I'm a huge fan of the cheap Houghton Mifflin "movie edition," with a black rider on the cover, and various pictures of the fellowship on the back. It's part my admiration of the various charms of Mortensen, Bloom, and Wood, (Rhys-Davies not so much, I hate to admit) and part something else entirely. It's the copy I bought, with what little money I had, over winter break of my senior year in high school, when I sat down to read LotR for the first time. It travelled with me to class, to bed, and to various Charlotte coffee shops.
It has an inscription that reads "Natalia. December 2001- February 2002." That was a happy time in my life and I wish to remember it always.
However, I really want the fancy hardback with the Alan Lee illustrations. Just because. Maybe if I ever sell out and get a consulting job...
Great thread.