The Hobbithunter

Welcome!

On this website you will see how, in the year 1975, my first copy of The Hobbit became the start of quite a collection of The Hobbit.

My first Hobbit was the 12th printing (1975) of the Dutch translation. It was a birthday present.

At this moment (October 11, 2025) the total number of Hobbits in my collection is 955, from 98 countries and/or in 98 languages.
September 22, 2027 it will be 90 years ago since the first edition of The Hobbit was published in the UK. It would be great when I can celebrate that moment with 1.000 Hobbits in my collection. Any help will be gladly accepted …

The Netherlands now has 40 different covers. Since 1960, when the first edition appeared, The Hobbit has had 120 Dutch editions so far. I have all 120 of those editions (I think I am the only one in the whole wide world). That means I actually have more than 1,000 Hobbits, but … only different covers count, so the number remains 954 Hobbits.

Latest addition: French Hobbit, illustrated by Tove Jansson.

For more information about new entries see: NEWS.

How many translations are there of The Hobbit?

And, more importantly, what to count and what not to count. Personally, I only count the first translation in a country or part of a country (a regional language, that is). I don’t count revised translations.

A language can occur in several languages, such as Spanish in Spain, but also in Cuba, Argentina, Mexico, etc. The Hobbit only counts if the book is also printed / published in that country. So no imports from Portugal to Brazil, for example.

Therefore: My Hobbit collection consists of xxx Hobbits, from xx countries (or regions) and / or xx languages.

On this site you will find two albums:
1. Hobbits I have,
2. Hobbits I want (I am still looking for many a Hobbit),

If you have any questions or if you have books in which I might be interested, do not hesitate and contact me. And certainly do so if you have any information that will make this site more complete.

It is my wish to make this site THE Hobbit site. Will that be easy? Certainly not, but … why not try at least? And you can help! For exemple when you see a “?” instead of information.

And, there is more. As a collector of books by and on Tolkien, I have some 2.000 double copies of books by and on Tolkien.
I sell them worldwide and, because it is a hobby for me, at friendly prices in my webshop HOBBITHUNTER BOOKSHOP.

Click here and you will enter my shop. Be welcome there as a visitor.

Henk Brassien, aka The Hobbit Hunter