Top 10 Most Expensive Trilogies Sold by AbeBooks

1. Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy - $5,000

Asimov later expanded his epic science fiction trilogy with four more books. The original trilogy is Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952) and Second Foundation (1953). All three books were signed by Asimov – two of which were first editions.

2. JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy - $3,215

A major helping of classic fantasy - Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers were fifth printings. Return of the King was a first edition.

3. = Paul Auster’s New York trilogy - $1,750

All three Bernhard Gunther detective novels - City of Glass (1985), Ghosts (1986) and The Locked Room (1986) - were in dust jackets . Ghosts was signed by Auster.

3. = Cormac McCarthy’s Border trilogy - $1,750

All three books in this Western series - All the Pretty Horses (1992), The Crossing (1994) and Cities of the Plain (1998) - were first editions in near fine condition.

5. William Faulkner’s Snopes trilogy - $1,650

Three first editions in fine or near fine condition of The Hamlet (1940), The Town (1957) and The Mansion (1955).  A critically acclaimed story of Mississippi family life in three parts.

6. Cormac McCarthy’s Border trilogy - $1,350

Another set of McCarthy’s much acclaimed trilogy - all three were first editions in near fine condition.

7. Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s ‘trilogy’ - $1,250

Not really a trilogy as Adams later wrote parts four and five but never mind the details– these three first editions were all signed by Adams. Of course, the books were The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979), The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980) and Life, the Universe and Everything (1982).

8. Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart trilogy - $1,185

A set of three UK first editions, first printings of Inkheart (2004), Inkspell (2006) and Inkdeath (2008) – all signed by the author, who also added doodles of Dustfinger's weasel Gwin.

9. Cormac McCarthy’s Border trilogy - $1,100

 A third set of McCarthy’s highly collectible trilogy - all three were first editions.

10. Philip Kerr’s Berlin Noir trilogy - $900
A set of signed first editions - March Violets(1989), The Pale Criminal (1990) and A German Requiem (1991).