What One Tolkien Item Would You Save If Your House Were Burning Down?

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

So, I took your advice, and looked up a few. Yikes! Now I'm afraid to read them!

What am I saying? I'm afraid to touch them!

 

[TrollinSun]

I would take my unopened vinyl of the fellowship soundtrack

 

[Crowfield]

My Lord of the Rings chess set. Not one of the recent chess sets but one of the old ones from the 70s .
I have old Easton Press (spelling) leather bound LOTR, Hobbit, and Simarillion. Don't know why I bought those years ago. Too nice to read and most still in heat shrink wraps and just sit there on shelf taking up space. So I would grab the chess set because I use that a lot.

 

[Aramarien]

I still have my original copies of LOTR, but they are so worn and tattered from so many readings. I think I would take my first edition copy of The Letters of JRR Tolkien (bought for a song at a garage sale), my illustrated books by Howe and Lee, and the old Tolkien calendars dated back to the 70's.

 

[Starbrow]

I would save this because it is a one of a kind map of Chicago in Tolkien's style.

 

[Deimos]

That's a great story. I love how the books themselves, the physical objects, can contain their own meaning and history. This is one reason why I'll never be a Kindle person.

Anti-Kindlers of the world, UNITE!
("I am with you, Frodolives!")

Boy, I hope you're right -- the way things are going these days, I may have to rely on my collection to stave off homelessness!
View attachment 9034

View attachment 9035
View attachment 9036

You must be very dexterously adroit.
I would be continually knocking over all the knick-knacks everytime I tried to pull out a book. 😬

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Oh, they're movable. But yes, I do have to be careful with my "cabinet of curiosities".

 

[Deimos]

So, in answer to the OP's question

What One Tolkien Item Would You Save If Your House Were Burning Down?​

Please don't ask me that.
It is like asking someone "Which ONE of your children would you save if your house was burning down?"
Or, if kids no longer at home, "Which ONE of your pets would you save...."
Arrrrrgh! Horrible situation to contemplate. I hope I never have to make that decision.

But.... at least two of my Tolkien related collectibles would already be with me (actually on me) were I forced to flee. My two Jens Hansen Rings: Vilya and the Ring of Barahir

The sapphire in Vilya is pretty scratched up, and the "blacking" wears off due to sweat, soap, water etc. , so I stopped having it redone.
I got Vilya first, years and years ago.
The Ring of Barahir is newer.

 

[Jimbo Baggins]

My external HDD or computer. I got PJ’s Lord of the Rings saved on there

 

[Deimos]

Oh, they're movable. But yes, I do have to be careful with my "cabinet of curiosities".

HAve you got 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? Or Journey to the Center of the Earth?
I noticed you have some Wells. Just wondered if you have any Verne...
If so, have you read it/them? (People might laugh at that question, but most booklovers--meaning those who actually read books and don't merely collect them--have quite a few books on their shelves that they have not yet read...operative word being "yet")
If you have read it what did you think of it/them?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I don't want to go off topic here, so will respond over on the general Books thread.

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

My Tolkien books are all the standard versions, not particularly old or valuable, and certainly not autographed by anyone. So I'd prioritize the drawing I've been working on since November (I'll post it on here when it's eventually finished!) I've put so many hours into that thing, it would be devastating to lose it.

 

[Jimbo Baggins]

My long-bottom leaf. I’d hate to imagine that going up in a fire!

 

[lynchelf]

So I'm sitting here looking at a grocery bag which contains, among other items, my battered paperback copies of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, the same ones that introduced me to Tolkien's world after my dad gave them to me lo these many years ago. Why are they in a bag? Because of the wildfires raging in my part of the country. I don't really think it'll be necessary to evacuate--this time!--but given past experiences, I like to be prepared, so I've bagged up some of my most treasured possessions to take with me just in case I have to leave at some point.

The one gift of this situation is that it's just given me an idea for a question to ask all of you. If your house were burning down and you could only take one Tolkien book or Tolkien-themed item with you, which one would you choose, and why would you pick that one? (Let's say that you can count TH and all three LOTR books together as one item.)

The fellowship

 

[Vorondil]

My sword (it would be useful if looters show up) it has an elvish name, which makes it a Tolkien item.

 

[Deimos]

My sword (it would be useful if looters show up) it has an elvish name, which makes it a Tolkien item.

What kind of sword? (And made by Albion, right?😉)
And what is its name (if you don't mind telling us).

 

[Vorondil]

What kind of sword? (And made by Albion, right?😉)
And what is its name (if you don't mind telling us).

Its a machete (or panga as they are called here in South Africa) that I reshaped into a seax. Its name is Gudrist, which I'm pretty sure means foe cleaver in Sindarin.

This is what a seax looks like.

 

[LaurelinBearsFruit]

I hate to be repetitive here, but I would also save my box set. I have an edition that contains the Hobbit alongside the Trilogy, so I would get four books our as one item!

Either that, or I have a really awesome watercolor I treasure of the four hobbits meeting Goldberry at Tom Bombadil's house that my cousin painted for me as a bday gift last year (I will have to post it over in The Glittering Caves sometime, it's pretty amazing). In fact, I think that may be go-to, since I can always buy more books.

 

[Tyelkormo the Fair]

If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together ~