Q: Ten days ago, I came across a Henry Altemus Company book without a publishing date and doing my usual daily research, I came across your website and was able to roughly match my book with an image of the cover of another book, thus giving me a nice estimate for a publishing year, around 1907.

Today’s book, I’m afraid, has no date and I can find no matching cover style on your site so far. Fortunately, there is an inscription inside the front cover dated Christmas 1924, but I was hoping to match a cover style as well to make that a more concrete date, if possible.

The book is ‘A Child’s Garden of Verses’ by Robert Louis Stevenson. I have attached my images of the day for the book and I apologize that there isn’t a direct shot of the cover, but I think you might be able to get a general idea just the same. My question to you is, does this look like it could be from around 1924? Or do you perhaps recognize that style of cover as another particular year?

I don’t expect much, but thought I would drop a line and check with you.

A: Your book appears to be from the Young People’s Library Format 4 (see: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F4.htm) which was published for the first time in 1923. Thus based on the inscription in your picture the book probably is either a 1923 or 1924 book.

I looked at your slideshow. Very nice. If you have other questions regarding dating books , I can try to help. I have an extensive reference library for this sort of thing.

For dating issues the place to start is generally the title page.

Q: Today, your expert book assessments and email address were discovered on the “allexperts.com” website. On that website your comments addressing inquiries pertaining to old copies of the “House of Seven Gables” book are exhibited. In at least one response, you mentioned that your assessment could be more accurate if the inquirer sent you a picture of their copy of the “House of Seven Gables” book.

Here (attached) are some pictures of our copy of an old “House of Seven Gables” book. Would you mind telling us the year that Henry Altemus published this particular copy and what the typical market value of this book is? Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.

A: This book was published in 1897. It is part of the Vademecum Series.( http://henryaltemus.com/series/series179.htm)

This series is made up of reprints of fiction, classics, poetry essays, etc. Except for a few of the titles which are collectable, the books of this series have no significant value.

Generally speaking because this book is a reprint of a not very collectible title, it will not sell for more than a few dollars.

Q: Hello,
This book doesn’t appear in your database. I am hoping that you might be able to give me some information on it.
Thank you for your time.

A: Actually this book is in the database.

See Mother Goose Series for more information.

It is Format 3 #4 on the page above. It originally came with a dust jacket which had the same picture on it as the cover of the book.

It is a reprint and has only nominal value.

Q: Hello, I have a Gulliver’s Travels published by Altemus, Philadelphia from the Altemus’ Young People’s Library, date of publication: “Copyright 1896 by Henry Altemus”. The price printed on it is 50 cents. It has 55 illustrations.
Could you kindly tell me what this book is worth approximately, if anything?

I’ve included a jpeg – it happens to be accompanied by my Dr. Dolittle book, which is not published by Altemus.

I appreciate your help.

A: Your book which can be found here http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F1.htm is not uncommon. There is a flowchart on that page to help you determine which Altemus edition it is and when between 1896 and 1898 it was published.

Clearly your copy is in excellent shape. Unfortunately there is not a lot of interest in this edition. I would think $10-20 would be on the high side.

Of course, you never know when someone just has to have a certain book.

Q: I was wondering if you recognize this book and could perhaps tell me what year it was published. It does say Henry Altemus Company, but no location other than Philadelphia.

A: Your book can be found here: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series180.htm.

It is part of the Vademecum Publisher’s Series.

It was published in 1905-1906. During this year this format had four different flower patterns and several different cover colors.