The Book in the Back Room
It started like any typical donation day at the charity store. Boxes of gently used books, many priced for a few pounds. A manager in Dundee, Scotland, noticed one old green-cloth book tucked away in the back, unremarkable to most—but something nudged him to take a second glance.
Just Another “Old Book” on the Shelf
The book looked worn: faded cover, small stains, maybe a bit of foxing on the pages. It certainly didn’t look like a collector’s item. The manager thought it might go for a few pounds, maybe a tenner. But he held onto a quiet hunch.
A Quick Flip and a Second Thought
When he opened it, he saw the date “1937” and the name “J.R.R. Tolkien.” That caught his attention. He thought: Could this be a first edition? He knew it was worth investigating. He contacted the team that handles online listings for rare finds.
Strebe at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Discovering How Rare It Was
They confirmed: the book was a first edition of The Hobbit, published in 1937, one of just about 1,500 copies printed in that initial run. Many of those were lost, mis-bound, or damaged over the decades, making surviving copies rare.
What Makes This Edition Special
This= one features the original black-and-white illustrations drawn by Tolkien, bound in green cloth, and is from the earliest batch before later re-prints. These details matter a lot in the collector world.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
The Charity Store’s Surprise
The store usually prices books at just a few pounds. They don’t expect treasures. When the manager told his colleagues he thought this book might be special, there were surprised looks. They decided to list it online instead of shelving it.
Onderwijsgek, Wikimedia Commons
Going Up for Auction
The book was listed, and soon bidders started showing interest. What began as a quiet “let’s see” listing turned into something much bigger. The manager watched the bids climb and realized he might be witnessing something unusual.
Nelson Pavlosky , Wikimedia Commons
The Final Price: A Big Leap
When all was said and done, the book sold for £10,099.50 (about $13,000 USD). That number stunned everyone — way beyond the few pounds they’d expected.
What It Means for the Charity
The sale wasn’t just a lucky windfall—it meant real money for the charity store. The donation box that day turned into something far more meaningful. The store manager later said it was the most valuable single donated item they’d ever handled.
A Wider Look at the Market
This isn’t the only time a first-edition The Hobbit has created buzz. Some have sold for far more, especially if in excellent condition or with original dust jacket. One recent copy sold for tens of thousands of dollars.
Why Such a Stir?
Because Tolkien matters: The Hobbit changed fantasy literature forever. Its first-edition copies are part of literary history. When one shows up in a thrift store box, you realize how hidden value can be.
The Story Behind the Acquisition
The manager found the book while sorting through donated stock before the shop opened. He said something inside him said: “Pause, this might be more than it looks.” He acted on it, and that made all the difference.
A Lesson in Paying Attention
The story reminds us: even in the most ordinary places—a charity shop back room, a donation bin—you might stumble on something extraordinary. The key? Noticing the little oddities.
Not Every Old Book is a Treasure—But Some Are
You won’t always find a first edition worth thousands. But the possibility is real. That tiny green cloth cover might be the next big find. It’s part luck, part curiosity, and part being in the right place at the right time.
The Joy of the Unexpected
The manager admitted he was “gobsmacked.” He kept expecting the auction to end at a few hundred pounds. Instead, it ended in five digits. That kind of surprise doesn’t come often.
From Donation Bin to Literary History
The green cloth copy of The Hobbit went from being a dusty book in a back room to a sought-after collectible. It carries stories of Bilbo Baggins, Middle-earth, and now the story of its rediscovery.
A Quiet Hero in the Back Room
The manager didn’t expect to make headlines. He expected to sort books and move on. But his quiet decision to check that one dusty volume changed everything.
A Future Remembered
Long after the bids close, the story lives on: the thrift shop staff tell it, the collector holds it, and every book lover smiles at the reminder that treasures are still hiding out there.
Portable Antiquities Scheme from London, England, Wikimedia Commons
Your Turn to Look Closer
Next time you pass by a stack of books, give one a second glance. You never know—which yellowed spine or faded cover might be harboring a piece of literary history.
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