Collection of books Rings in £150,000

RARE volumes of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, including two copies signed by the author, fetched twice their estimated value at an auction which raised a total of £150,000.

The lot, which featured signed second editions of the first two books and an unsigned first edition of the third part, was initially valued at up to £1000, but was sold to an anonymous buyer for £2100.

The Tolkien books were the jewel in the crown of a staggering collection sold at Bonhams in Edinburgh. The collection, which went for roughly one and a half times the estimated value, belonged to city bachelor William Adams, who died last June aged 84.

Rona Hendry, 52, one of his two nieces, said: "We knew he loved his books but we couldn’t believe they all got into his house."

Around 80 per cent of the collection - some 3000 books - was sold in 390 lots yesterday.