Franklin mint civil war chess set value

i got this in an auction in Phila back in the 80's  thats all i know.  never played with it.  just displayed it

it feels like a light wood

how do i show pic??

What's it made of? Mass-produced theme chess sets like this are generally not worth much, unless they're made of material that is valuable in its own right (like gold or silver). This looks to be some sort of resin, so I'd say if you put it on Ebay you might get lucky and sell it for $20, or you might not get any offers at all. I could be completely wrong, but that's my feeling.

I know nothing about the set but I did a little searching until I ran out of time. I believe the set is Italian, or at least modeled after an Italian design. I didn't find the exact set but it is so similar to the one in the following link that you might want to contact them with questions.
http://www.demetz-patrick.com/en/chess-and-chess-boards-51/medieval-chess-set-3-4389.html

As andy277 said, the pieces might be cast resin, in which case they are probably not very valuable. If they are wood the value could jump considerably.

No, offense, but that is a "garage sale" type item.  It has no real intristic value.

The market value of collectibles of all sorts (LPs, books, Baseball cards, even classic cars) has plummeted in the last twenty years for various reasons I won't get into right now.  Chances are that set is worth less now, even in nominal dollars, than what you paid for it in the 1980's.

I've seen simlar, but made of resin, sets from Studio Anne Carlton go for between $100 and $200 used on Ebay so this has to be worth at least that much.  Best bet is to do a search on Ebay, probably an advanced search that includes completed listings, and see what they're going for.

The set is very nice looking however, I would never buy a Theme set myself. I do appreciate the beauty of them though. Thank the Lord for Mr. Staunton.!

What about the Franklin Mint Civil War Chess Set that was on TV like every ten minutes back in the 80's?

Are those commericals still on?

baddogno wrote:

I've seen simlar, but made of resin, sets from Studio Anne Carlton go for between $100 and $200 used on Ebay so this has to be worth at least that much.

Is that what they go for or what is asked for them? I just did a quick search on Ebay for sold listings of Studio Ann Carlton and the majority seem to go for less than $100.

andy277 wrote:

baddogno wrote:

I've seen simlar, but made of resin, sets from Studio Anne Carlton go for between $100 and $200 used on Ebay so this has to be worth at least that much.

Is that what they go for or what is asked for them? I just did a quick search on Ebay for sold listings of Studio Ann Carlton and the majority seem to go for less than $100.

Guess they're less popular in New Zealand.  Or more popular and therefore  less valuable.  I think you can tell I'm not an economist. 

That's a neat set, and I have no idea what it's worth, but only really good for display and not playing on.  I can't tell much difference between bishops, pawns, and king & queen.  Heck, just put it on your coffee table as a conversation piece.

johnmusacha wrote:

What about the Franklin Mint Civil War Chess Set that was on TV like every ten minutes back in the 80's?

Are those commericals still on?

I haven't seen those commercials in years, but I bet you could still find ads for them in Parade magazine.  I'm sure they haven't destroyed the molds yet.

baddogno wrote:

Guess they're less popular in New Zealand.  Or more popular and therefore  less valuable.  I think you can tell I'm not an economist. 

I looked on Ebay.com.

The eBay chess collector album source on Val Gardina calls this the OCTO Knights set: https://picasaweb.google.com/thechesscollectors/ValGardena#5510542095951536258

It will be hand and machine carved wood like everything else from there. These are all sold as hand carved but only the details are done by hand.

It's hard to say what this kind of set is "worth" since you can still get them new and those carving firms are so exact they will be pretty much identical. IMO, the older set is not worth more than a new one as a collector's item as long as the new set is still for sale; it's like any other item... used it's worth less than new, so you can't look at that carver's site and quote that price for a used set.

I got a Val Gardina set they're still making and selling new a while back from a different carver on eBay. I think I paid maybe $250. It might even have even been $150... I remember it was something 50 and not 300. I know I should keep better records. I feel like I got a good deal, but at the same time I wouldn't have paid more and apparently when I won the set no one else would either.

You might think about taking it in to a professional to get it appraised.

I think if you sell on eBay you may have trouble getting a good price, but then again I don't know how else you might sell.

I'll give you $100 for it....

If you do Ebay just set a reserve so you cover yourself in case you don't get the price you want.  I find that works better than just making the starting bid the minimum you'd take.  The reserve adds an air of mystery and excitement to the auction.

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