The design of their classics series has a much more "classical" feel - more in line with Franklin Library's full leather bindings, but not quite as nice. Where Franklin primarily used silk moiré for its end sheets, Borders used a printed pattern or illustration.
The general description of these books is full leather bound with gilt decoration and lettering on the covers and spine, and gilt edges. The end papers usually contain an illustration relating to the title and all editions include an attached silk bookmark ribbon. The spine is fairly straight forward with no apparent decorative bands (which in all honesty is fine - decorative bands are charming and all, but serve no real structural purpose).
Since the company went out of business a couple of years ago there is little information out there on these titles. Even prior to their going out of business, they didn't really advertise their classics on their Website.
Partial list of titles (these are the only ones I could find):
- The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (2004)
- The Chronicles of Oz Vol. 1 by Frank Baum (2003)
- The Chronicles of Oz Vol. 2 by Frank Baum (2003)
- Paradise Lost by John Milton (2006)
- Tales of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
- Grimm's Fairy Tales
- The Christmas Books of Charles Dickens by Charles Dickens (2004)
- The Complete Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (2004)
- The Early Novels by Virginia Woolf (2004)
- The Works of the Brontë Sisters by Charlotte Bronte et al (2006)
- The Works of H.G. Wells (2011)
- The Works of Jules Verne by Jules Verne
- Three Great American Poets: Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost (2001)
- The Book of 1,001 Nights, Vol. 1 (2007)
- The Book of 1,001 Nights, Vol. 2 (2007)
- The Book of 1,001 Nights, Vol. 3 (2007)
- The Classic Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2004)
Of those listed, these are the ones that seem to be most available on the market right now (I found no listings for the others at the time of my search):
The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri- Leather Bound: 671 pages
- Publisher: Borders Classics (2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 158726059X
- ISBN-13: 978-1587260599
- Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
Listing for US $58 to $179 on Amazon
The Oz Chronicles, Frank Baum (volume 1)
- Leather Bound: 671 pages
- Publisher: Borders Classics (2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 158726059X
- ISBN-13: 978-1587260599
- Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
This is part of a 2 volume set, but listings are usually for just one of the volumes.
Volume 1 is listing for US $72 to $337 on Amazon.
Listing for US $65 to $250 on Abebooks.
- Leather Bound: 657 pages
- Publisher: Borders Classics (2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1587260603
- ISBN-13: 978-1587260603
- Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 1.7 inches
Volume 2 is listing for US $166 to $500 on Amazon.
Listing for US $99 to $279 on Abebooks.
Paradise Lost, John Milton
- Leather Bound: 383 pages
- Publisher: Borders Classics (2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1587263203
- ISBN-13: 978-1587263200
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
Listing for US $85 to $334 on Amazon.
Listing for US $84 to $87 on Abebooks.
Ulysses, James Joyce
- Leather Bound: 732 pages
- Publisher: Borders Classics (2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 158726062X
- ISBN-13: 978-1587260629
- Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
Listing from US $3 to $138 on Amazon.
Listing from US $3 to $12 on Abebooks.
The Works of H.G. Wells, H.G. Wells
- Leather Bound: 666 pages
- Publisher: State Street Press (2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0681980206
- ISBN-13: 978-0681980204
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.7 inches
Listing from US $16 to $50 on Amazon.
Listing from US $16 to $160 on Abebooks.
- Leather Bound: 621 pages
- Publisher: Borders Classics (2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1587263211
- ISBN-13: 978-1587263217
Listing from US $9 to $170 on Amazon.
Listing for US $36 Abebooks.
- Leather Bound: 455 pages
- Publisher: Borders Classics (2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0681748095
- ISBN-13: 978-0681748095
- Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
Listing from US $6 to $79 on Amazon.
Listing from US $8 to $35 on Abebooks.
For more information on other Leather Bound offerings, check out the Leather Bound Treasure Website, which gives info on Easton Press and Franklin Library.