A rare first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s beloved fantasy novel, The Hobbit, has fetched over £38,000 at auction after being discovered among “fairly ordinary” donations at an Oxfam charity shop.
The 1938 first edition, second impression, was donated to the Oxfam store in Harborne, Birmingham, alongside what staff described as a collection of “otherwise unremarkable” books.
Recognising its potential significance, staff sent the volume for specialist assessment.
This particular edition is one of approximately 2,300 copies ever printed and notably features four colour illustrations by Tolkien himself, which first appeared in this second impression.
The book subsequently sold for £38,400, with all proceeds directly supporting Oxfam’s global efforts to combat poverty and inequality.
Julian Grist, manager of Oxfam Harborne, expressed regret that he “did not get a chance to tell the person who donated the book how important it was.”
open image in galleryHe said: “It arrived with a pile of fairly ordinary books, and by the time I’d realised what we had, the donor had already left.
“I would have loved the chance to tell them just how extraordinary their donation was.
“Whenever I spot a copy of The Hobbit, I always find myself thinking, ‘Please let this be worth something.’
“Tolkien is hugely collectable, and even something that looks quite ordinary can turn out to be incredibly valuable – sometimes an old dust jacket is all it takes.”
Mr Grist said he has learned to keep his “eyes open” in his job as treasures can appear at any time.
He said: “That’s part of what makes working in an Oxfam bookshop so exciting.
“We can never get enough Tolkien. His books fly off our shelves. This one was something really special, and it’s wonderful to know it will now make such a difference through Oxfam’s work.”
Ian Falkingham, Oxfam’s books expert, 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 sold for nearly £1,000 at auction after being donated to an Oxfam charity shop.
The copy of Paul McCartney In His Own Words, which features a collection of interviews with the Beatles legend, was donated to the shop in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.
The book, donated as part of a 1970s memorabilia collection, sat unnoticed in the shop for months before manager Joan Randle spotted the valuable inscription.
It was subsequently sold at auction with Bonhams, raising £950 for Oxfam.