Welcome all Enthusiasts of Franklin Library books by Franklin Mint!

I thought it would be nice to begin a group for those addicted to Franklin Library books, especially the 'early Franklin' creations produced from 1974 to 1987 ~ truly leather-bound treasures of unsurpassed quality.

So, here's now a place to express your thoughts, opinions, tips, recommendations, etc., of all things Franklin ...

I've posted elsewhere my initial thoughts about Franklin, but thought this might be a more appropriate venue ~ specifically for those wishing to engage in discussion about the various creations of Franklin Mint's bookbinding years.

I love leather-bound books. And especially those crafted by Franklin Mint and Easton Press.

So, I guess as good a first topic as any (in keeping with the occasion of forming this group) is ... LEATHER-BOUND LOYALTY: FRANKLIN LIBRARY OR EASTON PRESS?

I love BOTH, actually, weighing carefully all extant editions of each publisher (and even a few select Folio Society titles). I have now hundreds of titles from these premier publishing giants. I've continued to opt for some of the Folio fare because I think that the few Folio titles that I've acquired simply possess an intriguingly different (and more colorful) look than those same titles in the Franklin/Easton camps which, by my lights, and only in these rare cases, don't particularly impress in their respective designs ~ again, as per my own tastes.

LOYALTY: FRANKLIN OR EASTON?

Pressed to take a 'loyalist' (and, what can only be, a biased) stand for which product I prefer of these (what once were, and apparently still are!) two major competitors, I would have to say that I lean towards the very early Franklin editions for their matchless quality ~ for in my mind they generally surpass, or at least equal, anything that Easton has ever done . . . Although, I must say that Easton's new foray into extremely limited deluxe collector's editions is quite remarkable ~ To note, among its most recent offerings: 600 hand-numbered copies of a massive (14 1/2" x 10 1/2", two-volume, 576 pages per volume), delightfully faithful reproduction of an extremely rare 1880 U.S. version of Michaud's HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES in three-color leather stamping (boasting all one hundred, full-page illustrations by Gustave Doré). Very, very impressive ~ FOR YOUR OWN SHELF! ... You know ~ a copy of one of those incredible, deliciously produced (multi-color, embossed) tomes of the late-nineteenth century that you happily, and quite by accident, stumbled upon while perusing the antiquity shelves at your local college library.

The Easton MICHAUD set is absolutely gorgeous ~ stunning, and truly remarkable in its production qualities: a veritable feat of modern publishing. I'm an avid collector of 'facsimile' reprints, because I love having in my hands and on my shelves not only classic vintage titles but also ones that are bound in fresh new leather! They don't make them like they used to, but FL, Franklin/Oxford, and EP have come the closest.

To see the Original 1880 Michaud edition, copy and paste the following link to your browser address bar:

https://acrobat.com/#d=Ex7e13BxArcXCC4ttxV-FQ

To see the New Easton edition, paste this link :

https://acrobat.com/#d=4lfqjq0-dkwxp4kFCLq1SA

The thing about 'early Franklin' is that its quality (in everything ... paper, leather, design, feel -- in a word, its regality) is generally unsurpassed. I prefer over Easton the typical design and look of Franklin Mint's bookcovers ~ supremely elegant: they tend to have a flowing, curvilinear art nouveau feel, as opposed to Easton's proclivity for blockish, geometrical shapes. Easton, too, unfortunately, creates designs that in some cases are ultra-ornate, to the point of being gaudy -- even garish. Cartoonish, in fact, in some instances, as, for example, some gilded cover art is made to take the 'outline form' of people, animals, or objects. This seems to cheapen, in my opinion, what is often an otherwise elegant product. On a shelf, this type of Easton fare appears to be quite 'out of place' next to the restrained dignity and understated elegance of the early Franklin creations.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS AND FRANKLIN MINT: One Brief, Shining Moment

Franklin even had a brief, shining liaison with Oxford University Press in the early 1980s that produced astonishing dual-tone 'leather upon leather', or deep image-embossed bindings that, remarkably, out-classed even 'early Franklin'! (Most of these titles boast an elegant inlaid filigree-motif 'ticking', or gold-leaf 'blind stamping', that exquisitely borders the moiré endsheets and runs along not only the inside edges of the boards but also along the top and bottom edges of the spine! CLASSY). I refer here to Oxford/Franklin's full-leather Shakespeare and Dickens 'Complete Works' series and its untouchable 'Oxford Library of the World's Great Books' series. Oxford/Franklin did, however, produce two grades of binding: the elegant full-leather issue just mentioned, but also a beautiful quarter-bound edition (which generally exceeds Franklin's 'standard fare' of quarter-bound offerings) that were produced, together with Franklin's concurrent hardcover/cloth and faux-leather issues, in the early 1980s. In terms of titles offered, however (particularly those in full-leather), the Oxford/Franklin alliance was much more discriminating in its choices (i.e., which lucky titles it would afford such rich, unparalleled treatment) than either Franklin or Easton alone have been, and it ultimately produced a rather 'elitist' offering -- only the 'Classics of the Classics' were so magnificently produced.

Good luck in capturing some of these rare and wonderful Oxford/Franklin beauties! You CAN see them from time to time elusively darting through eBay's great halls ~ Catch them while you still can!

FRANKLIN LIBRARY'S FINEST

The Franklin Library, the publishing division of The Franklin Mint, was of course, at one time, the nation's largest publisher of great books in fine bindings. Founded in 1973, it ceased publishing in 2000. Its early editions ~ fully bound in genuine premium-grade, hand-cut leather, selected for quality of grain and texture ~ were designed and bound by The Sloves Organization, Ltd., an affiliate of the mint, whose bindery was one of the few in the world devoted exclusively to the crafting of fine leather books.

Printed from 1981 to 1985,* the Oxford/Franklin volumes are gorgeous ~ absolutely stunning in their production qualities. Oxford University Press, in fact, specially chose the publishing division of The Franklin Mint to design and produce its World's Great Books series because of Franklin's unsurpassed skill in achieving a premium-quality product: each Oxford book must also be 'a wonder' in the finest of bookbinding traditions and, if possible, exceed Franklin's high standard. By that prestigious election, Franklin thus was also doubly honored and formally recognized for the awesome reputation it had achieved in the publishing world throughout the decade of the 1970s.

It is because of that 'brief, shining moment' in publication history that these fine classic Oxford/Franklin editions generally surpass anything else ever produced either before or after that time by any of today's renowned publishing giants. Relatively few titles in the multi-edition Great Books series were given the fabulous full-leather treatment; most were quarter-bound volumes ~ very lovely indeed by the lights of their own publication merits ~ but still unable to boast the same 'Rolls Royce' elegance of their full-leather counterparts.

*This was the same glorious period of time when The Franklin Mint and Oxford University Press collaborated to also produce a stunning 21-volume dualtone premium leather (burgundy/navy blue 'leather upon leather', with trademark inner-board gilt stamping, or 'ticking') Limited Edition set of "the Great Inimitable's" complete works, The Oxford Library of Charles Dickens (1982-85). Featuring Dickens' original illustrators' works on premium archival paper (mimicking in glorious fashion the original Nonesuch editions of the 1930s), the set was privately printed and bound, and limited to only 7,500 copies for those very lucky subscribers. Much the same was done to honor London's Bard in Franklin/Oxford's three-volume Library of William Shakespeare.

LEATHERBOUND CLASSICS: THE 'PREFERRED' BINDINGS

For those interested in just one person's verdict, below is a link to those early Franklin titles which I think have the 'upper hand' over the same titles produced by Easton. When it's a tie (that is, in my own mind), I so state. I've also included, immediately following the Franklin (Oxford/Franklin) list, those Easton or Folio titles that I've secured in clear preference to Franklin, when I've felt that each, respectively, held the 'edge' over the Franklin title (or, by default, when no such Franklin title had ever been produced). The lists are clearly not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they exhaustive of my acquisitions, but they do constitute what might be seen (for lack of a better descriptive) as generally recognized 'Classic' titles:

https://acrobat.com/#d=dkQMc6zZfBe8PYdY9p2itA

Here's also a link to a 'combined list' of the Franklin / Easton / Folio titles:

https://acrobat.com/#d=Er1SfAb4TA8XR6nlojM12Q

So, let's hear your thoughts about Franklin, and even about the alternate leather bindings you prefer for your favorite titles.

What's your leather-bound passion?

Until the next post, happy hunting to all 'leather-bound treasure' aficionados!

You've done a beautiful job here, thanks!
I'm not (yet) a Franklin collector (I collect Easton Press and Folio) but that's merely because Franklin books are hard to find in my country The Netherlands.
Good luck with this group, I'll follow.

>1 chauvelin2000: I agree with you. I too collect all three (FL, EP, & FS), and I like the full leather Franklins the best most of the time. I think their quality almost always surpasses Easton Press, especially many newer EP offerings which seem to have thinner, lower grade leather and less pronounced spine hubs.
I absolutely LOVE the dual tone Oxford Franklins! They are indeed the Rolls Royce of leather books!

I also like the earlier Hemingway & Wizard of Oz series that Easton did with the raised, embossed designs on the cover. These were replaced in later versions with simple gilt stamping, probably to cut costs. Pity, because the newer ones aren't half as attractive or unique.

One thing I don't really understand is why Franklin repeated so many of the same titles in all its series, many of which were even published simultaneously!
Would have been nice to have more title variety instead of four or more versions of Gulliver's Travels, Huck Finn, etc., most of which don't look that much different from each other.

I have about 70 EP books and just picked up about 30 FL. The FL are every bit as nice as the EP... more so in several cases. I happily mix FL and EP books in my collection. I guess I'm not very brand loyal :-)

I was surprised there wasn't a Franklin Library group on LT the last time I looked; I didn't feel knowledgeable enough to establish one myself. Thanks chauvelin2000 for taking the initiative. Your initial post is great. Some of you may recognize me as an E/P aficionado from the Easton Press group but once you have an interest in E/P, curiosity for F/L can't be far behind. Rest assured, I will not be an expert in this group ... I can tell already that many of you have much greater knowledge about F/L books than I. I look forward to being a student in this group and learning from all of you.

One thing I have discovered in my initial exploration of Franklin Library books is that the Franklin Mint made them very difficult to collect, creating different classes of the same book under the same collection name. They also, as does E/P, published the same title under different collections with different designs, illustrators, etc. You can't just purchase a copy from the multitude of on-line book stores with any confidence of what you are really buying. It is quite the chore to write to every book seller who has a book in which you are interested to inquire if it is full leather or quarter bound leather and what color is the leather and what is the design, etc. So far, however, I see no better approach. Do others struggle with this issue?

And, unless you are Tom41, who I am guessing already knows everything I need to know, it will take a lot of research, i.e. time, energy, and family abandonment to decipher which version belongs to which collection. Some sellers on Ebay will note this information but most do not. Is anyone aware of unique, tell-tale indications recognizable from the outside of the book that suggest to which collection a book belongs? For example, I've noticed some books have 'Franklin Library' printed on the spine, others do not. Is one indicative of a particular collection or is this random and unreliable?

If anyone has lists they can share that provide insight into which version of books belong to which collection, lists of titles of books included in the different collections and any other tips, advice, or clues for which to look when considering a purchase, that information would be very helpful and very much appreciated.

>5 wailofatail: Welcome aboard, Wail!

Two series I am familiar with that can be a problem are the Franklin Mysteries and the Pulitzer Prizer winners.

The Franklin Mysteries were published in leather and faux-leather and look nearly alike, especially in a photo. The visible difference is that the leather ones have a sewn-in ribbon bookmark and the faux-leather ones do not.

There were also two Pulitzer Prize sets. One consists of all the fiction winners from 1918 to 1979. This is the better quality set of the two and is distinguished by the moire endleaves. On the title page it says "Pulitzer Prize 19xx". The other set, The Franklin Library of Pulitzer Prize Classics, includes history, drama, biography, etc. as well as duplicates of many of the fiction winners from the other set. The endleaves are marble paper and the title page says "The Pulitzer Prize for XXXXXX 19xx".

One of my favorite series is the 100-volume, "The Collected Stories of the World's Greatest Writers". It is a very high quality set of short stories or very short novels, collected by author. Only the author's name is shown on the books' spines, no titles whatever.

>6 Tom41:: Thanks, Tom41. I wondered what the difference between the two 'Pulitzer Prize' collections was. I had picked up on the fact that there are two versions of some of the books, which I chalked up to different publication dates. I hadn't noted the other distinctions, nor was I aware that there are two different versions for every book. I've noted that some include the "This book was published for subscribers to the Pulitzer Prize collection' blurb whereas others do not. I suppose this might be another clue as to which is which.

I think there are duplicate, (or triplicate?), versions of the 'Oxford Library Of The World's Great Books' as well, are there not? I see some that appear to be full leather with embossing, others that are full leather with gilding which appear somewhat 'less' deluxe, and then the quarter bound editions, i.e. the cloth boards with a leather wrap on the spine. Do you happen to know how many books were included in the original collection, and which? If I understand Chauvelin2000's post, there are fewer of one than the other. Another thread in this group includes a link to a page that purports to be a complete list, but that list is for the quarter bound editions.

I have to say the 'Collected Stories of the World's Greatest Writers' collection intrigues me as well. My reluctance to collect it is, (well, money and space, first and foremost), but to accommodate that reality I tell myself there is bound to be a great deal of duplication between E/P volumes I already own and the stories included in this collection. On the other hand there are authors that are not represented at all by E/P; that fact alone may suck me in some day.

Also, I've discovered through my exploratory forays into Franklin Library collecting that these books, largely, tend not to have fared as well as most E/P books on the second hand market. At least, that would be the reasonable assumption based on the few books I've purchased. Granted, many of them have been around longer and thus have had longer to deteriorate. I don't think it is a reflection on the quality of the books, just a disconcerting observation.

>7 wailofatail:

Pulitzer Prize winners:
I don't know if the fiction only series had a formal title; I've not found one. The inscription in front says "This limited edition of ------ is published by The Franklin Library exclusively for subscribers". The last four or five titles don't have any such note, but every title page says "Pulitzer Prize 19xx".

The other Pulitzer set has the following inscription, "This special edition of ------- by -------- has been privately printed and bound exclusively for subscribers to The Franklin Library of Pulitzer Prize Classics." I have only one book from this latter series.

There are not two different versions of every book, only of the fiction winners, since they the only ones in both series.

Oxford books:
I haven't been able to decipher these either. I know there are leather and quarter-leather bindings. Some of the all leather ones have two colors of leather and look very nice. I have the all leather Faust which I bought because it contains Parts 1 and 2. The quality is superb. I am considering replacing my 21-volume Dickens from EP with Franklin/Oxford two-color leather edition which also has 21 volumes. It looks fantastic.

Great Writers books:
I have 82 of these to avoid duplication. The others 18 sauthors' short stories I have in other collection such 100 Greatest or Famous Editions from EP or FL.

Long-term Value:
I don't know why the value in general is lower. I prefer the FL editions of many titles over the EP versions. There are some titles, however, that are very expensive today. Several from the Signed-60 series fit here: Five Plays by Sartre comes to mind. Also some of the Signed First Editions have greatly increased in value, such as A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Human Stain, et al.

>7 wailofatail:: "...There are not two different versions of every book, only of the fiction winners, since they the only ones in both series...

That's right. You said that, didn't you? Sometimes I get so carried away writing I forget what I am thinking.

Regarding the Oxford set, as we learn we will have to share. I think there is another thread for this collection so I will move further conversations regarding this subject there.

Thanks for the pointers.

Is this the only Franklin Library group on LT? I realize they are no longer publishing but come on people why so dead? Franklin Library books provide plenty of fodder for discussion.

Ok, I'll start: name your favorite Franklin Library series and explain why it is your favorite.

>10 UK_History_Fan: If I had to pick only one it would The Collected Stories of the World's Greatest Writers". It is an amazing collection of short stories and novellas by 100 world authors. The spines are unique in that they have only the author's name, no title.

>11 Tom41:
Tom, glad to hear your choice. I too think this is one of if not the best series in their cannon. I was so lucky to pick up an absolutely mint COMPLETE set of all 100 books with notes at a reaonable price. I was also lucky that the seller was within driving distance (if you don't mind a January road trip to Iowa!) so that I could not only save on what would have been exhorbitant shipping costs, but also ensure no transit damage by moving the books myself.

The only issue with my set is a couple of the volumes had spine fading (the only one with major spine fade was the Candide/Zazig by Voltaire, since replaced, a phenomenon that seems all too common with this title based on multiple seller photos, must have been a flawed dye in the leather as other red leather books in this series are perfect). Other than that, quite a few of the books have major dust and some foxing on the top gilt page ends (don't think its possible to remove foxing) but I don't find that too great a distraction since it is not visible to me as I am reading the book (being on the top) and the books themselves have clearly never even been cracked open. I feel like a bit of a tomb-raider though because I found out through some follow-up quesitons that this set belonged to the seller's mother who recently passed away. I assured him they were going to a very good home.

I actually struggled with how I would answer the question in >10 UK_History_Fan: myself. Candidates are:

1) 100 Greatest Books of All Time - just an outstanding job with this series, in many ways preferable to the EP version

2) 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature - easily my favorite series in terms of cover design and overall quality but since so many of the titles are duplicates found in other series and there is a far greater representation of poetry than I personally care for, I probably would not pick this as the absolute favorite

3) 25th Anniversary of the Great Books of the Western World - I realize this set is not really politically correct anymore, but I have never had any issues with the Western cannon serving as a foundation of a good liberal arts education provided there is an acknowledgement that there are other sources of erudition in other parts of the world should you care to study it.... These books are also strikingly beautiful and were among the best quality ever produced by Franklin Library

4) Collected Stories of the World's Greatest Writers (see commentary in >12 UK_History_Fan:) - simply stunning on the shelf with some amazing titles and very high quality production

5) Signed Limited Editions - popularly known as the "Signed 60" - the rarity of some of these signatures speaks volumes for this series, but also makes it extremely expensive to collect second hand and individual books seem to almost never come with the Notes From The Arhcives pamphlets. Also, I find many of the titles in this series to be bleh and the only reason one would collect them is for the signatures.

So I gues to conclude, I like each of these 5 series a great deal all for different reasons. So to save my brain some taxing deliberations, I will break it down into categories:

Best Overall Series: - 100 Greatest Books of All Time
Most Beautiful Overall Book Designs - 100 Masterpieces of American Literature
Most Impressive Title List and Runner-Up in Book Design - Collected Stories of the World's Greatest Writers
Most Educational Series: - 25th Anniversary of the Great Books of the Western World
Most Valuable Series: - Signed Limited Editions

See, I can't pick just one! It is like choosing your favorite child. Plus only 2 of my "children" are "all grown up" (complete sets): 100 Greatest Books of All Time and Collected Stories of the World's Greatest Writers, so my judgements are based on my current inventory and observations of unpurchased titles so far.

>13 UK_History_Fan: Have you ever looked at the Oxford Library of the World's Great Books which FL published? I have one of the all leather ones and it is stunning. They also published a quarter-leather edition.

I have just stumbled on this informative site. As many of you may know, I already collect Easton and Folio books.

So far, I have one Franklin Library Book, which is the Cohen translation of Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais. It is beautifully bound in red leather with stylish and swirling gold decorations. It has red moire endleaves and a matching silk bookmark, which I understand indicates a higher grade FL book? It's certainly a beauty and it has inspired me to trace down a few more of these elusive books.

>15 Quicksilver66:
David:
You do indeed have the full leather version of that book which was published as part of the 100 Greatest Books of All Time series. The color illustrations in it are particularly nice and the paper stock might be a tad better than some others in this series if I recall correctly. How is the shape of the red moire endleaves? Any color fading? I've mentioned before that I find the fading to be far less common with the Franklin Library books on the endleaves, but unfortunately a bit more common on the spines! I hope yours is in good shape. Personally, I would collect (and have) the entire series as it is probably their best set, certainly top 3. I only buy them with the Notes From the Editors pamphlets though and those can be a little more difficult to come by. So if you are patient, and ask the right questions, you will get a great copy. It is a bit more work collecting Franklins though due to these extra precautions (is it full leather, does it come with notes).

Do you have the full list? If you do not, I would be happy to send it to you. I have Title, Author and Year, but not the exact order in which they were released. Perhaps Tom41 knows that since he subscribed directly.

> 16

Hi Sean

My copy is in great shape The red moire end leaves are sharp and vibrant with no fading. The paper stock is indeed very good quality and watermarked. There is a little sag on the spine (the text block is very heavy) but overall, it is in very good condition and I would certainly grade it as a fine copy. I will try and post some photographs at some point. The only negative is that it has a slight musty smell, but visually everything seems absolutely fine.

Alas, the notes are not present. From my research on Abe, very few of the books available here in the UK seem to have the notes.

I would love to have that full list Sean.

> 17 It's in the 100 Greatest thread.

> 17
David,
Yes, I can send it to you in excel format via email if you prefer, but quite "franklinly" Tom41's list has more info per title. I may have

>1 chauvelin2000:: You've been quoted in this auction by pintosforme for a '100 Greatest' Franklin Library book on Ebay. Unfortunately, the portion of your post that is quoted does not pertain to the listed item, which is misleading to say the least.

Quite possibly a misunderstanding on the seller's behalf, certainly. Interesting though the crossover between Ebay and LT.

Wailofatail you are so famous! I didn't realize your thoughts were so important they could be used to sell other people's books from an entirely different series! That is hilarious but also sad.

>21 UK_History_Fan:: Not my thoughts. The quote is from chauvelin2000's original post in this thread.

Hi

I was recently looking at the franklin mint site and it looks as though they have some books for sale, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the 400th Anniversery King James Bible. There are journals, books on alchol (wine, whiskey, scotch), baseball, etc.

I will post pictures of them in my gallery (the three titles mentioned in the first paragraph)

Warning!!! That is not an official Franklin Library website. If it is the one I'm thinking of it is sponsored by a nefarious eBay reseller who snags up bargains and outbids genuine collectors only to resell wares at double or triple the price. Be cautious. To my knowledge no official Franklin Library website exists since they stopped publishing in 2000 long before businesses moved their commerce online. In fact the KJB is likely an Easton Press Deluxe Limited Edition.

This is the Franklin Mint site that my mother decorated most of her house with, not a ebay seller. They stopped selling books years ago but they still sell jellery, vases, statuetes and lots of things to do with harley davidson (the motor bikes) and also they sell the fancy monopoly sets. I never said it was Franklin Library. I have had this site on my pc for years and in truth they dont do as well as they once did, it shows in that they dont have as good a selection as they once had. The small selection of books they have advertised is reletively new, and I thought you might be interested.

the web site is: www.franklinmint.com

this web address hasnt changed in years (I was longing to be able to get the monopoly set, but it looks like they may not have them anymore)

> 25
Ok good, I am glad you are not being "had." The evil site I thought you might be referring to is:

www.franklinbooks.com

Though how they managed to register that name (why it was not previously already registered) is beyond me.

That is very interesting....could there be one day a come back of FL, I sure hope so!

They appear to be flexible leather bindings, not the hard leather bindings they used in the past.

> 27

I hope so as well. FL were considerably superior to the EP in design and construction. I have been very impressed with the FL books I have picked up and I wish EP could have the same attention to detail in their current publications.

>29 Quicksilver66: I don't notice much difference between EP and FL particularly if you compare books of a comparable age. I think EP has gone with cheaper leather as they try to hold down costs but paper and print quality remain about the same. All of my FL books have been purchased used and a number have problems with edge gilding while none of my EP purchases (new or used) have shown problems in this area.

> 30
My experience has been a bit different than yours I'm afraid. I agree with David that in general Franklin Library books benefit from superior quality and construction. I definitely have had issues with the edge gilding in the Franklin Books, but I have similar issues with EP books. My Easton books are on avg newer, so the gilt issues are less pronounced so far. But you do bring up a valid point in that both publishers seem to have experienced quality decline (cost cutting?) over time so that a late era Franklin from say 1995 will be inferior to an EP book from the 1970s, but even the EP books from the 70s and early 80s are if anything only equal to and not better than franklins from the same era. Just my opinion of course. Doesn't men you are wrong just that we have had different experiences and perceptions.

Here is FL's Great Books of the 20th Century list:

Franklin Library
The Greatest Books of the Twentieth Century

001 Adams, Henry: The Education of Henry Adams, ill. engravings
002 Anderson, Sherwood: Winesburg, Ohio, ill. John Berkey
003 Auden, W. H.: Collected Poems
004 Beckett, Samuel: Three Plays
005 Borges, Jorge Luis: Ficciones, ill. Gonzalo Fonseca
006 Chekhov, Anton: Two Plays {The Three Sisters; The Cherry Orchard}, tr. Elisaveta Fen, ill. Elaine Raphael and Don Bolognese
007 Churchill, Winston S.: Their Finest Hour, ill. Bryan De Grineau
008 Conrad, Joseph: Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard, ill. Joseph Ciardiello
009 Einstein, Albert: The Meaning of Relativity 5th Ed.
010 Eliot, T. S.: Collected Poems, 1909-1962
011 Faulkner, William: The Sound and the Fury, ill. Steven H. Stroud
012 Fitzgerald, F. Scott: The Great Gatsby
013 Ford, Ford Madox: The Good Soldier, ill. John Collier
014 Forster, E. M.: A Passage to India, ill. Charles Reid
015 Frazer, Sir James George: The Golden Bough: a Study in Magic and Religion
016 Freud, Sigmund: Basic Works, tr. James Strachey
017 Frost, Robert: The Poetry of Robert Frost, ill. Jacques Hnidzovsky
018 Galsworthy, John: The Man of Property, ill. Anthony Gross
019 Gide, André: The Counterfeiters, tr. Dorothy Bussy, ill. Gonzalo Fonseca
020 Hemingway, Ernest: The Sun Also Rises, ill. Uldis Klavins
021 James, Henry: The Ambassadors, ill. Jean Beraud
022 Joyce, James: Dubliners, ill. Liam Roberts
023 Joyce, James: Ulysses, ill. Henri Matisse
024 Kafka, Franz: The Trial, ill. John Collier
025 Lawrence, D. H.: Sons and Lovers, ill. paintings by author
026 Malraux, André: Man's Fate, tr. Haakon M. Chevalier, ill. caligraphy by Dr. S. M. Chiu
027 Mann, Thomas: The Magic Mountain, tr. H. T. Lowe-Porter, ill. Joseph Ciardiello
028 Márquez, Gabriel Garcia: One Hundred Years of Solitude, tr. Gregory Labassa, ill. Jim Spanfeller
029 Mitchell, Margaret: Gone with the Wind, ill. Ben Stahl
030 Nabokov, Vladimir: Lolita, Herbert Tauss
031 O'Casey, Sean: Six Plays, ill. Kenneth Francis Dewey
032 O'Connor, Flannery: A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories, ill. William Harmuth
033 O'Neill, Eugene: Four Plays, ill. Walter Brooks
034 Pasternak, Boris: Doctor Zhivago, ill. Francis Golden
035 Pound, Ezra: Personae; A Draft of XXX Cantos
036 Proust, Marcel: Swann's Way, ill. Van Dongen
037 Rilke, Rainer Maria: Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus, tr. C. F. MacIntyre, ill. Gonzalo Fonseca
038 Sandburg, Carl: Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years & The War Years
039 Shaw, Bernard: Four Plays, ill. Stan Hunter
040 Silone, Ignazio: Bread and Wine, tr. Harvey Fergusson II, ill. Ronald Keller
041 Steinbeck, John: The Grapes of Wrath, ill. Charles Reid
042 Stevens, Wallace: The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens
043 Warren, Robert Penn: All the King's Men, ill. Robert Heindel
044 Waugh, Evelyn: Decline and Fall, ill. by author
045 Wharton, Edith: The Age Of Innocence, ill. Allan Mardon
046 Whitehead, Alfred North: Science and the Modern World, ill. Tony Kokinos
047 Wilder, Thornton: Three Plays, ill. Dick Brown
048 Wolfe, Thomas: Look Homeward, Angel, ill. Douglas W. Gorsline
049 Woolf, Virginia: To the Lighthouse, ill. Jane Sterrett
050 Yeats, William Butler: The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats, ill. Anne Yeats

Well, let's see if anyone is still out there who is interested in the FL.

Do any of you have one of the complete FL series? I have the 100 greatest American Masterpieces, a few of their First Editions, a few 100 Greatest Books and a few of their Signed Editions, including some of those First Editions.

Most of these I got directly through FL and a very few from the secondary market.

I have to wonder if they overwhelmed their own devotees at times. I started with the 100 greatest American Masterpieces and then received many requests from them to also start subscribing to another series. With one book a month for a series of 100 books, it was discouraging to have so many choices. It seemed that the latest new series was better than the one that I was already committed to finish.

At the same time that I started with them, I also got involved with the Folio Society. Their marketing of multiple groupings, I think discouraged those already enrolled.

I just don't seem attracted to Easton Press works at least not yet.

Hello. Hello?

I have a nearly complete 100 Greatest (missing one volume thanks to a weasily seller who sent me a title from the World's Best Loved Books instead), a complete Collected Stories of the World's Greatest Writers, and am approaching completion on the Signed Limited Editions, 100 Masterpieces of American Literature and the Great Books of the Western World. I have really come to appreciate better over time the durability and quality of the Franklins when compared to Easton Press books. Unfortunately, in general, I do not care for the illustration styles in the FL books as much as the Easton reprints of the George Macy classics.

Basically, when I started collected them (secondary market), I was really high on Easton Press, pretty high on Folio, and was ignorant of Heritage and Limited Editions Club books. At first I found the FL books to be inferior (based on the illustrations and the conditions of some of my early acquisitions). But now I would rank the publishers as: Limited Editions Club, Folio Society, Heritage Press, Franklin Library and lastly, Easton Press.

Hi everyone!

Im jumping into this discussion a bit over my head due to some books I found at an auction. They are definitely FL books from the 100 Great American Novels Series, but I've been finding conflicting dates on publications. I've seen 1970-1984 and '70-'87 as the years during which the leather bound books with gilded pages and silk cover pages were in production. Can any expert clear up the exact years during which they were in production? Did they not print during some of those years? Annual, bi-annual?

The books I found were printed with a special bi-centennial stamp-like marking on the inside, 1987. Are these books part of a special series being the last year of the FL production? Did production actually stop in 84 and I found knock offs Lol?

Who knows anything on the worth of these books in *Pristine* mint condition?
Deerslayer
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
William James: Pragmatism

These are just a few of the title Im having trouble finding the prices to, any help would be much appreciated.

no1?

I am coming late to this forum but am pleased that someone besides myself recognizes the quality of the Great Books of the Western World set published by Franklin from 1979-1985. The Franklin set of 96 volumes improves on Britannica's 54-volume set of the same works in numerous ways. In some cases, newer translations were used and often the books were beautifully illustrated. But in my opinion Franklin's greatest service was to divide many of Britannica's volumes into 2 or 3 volumes, making them much more readable.

Britannica was notorious for the small print in most if its books, so by dividing War and Peace into 3 volumes, for example, it is actually possible to read it for more than 10 minutes at a time without my vision blurring.

There is one caveat, though. I don't know how many subscribers Franklin had originally, but the number must have dwindled substantially during the 6 years of publication. The last two years (1984-5) were marked by volumes that were just as poorly designed as Britannica's, presumably because Franklin no longer found them to be profitable. The most egregious example involved Britannica's volume of Kant and its separate volume of Hegel that Franklin bound as a single, all but unreadable, volume.

I recently embarked on a quest to obtain the nicest set based on the Great Books that I could find, taking into account binding, printing, illustrations, and translations. Although there are now some newer, better editions available for some of the works, most of my collection consists of these Franklin editions. I replaced the Kant/Hegel volume, though, with 8 separate volumes of the 8 works present in Franklin's edition.

Hello! If anyone is looking to complete their 100 Franklin Library's 100 Greatest Books of all Time Collection, I have about 80 of the 100 that I am looking to sell. Please contact me by email if you are interested! Blessings!
Alexaward7@gmail.com

Hello,

As a set, I am wanting to sell 95 vols of Franklin Library's Great Books of Western World + 82 Notes from the Editors. Please contact me if interested. Motivated seller.

Have you sold the set or is it still available

Hey Franklin Library book collectors, I have a client who has 183 mint condition FL leather bound books for sale. (70) of the the (72) First Edition collection with facsimile signature, 53 Pulitzer Collection and 60 books of the Signed Collection. These books were purchased directly from Franklin Library in the 1970's and placed on the shelf of an oil & gas attorney's private library. The books were not ever touched once they were proudly displayed. Also have the editor's notes. If interested in acquiring one or all of these collections, I would love to get them into the hands of folks who collect and enjoy great literature. Contact me personally at 405 819 5551 or ballweber@live.com

Best Regards,
LaurieBall

So glad to find this group. I was a subscriber to the 100 American classics commemorating the bicentennial, their 100 best loved books, short stories, and Franklin mystery. I also picked up some GBWW and books from the Oxford library. I did not complete all these subscriptions since Franklin tended to republish the same books across series. I think I quit after getting my third Edgar Allen Poe! If you want to build a library most of the great classics can be picked up for $15-20. The savvy collectors should snatch the Oxford editions (such as Anna Kanenina or Tom Jones)....finest binding and workmanship in any series short of a DLE on EP. And select GBWW sets. The most ornate are as follows:
1) any Oxford University classic
2) Chekhov short stories
3) leaves of grass in the American series
4) 3 volume War and Peace in GBWW (keep searching.l..I got it for $150 as did my friend)

One warning....beware Franklin published some bargain quarter leather classics and I think fake leather reissues. Always double check with seller who usually cannot tell difference between leather and fake leather. The latter are worth about $10 each.

>45 HugoDumas:
The easiest way to get a seller to tell which edition he/she has is to ask if there is a ribbon marker. The leatherette editions never had them and the leather editions always did.

I believe I'm going to add some FL books to my library, but have discovered the need to be careful due to the many variations of each title that FL produced. I am interested in the full leather versions only, and then those that are exceptional due to illustrations or other design features. This group is helpful, thank you.

As a for instance, I am looking for 'Gargantua & Pantagruel', and it looks like there are 5 versions: a brownish faux leather version, a red leather version, and a two volume green version, a quarter-bound leather(?) version, and a grey-and-red much more expensive (oxford?) version. I believe I want the two volume green version.

Searching on abe is difficult, as most have no photographs, so I'm using ebay.

>47 sdawson: anything full leather Oxford of course if it is priced right. I have the Franklin copy from their 100 greatest. It is of exceptional quality (but it is more like an light orange color with very deep engraving on the cover). I found it mint on eBay for $30. If the 2 volume green is from GBWW I would probably make that my second choice.

>47 sdawson: yes the 2 volume green is GBWW and quite handsome....I see 3-4 out there and one under $50, which is a steal at that price; even the one at $99 is worth it.. The Oxford edition is lovely but absurdly priced. You can't go wrong however with an inexpensive full leather reddish version from their 100 greatest series. (again it is not that deep a red as shown in the picture....at least mine is not)

>1 chauvelin2000:, yes the one under $50 is what I am considering, it's $15 shipping though. But thought I'd ask about it here first. The Oxford editions are not in my price range.

>50 sdawson:
My copy is the green 2-volume GBWW edition, which I probably got from abe.com where I do most of my shopping. A tip: when searching for GBWW editions, type "Western World" in the keyword box to prevent unwanted editions from cluttering your results.

>52 EclecticIndulgence:
The Dore edition is translated by John Cohen and was first published by Penguin in 1955.

I am looking for help evaluation and/or selling a collection of Franklin Library books in pristine condition still in the original shipping boxes. I have read the warnings about sites that are not real collectors. I have quite a few volumes including a complete set of the signature 60 series. Any help would be appreciated.

>54 RJ16: I like to sell them myself on eBay. But if you do not want to go to this trouble. Try this source.

http://www.eastonfranklinbooks.com/

>54 RJ16:

Lucky you! I agree that individual selling via Ebay may be the best method to maximize profits, but a lot of work to photograph, describe, package, etc.

Check out prices for your books on ABEbooks before listing, as well as 'sold' auctions on EBay to get a realistic estimate of what you may get for each title.

For books with an estimate of

>56 sdawson:
Just keep in mind that ABE often has inflated list prices (think used car lot) which may produce an overly optimistic impression of what such a sale could net you. The eBay sold listing review is probably more realistic.

hello
just joined the group
the links that you have provided for the lists, i think there is some problem with them because whenever i open the link the cloud site of adobe DC opens
please help me i would really like to have the list

hello friends
i recently counted that the total number of books published by FL is about 782 (correct me if i am wrong)
i plan to collect them all and i would like your suggestions and tips on how should i start collecting and where should i look for them at a reasonable rate and what to watch out for
please guide me
I am from India

>59 RD_DR: So are you really planning on collecting every volume produced by the FL, EP and FS or just looking for a conversation starter?

I am currently collecting the FL full leather Mystery Masterpieces. This is proving quite difficult and expensive as I am in Australia - takes time to weed out the real leather from the faux and also have to cough up for postage which isn't cheap. I have 39 but am still looking for: The Beast Must Die; Great British Mysteries; Postman Always Rings Twice/ Double Indemnity; Laura; Bloodsport; Quiet As A Nun; The D A Calls It Murder; The Maltese Falcon; The Man From The Sea; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Door; and Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde. Would love to hear from anyone who is interested in selling any of the remaining 12.

Anyone looking to collect unique Franklin Library full leather books should check the remainder of my ebay inventory (wannabnuk). All are full leather, most with very unusual covers or covers that are like their Oxford versions, but with a different color and usually a one or two year difference on the publication year (most between 1978-1982). All have decorative end papers versus moire/silk, and all have satin sewn-in bookmarks. Unusual editions to say the least and priced accordingly. All buyers to date have been thrilled with the quality of the books they bought. Please see reviews.

Well i do and i thought i would be able to find some affordable bulk sources but till now i have found nothing
But i am not giving up and i hope i will able to collect them all
Also i started this conversation so that i am able to gather more information on these books from experienced collectors
And it is also gave me chance to talk with many people from all over the world

>36 UK_History_Fan:: A late visitor to thread. I have NO FL books. I have collected LEC and Heritage (sadly mostly from the Connecticut phase when they became reprints of reprints) and am a long time member of Folio. I've acquired some EP, usually because they were reprints of LECs I could not then otherwise obtain. I agree with your hierarchy (except for FL, which I know nothing about).

I don't think leather binding is the main criterion for selecting a book to collect (and certainly not to read!). I think the design, printing and illustration quality are primary. Also, quarter leather-especially if there is a slipcase for book-is just as appealing to me. Of course one would prefer a binding which is attractive and which lasts. My principal question about FL is: where did the contents of the book, whatever the binding, come from? The problem with EP versions of LEC books for me is that these are second-generation products and may not be as good reproductions as they could be. I have some Folio facsimiles and I know these come as close to the originals as possible.

So I guess I'll have to look at some FPs at a good local bookseller and check out the innards. Does anyone care to give me an opinion relative to books he/she has?

EP has a limited edition (I almost put that into quotes because there isn't any reason they can't reprint this again later) of the LEC Wilde's Salome in two volumes, one in French as it originally appeared and one in English. The original LEC had quite diverse bindings on the two volumes, the one on the French book being fairly loose cloth over cardboard (I think). Finding the LEC set in reasonably good condition seems difficult. EP's set costs $380, payable in 4 installments. But how faithfully will the interior of the volumes capture the quality of the originals? Externally it looks like a nice production and the colors of the volumes follow the scheme of the originals.

>64 laotzu225: varies. Many documented, some famous reproductions, most like EP and undocumented. But their quality is unsurpassed. I easily had 300 Franklin library books. The best are from the Great Books of the Western World and the Oxford library of classics.

Keith Wease has a web page that has the most complete list of Franklin Library books that I have found.

http://www.keithwease.com/franklininfo.html

You can cut and paste his lists into an Excel spreadsheet to keep an inventory of your collection.

>66 traderthor:
Thanks for the valuable link.

thank you.

Thanks for the keithwease link. I have bookmarked it and it is helpful, especially when trying to determine which, of the 3 or 4 editions of a book FL printed, I may want.

I noticed that that the link does not contain a listing of the Franklin Library 'Southern Classics' set. Does someone have a link to that that could supplement the above?

-Shawn

>69 sdawson:
Here is a partial list of the "Southern Classics Library," but I'm not sure it is the Franklin set you're looking for:

https://www.abebooks.com/SOUTHERN-CLASSICS-LIBRARY-VOLUME-SET-FULL/18282060375/b...

Hello
I'm a 20 year old maine girl and i wanna colloect FL books i have one i know it's a first edition (not signed ) i don't think was wondering if anyone could tell me if it eas good find at $5 or not and whether it is a full leather or some other kind of leather hope someone w hope someone answers me

>71 snowberi:

$5 in good condition is a great find, signed or unsigned, first edition or not. With Franklin Library books, if it has a sewn-in silk bookmark, odds are it's full leather. Without a sewn-in bookmark, it's not likely leather at all.

Thanks it has a sean in bookmark and tge only flaw i find is a slight musty snell but i'm idd abdni like that smell so not really a flaw anyone know where i can get good prices on some others i would really like to find Treasure Island (or any full lether FL book)

>73 snowberi:

Be careful of the musty smell: it is likely due to mold, caused by the book having lived in a warm and humid environment in the past. The risk with a book like that is that the mold can transfer to your other books, making them smell, too. Half Priced Books and similar used book stores will sometimes have Franklin Library (and Easton Press, as well, which also publishes leatherbound books and is still in business), but eBay and AbeBooks are probably the most efficient way to find them.

I'll be aeare of that thanks is "half priced books" website or a store i haven't seen easton press at least i don't i have i have two books Uncle Tom's Cabin and Thr Sea Wolf i fhink they are ReDets Digest not sure i do know that they're Leather bound and have pamphlets in them Thr Sea Wolf has a picture of a boat in color the book is light Blue and the spine is reddish

Half Priced Books is a chain, though, they just closed a bunch of stores, so finding them may be difficult now. Easton Press is an online and catalog-only seller based out of Connecticut. Their books are going to be more expensive than Franklin Library, even used ones, because they're generally newer (because Easton is still making new books whereas Franklin is not). But it is still possible to find good conditioned Franklin books in full leather for good prices. Reader's Digest books are probably not leatherbound.

Thanks for that just how much more expensuve are EP than FL? Is it possiable for anyone to send pics of some EP books? Also GHANK YOU for dealing with my Seemingly never ending qustions and the noy-sp-hreat typing (o'm VI so that's why it kinda sucks:)

No problem. I've been able to follow along so far. I don't think this particular group sees many visitors anymore. Franklin Library stopped making and selling books in 2000 (I think). Most everyone frequents other groups now, like Folio Society and Easton Press.

You can view new Easton Press books at their website: www.eastonpress.com Prices for new books is going to be considerably higher than used ones, of course. You'll be hard pressed to ever find them as low as $5/book but you can certainly find used ones on eBay for as low as $15-25/book.

>71 snowberi:
welcome. Franklin Library (FL) books with the ribbons ate great. I collect Easton Press (EP), Franklin Library (FL), and Folio Society (FS). Each have their niches. I have been collecting the Franklin Library (FL) pulitzer series recently, wondeful books!

Sorry I mis-spoke, I meant I collect the Franklin Library Pulitzer series.

Wh's the FS sounds intersting j'll havebto look them up i teally The Dnow Quesn version that Ep did i'm hoping to find fhem soon fifteen's not bad

Can anyone tell me the difference between:

Franklin Library/Oxford University Press - 25th Anniversary of the Great Books of the Western World (96 Vols)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Franklin-Library-GREAT-BOOKS-OF-WESTERN-WORLD-96-SET-VE...

and

Franklin Library/Oxford University Press - Oxford Library of the World's Great Books (50 Vols)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/OXFORD-WORLDS-GREAT-BOOKS-Franklin-Library-50-VOL-COMPL...

It seems the latter set (the one with 50 volumes) is the more nicer, expensive set which according to the eBay seller has "special design details (not all books have every detail) such as inlaid multi color leather, ultra ornate gilt, gold trimmed moire fabric edges, gilt spine hubs, often extra rich smooth leather, 3D raised cover details (like on Scarlet Letter), and other fine things."

Individual books in the latter set always sell for a lot more (like up to several times more) than the individual books in the former set on eBay.

>81 folio_fl_and_ep: the Great Books of the Western World is the brainchild of Mortimer Adler of the University of Chicago. A liberal education focusing only on Western literature. It is not an Oxford University Press Edition, and was originally published by the encyclopedia Britannica. For those who want this set it is much more readable than the Britannica version because it is in 96 volumes instead of 54. They have the most beautiful War and Peace in 3 volumes.....no contest.

Some on this forum argue that the Harvard classics set is a better liberal education.

The full leather Oxford 50 is the most coveted best loved set by either Franklin or Easton Press. The prices are absurd but the craftsmanship unequaled except on some DLEs. If you are patient you can pick up individual volumes which are affordable. Usually the seller will make a mistake and forget to post Franklin Library or Oxford causing the work to be listed under the radar.

>82 HugoDumas: “Some on this forum argue that the Harvard classics set is a better liberal education.

I have both sets and read in both, but the only advantage I see to the Harvard Classics is that it contains many shorter works that GBWW doesn’t and therefore more authors. But it is glaring in its omissions - Aristotle, for example. Perhaps a Protestant bias by its editor and institution? No Aquinas either, but Luther is included.

Franklin also updated some of the translations when it published GBWW in the 1970s-80s, but HC is stuck with its pre-1909 translations. Easton Press did not update its HC edition in any way.

Hi I am new in the group and wish to collect franklin books. I wish to collect only full leather binding or deluxe edition. the problem i am facing is how to identify full leather, quarter leather or faux leather books. i will welcome any suggestions or advice.

>84 karu79:
Welcome, and congratulations for selecting an excellent publisher. Though out of business now for around 30 years, or perhaps because of it, most Franklin books are quite affordable, and they have aged well over the decades. This forum is not very active anymore, but you can still find some very interesting and helpful information in it.

The answer to your specific question varies by series. I think it is safe to say that full-leather editions always have ribbon markers and I have a few quarter-leather editions that do also. The non-leather editions usually do not. You are right to be cautious about the bindings because some sellers aren’t sure what they have. If you are looking for leather but are not certain of the source, you can ask the seller if the book has a ribbon marker.

>85 jroger1: Hello, My apology for late reply. I saw your reply just now. Thank you for advise. Since my first message I purchased couple of quarter leather books albeit did not receive yet. Is there any link other than eBay and Abe books to search for these books. Is there great difference in quality between full leather binding and deluxe edition.

>86 karu79:
Although there might be exceptions, I think the interiors would be the same. Only the covers and the ribbon markers would be different.

>88 jroger1: http://www.keithwease.com/franklininfo.html
above link posted in earlier comments on this page is not opening at my end. is this link still active.

>89 karu79:
Apparently not. It no longer opens for me either.

>90 jroger1: are you still collecting franklin or eastern. what is the meaning of collector radar term used in franklin group.

>91 karu79:
I’m not sure where you see the phrase, but it probably refers to collectors who keep a close watch on the market so they don’t miss anything interesting. I’m 76 and don’t buy many books anymore unless I see something really, really interesting.

>92 jroger1: Thanks for reply. I am 60 and avid reader. I have 300+ books but mostly paper back as these were affordable. To give more aesthetic look to my collection, I was searching web for a book-binding company to rebind these books in leather and stumble on Franklin. For past few years I switched to pdf version of books but miss paper version. Seeing quality of franklin and eastern I abandon the idea of rebinding old collection and thought of adding FP or eastern (albeit FP/Eastern cover a minuscule of good books worth collecting). I am mid way reading history of crusades by Michaud and searching a bargain price of this in EP or other deluxe / leather bind edition.

>93 karu79: “For past few years I switched to pdf version of books but miss paper version.”

I, too, prefer paper when I’m reading at home, but Kindles are handy when traveling or when eating lunch at McDonald’s. It’s good to have a choice.

>94 jroger1: hi Is there any publishing house which publish books in leather binding other than FM and Easton.

>95 karu79: There is Gryphon Editions, found here: https://gryphoneditions.com

Occasionally Folio Society uses leather bindings, though this seems to be rarer nowadays. Mainly only on the more expensive Limited Editions.

>95 karu79: Century Press - see here: https://www.centurypress.ca/

thanks betelgeuse and jsg

Are there two sets of GBWW
1. the great books of western world and
2. 25 anniversary limited edition of the great books of western world."
If yes what is the difference between two.

To the best of my knowledge, these are the same series