Harvard Classics - What's with the microscopic print?

Have been collecting a number of the HC volumes and love everything about them except for the extremely SMALL print.
I read in one of the brochures that the generous margins make them easier on the eyes. Wider margins with smaller print is NOT easier on the eyes! Especially "over forty" eyes.
I also have some of the Grolier "faux leather" versions that are the same dimensions, but have larger type and much smaller margins.
Definitely easier to read. But I prefer the genuine leather and higher quality paper of EP. Quite the dilema. Anyone concur?

I've noticed that Easton uses wide margins in a lot of classic era works, too. I've never understood why the company does this. The wide margins would make sense in a student copy of the book, as one would expect students to be making notes in the margins. But you wouldn't expect people to be making notes in an $80 leatherbound book.

Every publisher has its strengths and weaknesses. Easton does a great job with its covers, but it often doesn't pay enough attention to the text itself.

>1 SaxonWarlord:

I've actually never opened (or even held) a copy of a Harvard Classic, but I'm not surprised that the type is small. How else could Dr. Eliot compress a comprehensive selection of western classics into what was originally marketed not as The Harvard Classics, but rather as The Five Foot Shelf?

>2 MoTown:

The interior designs for what you refer to as "classic era" volumes were for the most part established not by Easton Press themseleves, but rather by the Limited Editions Club, of which the Easton Press volumes are often just reprints.

Over the years, I've come to think of EP as a house that puts quality covers on reprints of books whose interior designs have already been established by others (although Easton will often add a frontispiece--in particular to editions that have no other illustrations). This is certainly not always the case--particularly in the case of signed first editions--but it happens often enough that I still consider it the norm.

In the case of the Limited Editions Club volumes, EP owns the reprint rights to hundreds of illustrated volumes originally published by LEC in editions signed by the artist (and in less expensive unsigned editions by the Heritage Press) in the early and middle 20th century. Those exact editions (considered to be classics by many collectors--such as those in the George Macy devotees group here at LT) comprise much of the Easton Press 100 Greatest Books Ever Written and Collector's Library of Famous Editions series (as well as selected volumes in other series).

Unfortunately, over time, reprint quality has sometimes deteriorated, so some of the Macy devout do not consider Easton Press to be a viable alternative to even the inexpensive Heritage Press volumes. On the other hand, for those of us who have developed a pronounced taste for Easton leather, the covers of both the LEC and HP editions feel cheap in comparison.

Of course, I seriously doubt that many of us would mind owning a copy of Lysistrata actually signed by Picasso, or a copy of Ulysses signed by both Joyce & Matisse!!!

While I agree that EP's Harvard Classics uses wider margins and smaller type than the page size requires, I don't fine the type to be all that small. It's no smaller than the type used for the Loeb Classical Library or of Franklin Library's 4-volume limited edition of Plutarch's The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, for example.

>3 SilentInAWay:

Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing those wide margins in a lot of HP's Greek literature books. I'm not sure why George Macy decided to go with the wide margins, but maybe that was the style back when LEC published the original versions of the books.

I like your description of EP as "a house that puts quality covers on reprints of books whose interior designs have already been established by others." In many ways, EP is the opposite of LOA, which I would describe as "a house that obsesses about the text but doesn't really put much thought into the covers."

I used to go back and forth on the leather cover issue, but as I acquired more Folio, LEC and HP books, I've become increasingly indifferent to whether my books are bound in leather or buckram. I don't even mind bonded leather so long as it doesn't look plasticy and fake.

The one preference I still have is for uniform binding in a set. For example, if I'm collecting Faulkner's complete works, and the first book I purchase is leatherbound, I'm going to stick with leather bindings for the rest of his work. I wouldn't have a problem if half of that collection was Franklin Library and the other half Easton Press, but it would really bother me to see a clothbound volume in the middle of that collection. I guess we all have our hangups. :)

Oops. I didn't realize you were already familiar wth LEC/HP books and their relationship to the EP editions. I guess my message came off a bit like "preaching to the choir" (and certainly not for the first time, I confess).

I guess we all have our hangups

Ha! Would you believe that I have an incomplete unmatched set waiting for me to find yet another unmatched volume to complete? I have four out of five volumes of a particular work--each in a different Penguin edition (this happened mostly by chance). I am waiting to buy the fifth volume until it comes out in yet another edition so that it won't match any of the others.

But we're talking about EP leather. One of the things that really bothers me is when EP publishes a set of books by a given author (like Hemingway) and then replaces the individual titles by that author in their subscription series (like the 100G or 20thC series) with the editions from the author set. That means that, as part of your subscription to one or more series, you receive individual volumes out of the complete matching set. So you're stuck either buying that set too, or living with the knowledge that the orphaned books are actually a (very) incomplete set.

Yes, but the upside of this, is if you at one point decide, say that you really would like to collect the Hemingway set, and that you already received a few of the books from your 100 Greatest series, it means you have a few books less to buy and also you wont be stuck with two different versions of the same book...

Yeah, but knowing EP , by the time you make that decision, they've changed the covers on the Hemmingway set yet again. (they've already done it 3 times in the last 20 years on that set alone) I agree with Silent on this one, it's a very lazy tactic for EP to sneak those copies from the matched set into series where they don't belong. Saves them a couple bucks in printing costs, but it's a detriment to the collector.

I think I would prefer the Hemingway series not to have uniform bindings - like the Scott Fitzgerald series. With a small number of volumes - such as in the Faulkner set - I don't mind uniformity. But generally I prefer my shelves to look a little mixed up and some 20 volumes of uniform brown binding might, I fear, look a little to heavy for my taste. I believe EP used to publish the complete Hemingway in mixed bindings.

Still, they do look extremely nice volumes and I am sure that this is the finest complete Hemingway currently available.

>9 Quicksilver66:
Don't know if the set was complete, but EP did publish a Hemingway set with mixed bindings. My local used bookstore has 6 or 7 of the books from that set.

The pre-1999 multi-colored set, which was the first Hemingway set, was complete at the time it was published. It does not contain True At First Light, which was published in 1999 during the author's centennial year. The work was left unfinished at the time of Hemingway's suicide in July 1961. His son then edited and published it in commemoration of his father. It was included in the later matching editions of the 'Complete Works of Ernest Hemingway' sets.

Do yuh suppose this seller reads Library Thing's Easton Press Collectors?:

1990 Easton Press ~ 1st Complete Works Ernest Hemingway

As a buyer I kind of have mixed feeling about how much information we are giving up to the sellers.

>12 wailofatail: - I haven't researched what this set goes for, but it looks reasonably priced though. Would it be surprising to see this go for the BIN price and then re-listed by a seller like Zedsbooks or Engineer-69?

>12 wailofatail:
Give me an example of how the information would be used negatively or to the sellers advantage. I am quite naive and can't seem to wrap my brain around it. If you have any swampland in Florida - let me know.

12: as a buyer I would prefer to have as much information from a seller as possible, so I actually think it's good for him to include all the details. Also, his starting bid amounts to $32 per book, which is very fair. We are in a public forum, so everything we say is certainly fair game for others to use (like it or not :)

>13 _Chris_:: Seems like a fair deal at the starting bid price, and a justifiable deal at the 'Buy It Now' price, especially compared to prices from the likes of ZED or Engineer-69. They would likely list this set at 1200 or thereabouts. For some reason that I've never understood, however, this set never seems to command as much as I would be willing to pay for it, so I would be surprised to see one of them buy it.

>14 bumblesby:: Clearly this seller is doing his homework so perhaps I should give him credit. In this instance I don't think the seller would have been able to write as interesting or as compelling a listing without information gleaned from this site. Were I interested in bidding on this listing I would want it to be as uninteresting as possible so as to attract fewer competing bidders. But this is a minor issue.

My main concern is divulging to sellers, and quite frankly other buyers, which books are considered desirable by collectors and why. In the good, old, early days of eBay, sellers were much less savvy and were inclined to start bidding low and let bidders establish the fair market value. Now days sellers set the opening bid prices much higher, typically just above fair market value, I suppose in hopes that we collectors will keep stretching just a little higher. By broadcasting for the whole world to see just which books we regard highly and why we are essentially telling sellers who may be researching their wares to price them higher than they otherwise might without this information. As a buyer, you never want the seller, or other buyers for that matter, to know how much you really want whatever it is on which you've set your heart.

>15 astropi:: Precisely. My reticence is purely from the selfish position of a buyer. As a collector, I truly enjoy the information everyone has been contributing to this site. But as I've noted and seen noted on several occasions now, it seems evident that those selling these books, those from whom we buy these books, are also reading and learning from this forum.

So let's start a "Books that suck" thread where we excoriate books that we secretly covet.

I think you are on to something. By the way, wouldn't you agree that the Kelmscott Chaucer is simply too big and unwieldy to be worth more than $50.00, tops?

> 18

I would not pay anywhere near so high a price for the Kelmscott.

And as for the Arabian Nights series, you would have to pay me to take them.

>19 Quicksilver66:

I haven't seen the Arabian Nights personally but can only create an informed opinion about them from the pictures posted here and there, yet the only reason I would buy them is that they are complete and use Richard Burton's translation of which I am a fan

>20 ironjaw:
Not me. The translation is old - Victorian - who would want it?

Despite the lame, old, Victorian translation I might have been interested if E/P had created one volume per tale for a one thousand and one volume set but a seventeen volume set of 1001 tales? Come on, the math doesn't even work out to a whole number. That's 58.88 tales per volume. How ridiculous is that? Any sellers with this white elephant in their inventory ought to give it away. Imagine the valuable shelf space this behemoth is costing you!

If I owned a set, I'd send it to the troops in Afghanistan -- anything to get it out of the house.

This has got to be a record for the most senseless rambling I've ever seen in a single thread. Yet, I am finding the frivolity highly diverting after a long day of fixing computers (see, you can relate to that statement because you "know" me from the "who are you" thread. If only everyone would participate...)

Silent, you severely trumped my use of the word "geas" with your artful insertion of "excoriate." Touché

Ok, that's enough high speech for now, I'm going to revert back to my normal prattle. As far as divulging information on this message board, I'm quite uncertain as to whether any seller would take the time to find this board, let alone comb every thread for useful information. I have been a collector for a few years now, but only stumbled on LT a few meager months ago. I suppose if a seller was going to make a career of EP auctions (you know who they are) then they would check this board regularly, but the occasional yahoo who inherits a collection from a deceased relative would not likely be up for this kind of research. I think the bottom line is that I am not going to censor my feelings. I believe the chance that EP might read the thread and REPRINT a book I love outweighs the change that zedsbooks and his ilk will up the prices on auctions for books I love.

In other news, finished reading "A Study In Scarlet" for the first time yesterday, and was charmed. Are Mormons really that crazy, though? (just trying to leave this thread as random as I found it. Wouldn't want a cohesive topic to develop, now would we?)

> 20

It's OK Ironjaw. I was being ironic. I relentlessly covet the Burton Arabian Nights and I am praying that EP brings it out again.

25: I really suggest trying to find it on the 2nd hand market. EP is not known for reprinting large and lavish sets once they are out of print. That's not to say that they won't at some point in the future, but I seriously would not hold your breath... and besides, you don't want to wait 30 years for the set do you? :)

And since the second-hand sellers now know in what low esteem we collectors hold this set, they will be jockeying to see who can get rid of their stock more quickly before the bottom falls out on the market, no?

26, 27

Now I know it's only likely to be available secondhand, I return to my original point. Who would want such a set - I would only pay a pittance for such rubbish, etc.

Is it really that bad that you have to call it who "would only pay a pittance for such rubbish, etc."

> 29

It's ok Ironjaw, I am being ironic. Not sure if you get the point - which is to denigrate titles we all want to persuade ebay sellers to lower their prices.

English language humour is full of irony and mistatement - but I don't think it translates well, even for those whose English is very good.

>30 Quicksilver66: Sure QS I get it now, sometimes I was unsure whether you were being serious or whether ironic. I agree all the extremely expensive EP titles use archaic translation and are not worth the money, wink :)

And those pictures -- I'd pay more for a Heritage Press edition (at least they get the colors right).

Currently, a seller has the seventeen volume 'Complete Arabian Nights' shelf-hog listed on eBay for $1500.00. At that price I presume his daughter is included to read me one story each night before bed.

> 33

Who needs it. I would not pay more than $15.00 for such a set, even if he throws in his daughter.
(wink).

Seriously ludicrous price. But I have noticed this with Folio LE's. Sellers on Abe and Ebay list them at absurd prices and then just wait until they sell.

veryfinebooks.com has two sets of The Complete Arabian Nights, one sealed for $1250 and one unsealed for $899.

> 35

The difficulty I have is that even if I were to pay for one of these sets the cost of bulk airmail to the UK would be prohibitive. I could opt for surface mail of course, which is usually quite reasonable.

the prices are just not what they used to be back then :(

>35 LucasTrask:: Who would ever have guessed that the plastic cellophane wrap in which these books are shipped is worth $351.00? And to think, I've just been ripping it off and throwing it away. At that value, it's nearly as valuable as the leather itself. I might just start removing the leather and keeping the plastic! Perhaps if we all petition E/P to wrap their books such that we can still read them without removing the plastic we could better maintain their value. At the very least, I'm going to start saving the plastic so that I can sell it with the book in the event I ever do sell. "Auction includes book with original plastic wrap!"

Wow, someone had a big bowl of ironic sarcasm for breakfast this morning...

Naw, Internet resellers have been established as this thread's bête noire -- #38 was just another day's thrust and parry.

I might just start removing the leather and keeping the plastic!

:) Love it!

35: you failed to notice an important point!
The new (sealed) set at $1250 has 0 in stock. It's sold out. The $899 set is in stock. Frankly at that price I'm surprised it's still available (although I don't know the condition of the volumes). Assuming like-new, it's well worth the cost, to anyone who happens to be looking for a set :)

> 38

Lol, wailofatail.

OK - received two new pristine books today.

From Easton Press a JUST OPENED edition of The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson from the 100 Greatest Collection AND Library of America's Carver's Collected Stories - and YES it IS the slipcased subscription version.

I have the plastic wrap from these two incredible books ready for auction. The plastic from the Easton Press book STILL smells like leather! The plastic from around the LOA book was quite beautiful before it was removed.

I can't express it enough how nice this plastic is.

We will begin bids for this plastic wrap at $7.50 US. You, or course must pay shipping and handling.

Edited to add: For Australians I will need to mark up the final bid 50%. Because uhhhh, well that just seems the thing to do.

> 44

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..............

I bid 2 bookplates, newly detatched...

> 44

I am interested in the plastic wrap, tames. But I could not possibly rob you. So how about $100 instead of 7.50. I know, still cheaper than the plastic wrap on ebay but at least I will be able to live with myself.

Not so fast, Quicksilver66! I'll go $200!

>47 Quicksilver66:,48 As incredible and generous as your offers sound, the newly detached bookplates are piquing my interest. What an incredible offer! Are they still a little tacky on the back? I love the tacky feel on my fingers and the.... oh, sorry, I get carried away sometimes. :0

Perhaps, we should start a sarcasm thread for all those in the peanuts gallery...

Starring this thread

hey keep on, this was hilarious :D