Franklin Mint collectibles Knives

Founded by Joseph Segal and originally headquartered in Pennsylvania, The Franklin Mint first specialized in exactly what its name implied: the private minting of commemorative medallions and coins of gold, silver and other precious metals. Usually, subscribers agreed to purchase an entire set; shipments (and invoices) were then sent monthly. Themes focused on topics that could conveniently be shoehorned into an ongoing series: famous personages, important historical events and other iconic images from popular culture.

Among the many and varied collectibles released by The Franklin Mint over the years were plates, plaques, figurines, decorative knives and even games. These ranged from one-of-a-kind Monopoly sets to a re-creation of the three-dimensional chess set popularized on television’s “Star Trek.”

The limited-edition guarantee was achieved in one of several ways: Sometimes only a pre-specified number of the collectibles were minted (the original molds then “destroyed forever”). An edition could also be time-limited, with a strictly enforced closing date for purchase reservations. Still other editions were subscriber-limited: Reservations ended when a fixed number of pre-orders had been placed. The goal, however, always remained the same: exclusivity. While the quality of the item was emphasized, even more heavily stressed was the fact that production would soon cease, making it unattainable, and therefore more desirable. The aura of exclusivity was carried through in the actual products received, with individualized stampings indicating a specific issue number in the series.

Releases by The Franklin Mint were geared to reach the widest audience possible. To achieve that goal, the company directed its promotional efforts toward ads in inexpensive general interest magazines and in direct mailings. A purchase from The Franklin Mint was a virtual guarantee of ongoing future offers.

In addition to its array of object collectibles, The Franklin Mint also oversaw such unique projects as the “Franklin Library” and “The 100 Greatest Classical Recordings of All Time.” The Library, in operation from 1973-2000, released innumerable editions of literary classics, all in “fine library bindings.”