A few years later my great aunt gave me her whole set of World Books, which 20 years and a move 70 miles south later I donated to my church's indoor yard sale, as I did my vinyl records.
I don't remember how I parted with my F&W set.
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That’s a nice story.
We had a 1950’s era “Grolier Encyclopedia” and “The Book of Knowledge, the children’s Encyclopedia” that, I think, my parents got used. I read the heck out of those things.
My father bought Brittanica and Worldbook both used.
Read the complete set of worldbook.
Yup been there and done that and they were also purchased at “Finast”.
Vivdily remember the yearly updated one too.
Not sure how long it took to stop that but it did.
Good memories thanks
I just donated a set of encyclopedias and World Books to Goodwill.
Makes me wonder what else will be out of date in 40 yrs.
I have a ginormous Webster’s Dictionary that must have been printed around 1940-41 as one of the new words was Blitzkrieg. This thing weighs about 25 punds and has 50 million pages for each letter of the alphabet. I still use it. It is in itself an enclycopedia of knowledge. If one wants to know a word, then this is th book. My grandfather bought the dang thing back in the day. It is not only an heirloom, but a repository of language and culture. I treasure that dictionary.
As with your mother’s Funk and Wagonall’s...Probably was an excellent set to provide a brief description of all knowledge worth knowing... The printed word is wonderfull. Once you have knowledge, they can’t take it away....that’s why the internet is a beautiful and horrendous thing at the same time. It is constantly being edited to reflect mores of the moment. A printed book stands forever.
I got the same set in the exact same way. We also shopped at First National.
When Dad finished with the Newspaper He left it on the table.
(Just kidding)
My parents bought us the World Book Encyclopedia A-Z in 1962 plus Childcraft. I spent my childhood reading these books, especially the Childcraft.
Good story.
My folks invested (yes, the amount of $$ they spent was an investment, for them) on a set of Collier’s. It included the World Books, annually, for who knows how many years and several stories/books compilation volumes.
I remember reading most of them, from cover to cover. Not sure if it was out of admiration and appreciation or from an obligation. Maybe a good combination of all.
Encyclopedias took you on world voyages that you/your family couldn’t begin to afford.
So did my mother. She took advantage of an encyclopedia promotion at our local supermarket, and we ended up with an entire set. I must’ve been only a year behind you in school.
I got a set of Child Craft (a World Book product)when I was 4 or so and set of World Books around 5. They were expensive and my parents sacrificed for them. This was in the early 60s. I still have them.
Our clan is full of bibliophiles and I’ve been through many old encyclopedias. Homeschooled with the help of old “Book of Knowledge” and “World Book.” Circa 1960’s. They were far more absorbing than Britannicas.
Britannica is overrated, unless you’ve seen the 1911 edition. We have one that belonged to my great-grandfather.
I think it’s online now.
Funk and Wagnalls — my mom has a “handy edition” (small sized) that her mom got in the 1930’s, one at a time, either from the theater or the market. She calls them her baby encyclopedias because she read them when she was too small to handle larger books.
You can still find them all on ebay. A full set of 1911 Britannicas in good shape goes for several hundred dollars.
I tried to talk my parents into getting a set of Britannicas for my kids a few decades ago. Unfortunately for me, I have smart parents and they knew who really would be reading them...
Later on, mom and dad got a set of the Groliers, but they sat mostly unused until they were given away when we moved.
Bkmk
My parents got me the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica. It took them a year to put it together.
I read it voraciously.
L
I’m not sure how we got our encyclopedia set, perhaps from the supermarket. What I really remember is Saturday morning, picking out a letter and browsing through to read whatever caught my interest. Happy memory.
My parents also bought me a Funk and Wagnall Encyclopedia
set from Hornbackers supermarket on the north side of Fargo, N.D. I took the encyclopedia to the recycling center some months ago. There are about 30 sets of various years and publishers. We started getting the annual update in 1962. I have them all from 1962 on. The yearbooks and the 1962 set are green.