J. R. R. Tolkien letters or of the first editions of his individual writings have however achieved high values at auctions, and forged autographs may occur on the market. In particular, the signed first hardback edition of "The Hobbit" from 1937 has reportedly been offered for $85,000. Collectibles also include non-fiction books with hand-written annotations from Tolkien's private library. A small selection of books about Tolkien and his works: J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, (; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor who is best known as the author of the classic
The Etymologies (Tolkien) The Etymologies (Tolkien) The Etymologies is an etymological dictionary of the constructed Elvish languages, written during the 1930s by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited by Christopher Tolkien and published as the third part of "The Lost Road and Other Writings", the fifth volume of the History of Middle-earth. Christopher Tolkien described it as "a remarkable document." It is a list of roots of the Proto-Elvish language, from which J. R. R. Tolkien built his many Elvish languages, especially Quenya, Noldorin and Ilkorin. "The Etymologies" are not a unified whole, but incorporate layer upon layer of changes. It was