Help Identify RARE Franklin Covers! Full Leather! Looking to sell many of them!

Hi, everyone. I'm a novice collector and very new to this site. Most of my collection is Easton Press, but I recently acquired 53 Franklin full leather books and 2 leatherette bindings from 1979-1983 publication dates. With rare exception, an overwhelming majority are in FINE, unread condition. I'd say most may have only been opened for me to check publication information. My problem is that the covers seem to be very rare, so I'm not fully sure about what I have. A majority of titles are in the 100 Greatest series, but not all nor are they designated as such. Of the 53 leather editions, all have gilt edges and satin ribbons, but decorative marbled end papers not moire. A few of the covers mimic the decorative covers of the Oxford series but the leather is a different color and the title page lists only Franklin Library. I've been told by one expert that these are first edition / first publications before being designated as part of a series, but am seeking additional information. Wide range of authors include Aristotle, Plato, Plutarch, Milton, Dante, Chaucer, Dickens, Homer, Shakespeare, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hawthorne, Yeats, and dozens more.

My background is in English literature, I've taken a bookbinding course, and I love books, but I am by no means an expert. I will likely keep a number of these for my own, but am looking to sell most of them. Some are already on ebay, but I don't want to undervalue or overvalue them, so any help is very welcome. Thank you.

Thank you for your response. None of them are marked for a particular series, with the exception of Boccaccio's The Decameron. It says it is part of the 100 Greatest and also states limited edition. It's also the only one that I have with moire end papers. Apparently, it was the first one sent to the original owner because there is also an inscription written by the giver. All of the rest are clean. None of the others have a series designation. Did Franklin just print titles without being a part of a series?

The "expert" I spoke with said that the marbled end papers were indications that these were first edition/first publication and that they didn't add or detract from the value per se. I can figure out how to price them, but I need to be able to correctly identify and describe them first. I'm happy to provide pictures.

The following ebay link is to a recently sold edition of Milton's Paradise Lost that is identical to mine. I have been unable to locate very many others. They look nothing like what I can find on ebay or Abes. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Paradise-Lost-John-Milton-Gustave-Dore-ILLUSTRATED-FRANKLIN-Library-Leather-/331726312628?hash=item4d3c6dd4b4%3Ag%3AbD8AAOSwNphWWq1g&nma=true&si=lnc994uxEQ8nX26kkM7y50%252FZZUE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557)

I can assure you that I have a full leather Franklin Library Paradise Lost illustrated by Gustave Dore. I am familiar with 1/4 leather, and this book is not 1/4 leather. I'm also saying that is what is confusing to me about these. They are full leather and have a satin bookmark, but have marbled end papers. Please see the link in my previous email to the recent ebay Milton sale. You will note Gustave Dore on the title page. Mine is identical with brick red leather and maroon satin book mark. Both are 1979 publications.

I also have a full leather Dante's Divine Comedy with Dore engravings.

If no one on here can help me further identify them, I would appreciate getting the name and contact information for someone who may. Thanks!

Hello, I am a collector of over 1,000 Easton Press Books. I am selling of my collections in series on ebay Jappaclothing.

check it out. I have already sold many collections to Rare book cellar for fabulous prices $35 to $50 dollars per book. I also sold Rare book cellar the FRANKLIN LIBRARY OF MYSTERY MASTERPIECES LEATHER BOUND 49 VOLUMES. These books have the sewn-in ribbon and is not the leatherette version. It is a rare collection. I regret selling it. But, I need to downsize. Some of the collections are as follows: Masterpieces of Science Fiction 76 volumes, Great Lives 58 Volumes, Library of the Presidents 66 volumes, Military History 65 volumes, and 31 volumes from The Great books of the 20th Century. I have more that I have not posted on ebay. Some include 100 Greatest Books ever written, Masterpieces of American Literature, and Collector's Library of Famous Editions. Most of these books have not been read, some are still sealed. This is a great way to build your library quickly and cheaply. I am based in Los Angeles.

Remember most of these books are out of print and are rare. I started building my library in the 70's. I have enjoyed them but know I am retired and need some cash flow. Wish all of you well. Thanks.

Go to this website awesome!!!!!!!!

http://www.eastonfranklinbooks.com/franklin-library-series

This is another great website explaining the difference between Full leather and leatherette versions:

http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/franklin_library_mystery.html

Hope the confusion is resolved!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>1 wannabnuk: I think it is best to review eBay in terms of current selling price and use the past selling price filter. Some Franklins are nearly worthless especially if they are very common. While some signed editions, Great Books of the Western World, and The full leather Oxford library command premium prices.

Guys, I truly appreciate the feedback and hope it continues. I have visited all of the sites Mr. Yedder suggested and more, and I am top-rated ebay seller. I can figure out how to price the books. Where I am having difficulty is with identifying WHICH books I have. I know they are full leather. I know they are NOT Oxford. I know they do not have any series designated anywhere in them. I know a majority of them are same titles in the 100 Greatest Series, but apparently not part of the series. The remaining titles do not seem to occur on any other series list that I have been able to identify online. And for a majority of them, I cannot locate the exact cover on any ebay, Abes, or other rare or leather book sales site. I'm sure some or worth more than others. I just want to describe them appropriately.

For instance, my edition of Balzac's Pere Goriot has the exact same cover and spine design as the Oxford library edition, but it is a steel blue leather with a 1980 publication date...satin ribbon book marker, and marbled end papers. Franklin Library ONLY on title page. I believe the Oxford edition has a 1982 publication date. I have the same situation with my edition of Voltaire's Candide. Same as Oxford, but mine is a green leather.

In everything I've been able to find about Franklin collections, full leather has the sewn in bookmarks and moire endpapers. Quarter-leather also has bookmark, but likely decoratie endpapers. Leatherette does not have sewn in bookmarks and decorative papers.

My conundrum is that I have full leather with bookmarks AND decorative endpapers with covers that are seemingly rare. One would assume that adds to their value...

I am selling a number of these on ebay and am getting very positive feedback from collectors making purchases. If you are looking for a particular title, I may be able to help you out. Wide range of prices based on current sale prices.

>12 wannabnuk:

Seller ID?

Are any of your books the FL Mystery Masterpiece series who do have sewn-in bookmarks and decorative endpapers?

>12 wannabnuk: I am a collector from 1976-end and never recall a set like this. Your Anna Karenina is the exact one sold under the Oxford University Library but with a different cover and w/o internal cover tooling; but marbled end paper instead of moire (I know I have it) and same art of Tissot. You are commanding a higher price than normal because they are fine books. Franklin I notice does not announce what series the books are from. I am as perplexed as you are.

Sorry for the delay in responding, as I have been out of the country. My seller id is wannabnuk. I still have a large number of these books still listed for sale, but they are selling and rather quickly. All feedback from collectors and purchasers has been very positive.

Hello everyone, I am not sure of the proper etiquette for necroing and posting in old threads for this particular forum so I apologize in advance if I break it but I thought I would bring some insight into this topic in case someone in the future stumbles into this thread as I have. The books are part of the Oxford University series but not the one everyone goes gaga over. I am a book dealer and have run into multiple collections of the Oxford Franklin series and as far as I can tell, the series went through 4 different iterations:

Quarterbound Leather: Similar in look and feel to the Heirloom Library but have the Oxford University logo on them

Full Leather Deluxe: These are the ones everyone goes gaga over. Very high quality leather similar to that of a soft high end leather jacket. Covers are usually pretty intricate and may have extra features like etchings or tooling around the edges of the boards. They have the Oxford Logo. They also smell really nice

Full Leather: The leather is a lower quality similar to 100 Greatest or other "Limited" series. They also lack the nice little extras like the gold tooling on the side and the etching on the cover. These also have the Oxford Logo

Low End Leather: This is the lowest grade leather in their full leather series similar to the signed first edition series and Pulitzer prize classics. This quality, or if you prefer lack of quality, is usually present in their series right before they went out of business. The books aren't nearly as detail oriented and the quality is much lower. They scrubbed any references to Oxford from the books but they are the same books.

Most likely the OP had the Low end Leather series. These books include the Gustave Dore edition of Paradise Lost.

>17 Redoing:
This is valuable information. It is very difficult to locate the full leather and full leather deluxe versions, because most sellers don’t know what they have and fail to describe them fully.

>17 Redoing: thanks. They did it with Oxford Dickens too! The knowledgeable collector can occasionally pick up single Full Deluxe Edition novels for a decent price if the seller is unaware of what they have. I was able to find a mint Anna Karenina only because the seller did not mention Franklin in the listing. The full leather set in my opinion is the most beautiful set ever published by either Franklin or EP.