later when I got married to my 1st wife, she had a near pristine set of the same books that she read once. When we split, I left her my set and took hers. She never did say anything about it So I have a fairly unworn set that only has yellowed edges of the pages from all the cigarette smoke that she generated around them those early years. Kinda adds an 'aged' look to them.


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## frodolives7601 (Aug 25, 2020)

Halasían said:


> I think I recounted my tale in the 'Book covers' thread. I got a rather distressed set back in the mid 70's after I read the story once. Later when I got married to my 1st wife, she had a near pristine set of the same books that she read once. When we split, I left her my set and took hers. She never did say anything about it So I have a fairly unworn set that only has yellowed edges of the pages from all the cigarette smoke that she generated around them those early years. Kinda adds an 'aged' look to them.


That's a great story. I love how the books themselves, the physical objects, can contain their own meaning and history. This is one reason why I'll never be a Kindle person.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 11, 2021)

Rivendell_librarian said:


> Folio sets can be expensive second hand


Boy, I hope you're right -- the way things are going these days, I may have to rely on my collection to stave off homelessness!


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## Rivendell_librarian (Mar 14, 2021)

Try looking on ebay or Amazon!

Some familiar friends there!


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Mar 15, 2021)

So, I took your advice, and looked up a few. Yikes! Now I'm afraid to read them!

What am I saying? I'm afraid to _touch _them!


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## TrollinSun (Apr 24, 2021)

I would take my unopened vinyl of the fellowship soundtrack


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## Crowfield (Apr 28, 2021)

My Lord of the Rings chess set. Not one of the recent chess sets but one of the old ones from the 70s .
I have old Easton Press (spelling) leather bound LOTR, Hobbit, and Simarillion. Don't know why I bought those years ago. Too nice to read and most still in heat shrink wraps and just sit there on shelf taking up space. So I would grab the chess set because I use that a lot.


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