Gift Shop merchant Amazon.com has the Extended Edition box set of The Lord of the Rings movies for just $48.99. The $120 set normally goes for about $80, and Amazon recently had a $50 price at the end of 2011. Best Buy has it for $49.99 right now, and Walmart's web site has it for $56, so this appears to be the deal to grab if you're in the market.

The theatrical editions of the movies are shorter, so if you've never seen the Extended Editions, you're in for a treat! Every movie has additional scenes which build out the storylines of various characters, without feeling like unnecessary padding as happens in many movies in which extended versions are released. There isn't any revisionist meddling going on, as there has been with other beloved series (cough, Star Wars, cough).

The details page on Amazon's site has a breakdown of the differences between the various releases of these movies that have been done over time, so feel free to check that out if you're curious as to why three movies should cost almost $50, and whether this edition is worth buying if you already have the theatrical edition.

If you missed the holiday deals last year, this is your chance to grab a copy for a great price!