I have to respectfully disagree with the complaint of non-uniformity across the Tolkien line of books. If there was a lack of uniformity between say "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" I would share your view. But I like the fact that the Tolkien line of books doesn't look like a row of encyclopedias on the shelf. To each his own I guess. Thank you for your perspective!
I (Urulókë) personally don't mind the lack of uniformity across the author's works, but it does really bother me that (for example) the History of Middle-earth series has no internal consistency at all (and is intentionally missing half a book!)
I've always been put of by the children's lettering on the fronts... They are only doing it to make money, not for love of Tolkien, so not putting print run or impression info in them plays into that
Great video! I actually ordered their Tolkien Beowulf a few days ago. That will be the only Tolkien-related book of theirs I have. I first got into EP back in the movie trilogy timeframe. Bought two sets direct from EP and sold one for enough to pay for both. Those were the days. Ultimately I went in a different direction for my Tolkien sets, I’ve come to prefer the publishers editions. Plus I could never figure out which version of the text of the Lord of the Rings, for example, they were using. I would consider their History of a middle earth set, but I wish those 12 volumes would be more uniform. That’s literally the reason I gave up on them for the main Tolkien titles. Very nice books though Folio Society is nice, now that’s a Tolkien set I’m considering picking up. I like that they put a lot of thought into their editions, with unique illustrations you don’t get anywhere else. I don’t always like them, but I’m the case of their Tolkien sets I do.
It's tough getting a good deal on Easton & Folio just because the MSRP often times becomes the price floor. Exclusivity combined with a rabid following support those prices. Mofi (for records) hatches similar schemes lol. So the collecting challenge is getting in under that while still being new/clean. Now if they lose the license that's another discussion altogether because their print runs aren't "huge" so then it's only a matter of time before prices begin to reflect that too. Cool video. You guys should do a companionship video showing the differences between these boutique publishers so new collectors might have a better idea about what they're getting.
I think it is worth mentioning that the standard Easton Press "real leather" editions are bound in splits (lower layers) of pigskin which are then coated and stamped with a faux cowskin grain. Even though it isn't good leather by any measure (though possibly not as bad as current HarperCollins "leather"...), they do seem durable. Also worth saying that they sometimes just re-case standard trade editions. The LotR movie books were just done in this way. I'd take issue with the idea that EP is thought of as a prestige publisher. I don't think anyone outside of EP collecting circles considers them to be anything other than a "collectibles company" with all the connotations that go with that. EP are a lazy publisher that just doesn't care about design at all - they produce a lazy, but solid product for an unsophisticated consumer. Their Atlas of Middle-earth is genuinely good, though.
Hey Stu! I can’t say I disagree. I really am not a fan of the re-casing of trade editions (is there a way to tell which they have done this on?) and I don’t like the green with random filigree/rune styles that don’t go with each other at all. Good to know how their leather is made!
@@TolkienGuide You can generally tell on the website as they won't make the "specially milled acid-free paper" claim, but you also tell the simple re-casings as they will have no mention of EP and will just be a page-block from another publisher. I believe a lot of their "coffee-table" volumes are done this way. I really wish EP would invest in some more modern design as their product is solid. And whilst the leather may be low-end, it certainly appears to be quite long-lasting (you see the odd tatty copy on eBay, but most look good). My suspicion is that they fear moving away from their target market, which (IMHO) is people that have this strange fantasy idea of what "quality" is, without actually knowing what quality is. Hence we get all the gaudy filigree, which is essentially an unsophisticated idea of sophistication. That's just an opinion though - and I might be full of crap ;-) If they got a decent designer to spend a day on each of their books (taking the "less is more" approach), they could have a product I would lap up.
Lol... im definitely one of those "unsophisticated consumers". EP isn't your 18th century publishing company making 20 books a week by hand. They mass produce a durable product that you don't have to be careful handling. I'll take EP over any other company you don't have to spend thousands on, and then can't even touch the book because its an "investment". I have over 100 EP books and love all of them. My only complaint would be that they are making their deluxe editions monstrous and aren't very comfortable to read.
I am also an unsophisticated consumer hahaha. I got into leatherbound books in my late teens and have purchased many over the years. I am 26 now. I can’t afford ancient first editions that cost thousands. EP reprints them in leather, even if it’s low quality, and that satisfies my needs. Of course I’d love to be able to have a library full of fragile original first editions, but EP does it for me at the moment, and, like the other commenter said, I do not feel that guilty about opening up these EP books and reading them for pleasure.
Thanks for reviewing. This is exactly why I have not broken down and made the purchase. If I am going to spend that much money, I want a collection and not a book. They provide good books, not a great collection.
Love the video guys! Whats the best way to collect history of middle earth for reading not collecting? I see there's a 5 book boxset of the first 5 but not the rest? And then the rest totally look different
I appreciate this review! My wife and I are thinking about getting a special/collectors edition of LOTR because we haven't read them before. We thought Easton Press looked nice, but now I'm wondering... It also seems like there are a lot of different versions/prints of LOTR, some with mistakes.. Can someone help us know which print/version to get? I hear a lot of complaints about Easton Press but, not a lot of recommendations about what else to get instead :/ Help!
I own several versions of LOTR including the Easton Press editions. I read the LOTR almost every year and I can say there are nicer editions than Easton Press if you like artwork (like the Alan Lee Harper Collins box set), but I always find myself going back to the Easton Press editions as my preferred reading editions. They feel so good in my hands, and I agree with these gentlemen that the build quality is phenomenal.
I have been collecting E.P. books for 20 yrs now and they are amazing quality books that last. They look beautiful on a shelf. I just ordered a 5 vol. Set Of Lotr, hobbit, simarilion.... Just in case E.P. does lose the rights. Very excited to add these to the collection. I grew up in the 80s and I love the old school 80s vibe of the cover design as I first read the hobbit in the 80s!.....highly recommend Easton press books, they donate most proceeds to mental health.
Do you have any suggestions as to where I could sell an entire Easton Press 100 Greatest Books Ever Written set that is about 30 years old. Only a couple of issues are not in their original sealed wrapping. Thank you in advance for any help you could provide.
Except for the price Folio charges, they should be leather bound. Their page quality is significantly worse than EP and the covers have an issue with fading over time.
If they had the full collection of HOME, then they'd probably have some of my money. Not a huge fan of the text on the cover of LOTR/Hobbit/Silmarillion either. I understand WHY that font was chosen, but it's really dated.
I have to respectfully disagree with the complaint of non-uniformity across the Tolkien line of books. If there was a lack of uniformity between say "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" I would share your view. But I like the fact that the Tolkien line of books doesn't look like a row of encyclopedias on the shelf. To each his own I guess. Thank you for your perspective!
I (Urulókë) personally don't mind the lack of uniformity across the author's works, but it does really bother me that (for example) the History of Middle-earth series has no internal consistency at all (and is intentionally missing half a book!)
I've always been put of by the children's lettering on the fronts...
They are only doing it to make money, not for love of Tolkien, so not putting print run or impression info in them plays into that
Great video! I actually ordered their Tolkien Beowulf a few days ago. That will be the only Tolkien-related book of theirs I have.
I first got into EP back in the movie trilogy timeframe. Bought two sets direct from EP and sold one for enough to pay for both. Those were the days.
Ultimately I went in a different direction for my Tolkien sets, I’ve come to prefer the publishers editions. Plus I could never figure out which version of the text of the Lord of the Rings, for example, they were using.
I would consider their History of a middle earth set, but I wish those 12 volumes would be more uniform. That’s literally the reason I gave up on them for the main Tolkien titles.
Very nice books though
Folio Society is nice, now that’s a Tolkien set I’m considering picking up. I like that they put a lot of thought into their editions, with unique illustrations you don’t get anywhere else. I don’t always like them, but I’m the case of their Tolkien sets I do.
It's tough getting a good deal on Easton & Folio just because the MSRP often times becomes the price floor. Exclusivity combined with a rabid following support those prices. Mofi (for records) hatches similar schemes lol. So the collecting challenge is getting in under that while still being new/clean.
Now if they lose the license that's another discussion altogether because their print runs aren't "huge" so then it's only a matter of time before prices begin to reflect that too.
Cool video. You guys should do a companionship video showing the differences between these boutique publishers so new collectors might have a better idea about what they're getting.
I think it is worth mentioning that the standard Easton Press "real leather" editions are bound in splits (lower layers) of pigskin which are then coated and stamped with a faux cowskin grain. Even though it isn't good leather by any measure (though possibly not as bad as current HarperCollins "leather"...), they do seem durable. Also worth saying that they sometimes just re-case standard trade editions. The LotR movie books were just done in this way. I'd take issue with the idea that EP is thought of as a prestige publisher. I don't think anyone outside of EP collecting circles considers them to be anything other than a "collectibles company" with all the connotations that go with that.
EP are a lazy publisher that just doesn't care about design at all - they produce a lazy, but solid product for an unsophisticated consumer. Their Atlas of Middle-earth is genuinely good, though.
Hey Stu! I can’t say I disagree. I really am not a fan of the re-casing of trade editions (is there a way to tell which they have done this on?) and I don’t like the green with random filigree/rune styles that don’t go with each other at all. Good to know how their leather is made!
@@TolkienGuide You can generally tell on the website as they won't make the "specially milled acid-free paper" claim, but you also tell the simple re-casings as they will have no mention of EP and will just be a page-block from another publisher. I believe a lot of their "coffee-table" volumes are done this way.
I really wish EP would invest in some more modern design as their product is solid. And whilst the leather may be low-end, it certainly appears to be quite long-lasting (you see the odd tatty copy on eBay, but most look good). My suspicion is that they fear moving away from their target market, which (IMHO) is people that have this strange fantasy idea of what "quality" is, without actually knowing what quality is. Hence we get all the gaudy filigree, which is essentially an unsophisticated idea of sophistication. That's just an opinion though - and I might be full of crap ;-)
If they got a decent designer to spend a day on each of their books (taking the "less is more" approach), they could have a product I would lap up.
Lol... im definitely one of those "unsophisticated consumers". EP isn't your 18th century publishing company making 20 books a week by hand. They mass produce a durable product that you don't have to be careful handling.
I'll take EP over any other company you don't have to spend thousands on, and then can't even touch the book because its an "investment".
I have over 100 EP books and love all of them. My only complaint would be that they are making their deluxe editions monstrous and aren't very comfortable to read.
I am also an unsophisticated consumer hahaha. I got into leatherbound books in my late teens and have purchased many over the years. I am 26 now. I can’t afford ancient first editions that cost thousands. EP reprints them in leather, even if it’s low quality, and that satisfies my needs. Of course I’d love to be able to have a library full of fragile original first editions, but EP does it for me at the moment, and, like the other commenter said, I do not feel that guilty about opening up these EP books and reading them for pleasure.
May I also add that I have been able to flip some EP editions for profit, especially their “deluxe limited editions” (;
Thanks for reviewing. This is exactly why I have not broken down and made the purchase. If I am going to spend that much money, I want a collection and not a book. They provide good books, not a great collection.
Love the video guys! Whats the best way to collect history of middle earth for reading not collecting? I see there's a 5 book boxset of the first 5 but not the rest? And then the rest totally look different
I appreciate this review! My wife and I are thinking about getting a special/collectors edition of LOTR because we haven't read them before. We thought Easton Press looked nice, but now I'm wondering... It also seems like there are a lot of different versions/prints of LOTR, some with mistakes.. Can someone help us know which print/version to get? I hear a lot of complaints about Easton Press but, not a lot of recommendations about what else to get instead :/ Help!
I own several versions of LOTR including the Easton Press editions. I read the LOTR almost every year and I can say there are nicer editions than Easton Press if you like artwork (like the Alan Lee Harper Collins box set), but I always find myself going back to the Easton Press editions as my preferred reading editions. They feel so good in my hands, and I agree with these gentlemen that the build quality is phenomenal.
@@pinrex47 I'm so glad to hear you say that! I placed my order for the classic 5 book set and I cant wait to get my hands on them!
Great info. Which version would you recommend for reading. Folio, Harper illustrated or Easton? Thank you
I have been collecting E.P. books for 20 yrs now and they are amazing quality books that last. They look beautiful on a shelf. I just ordered a 5 vol. Set Of Lotr, hobbit, simarilion.... Just in case E.P. does lose the rights. Very excited to add these to the collection. I grew up in the 80s and I love the old school 80s vibe of the cover design as I first read the hobbit in the 80s!.....highly recommend Easton press books, they donate most proceeds to mental health.
Maybe years ago, not anymore.
Do you have any suggestions as to where I could sell an entire Easton Press 100 Greatest Books Ever Written set that is about 30 years old. Only a couple of issues are not in their original sealed wrapping. Thank you in advance for any help you could provide.
Your best bet is contacting a used bookseller near you, as shipping those is going to be a significant expense.
The Folio Society certainly does sell direct to the United States. They have been taking money off of me for thirty years!
Except for the price Folio charges, they should be leather bound. Their page quality is significantly worse than EP and the covers have an issue with fading over time.
If they had the full collection of HOME, then they'd probably have some of my money.
Not a huge fan of the text on the cover of LOTR/Hobbit/Silmarillion either. I understand WHY that font was chosen, but it's really dated.
No pictures of the actual *pages* in the books!?