The Hobbit First Edition
A first US edition, first printing of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (Houghton Mifflin, 1938) is worth about $28,463 unsigned in near fine condition, based on recorded sales. The first point to check: Title page: dated “1938”, with the small bowing hobbit drawing above the Houghton Mifflin imprint.
Market value · Unsigned, near fine
$28,463
What a copy is worth
| Condition | Unsigned |
|---|---|
| Fine | $4,638 |
| Near fine | $28,463 |
| Very good | $24,194 |
| Good | $6,300 |
| Fair | $2,455 |
How to identify this edition
These points tell this edition apart from other printings and editions of The Hobbit.
✓ Title page: dated “1938”, with the small bowing hobbit drawing above the Houghton Mifflin imprint
✓ Page 118: Chapter VII misprinted as “Chapter VI”
✓ List of illustrations: map placement given incorrectly
✓ Binding: tan cloth, lettered in blue on the front board and spine, bowing hobbit stamped in red on the front board; map endpapers printed in red and white
✓ Dust jacket: Tolkien’s Hobbiton illustration on the front panel, Smaug on the rear panel
✓ Price: $2.50 on the front flap (unclipped)
Common questions
- How do I know if my copy of The Hobbit is a first US edition, first printing?
- ✓ Title page: dated “1938”, with the small bowing hobbit drawing above the Houghton Mifflin imprint ✓ Page 118: Chapter VII misprinted as “Chapter VI” ✓ List of illustrations: map placement given incorrectly ✓ Binding: tan cloth, lettered in blue on the front board and spine, bowing hobbit stamped in red on the front board; map endpapers printed in red and white ✓ Dust jacket: Tolkien’s Hobbiton illustration on the… The identification points above show each one.
- How much is a first US edition, first printing of The Hobbit worth?
- $2,455–$28,463 unsigned, depending on condition and whether it is signed (values as of November 2026). Values come from recorded sales of this exact printing, not asking prices.
- Can I sell my copy of The Hobbit?
- Yes. We value the exact copy from recorded sales and make a firm cash offer, free and with no obligation to sell.
Selling a copy?
We value the exact copy from recorded sales and make a firm cash offer, free and with no obligation. Get an offer.
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