The same set of films, namely THE MATCH FACTORY GIRL, ARIEL and SHADOWS IN PARADISE, are available on different box sets:
1. The R1 version was released in the Eclipse Series, under the name "Proletariat Trilogy". MSRP is $39.99, but it can be had for cheaper, eg for $24 if you wait for Borders to issue a 40% off coupon.
2. Amazon.co.uk has the R2 Artificial Eye release "Aki Kaurismaki Collection Vol.1", for 19 1/2 quid, and I don't see how it can be made cheaper for a person living in the US.

But I am not asking about the price. It's the content that I'm interested in. Well, not necessarily the extras, but the quality of the presentation itself. I mean, if it is worth, I could go for the Artificial Eye extra price (and hassle due to the different region).
So, my question is exactly this: what are the main differences between these two releases? Would these differences (if the R2 release is preferable) be worth the premium paid for the R2 release?

TIA.

They are both pretty much the same, only differences are PAL/NTSC and the Region 1 has 1 page liner notes for each movie. Go with whichever is cheaper for you.