Collecting like other interests should bring enjoyment. By following a few basic ideas the collecting of Franklin Library and Easton Press books can bring years of pleasure as well as entertainment.

The first thing to keep in mind when collecting books (especially leather) is the environment where they will be displayed. To much or to little humidity can damage your collection so take steps to measure the humidity and have the proper equipment in place to regulate the humidity prior to investing in large quantities of books. I live in Canada and purchased both a humidifier ( for winter) and dehumidifier (summer) to create an environment that is book friendly. One needn't over react to humidity but it is best to avoid extreme lows and highs. Imagine your despair when your favorite book begins to warp due to low humidity in the winter months in colder climates. Believe me its best to have these problems solved before hand.

The universal question seems to be,"what do I collect." The best answer to this is to collect volumes which you will enjoy reading. Some purchase with the hope that appreciation will increase the value of their collection. I believe this should be a potential side benefit rather than the number one priority. Simply put, what goes up in value can surprise you and what you believe will appreciate in many cases does not. The true enjoyment of these books is in reading them. They are of the highest quality and feel good to the touch. They also lend a wonderful ambience to any room. Then of course there is the potential for appreciation. On this last note. As a general guideline signed first editions will appreciate faster than other volumes. This holds true as long as the publication run is a limited edition.

Numerous things affect the value of these books. The most important consideration is condition. The major areas of concern with these volumes is gilding loss or staining, rub marks and in some cases punctures to the leather. In addition bookplates, signed or not, once attached to the book will reduce the desirability of the volume. I will not enter a grading guide as they are available on the internet as well as in other ebay guides. One note on grading. Numerous franklin and Easton books are available in shrink wrap. Although usually in good shape it is still possible to open the shrink wrap and find minor defects with the book. Sealed does not always mean as new. It should be noted that the publishers of these volumes recommend removing the book from the shrink wrap upon receipt.

EBAY is my primary avenue for the purchase of books I collect especially Franklin Library as they stopped publishing many years ago. Where Easton Press is concerned I always check their catalogues prior to an ebay purchase. Why? Its really quite simple. Sellers on EBAY are here to make a profit (nothing wrong with that). Quite often they purchase from Easton, mark the book up in price and re-sell the book on EBAY. I have watched numerous times when people select the buy it now or bid the price up to double what it is available from Easton Press. Most folks have a budget for their collections and the lower the price the more books you will be able to enjoy. So do your research and try not to let emotion cloud your thinking. One last point about price. Quite often a book will not appear on EBAY for some time. When one appears they can be bid up to quite high prices. More often than not this will bring more listings of the same volume to market. What I am saying is avoid the emotion of the purchase. All books will provide you with more than one opportunity for purchase.

A few more quick notes on care and handling of your books. Always shelve your books alongside books the same or similar vertical size. Size differential can mark the leather and leave outlines of the smaller book. If necessary lay tall books on their side.This can also be done with very thick books as they are more prone to shelf sag. If your preference for large books is vertical storage you can mitigate shelf sag by cutting a small piece of soft support material ( plastic or styrofoam) the thickness of the gap between the page ends and the boards. Place your book on the shelf with this under the pages. It will provide the required support.

Leather bound treasures is a web site that features lists of Franklin Books and are arranged by sets. I find it useful as some editions are available in more than one collection.

Good luck with your collection and I hope it brings you many years of enjoyment. (don't forget to vote)