Q: Hello,
A while back I purchased about a dozen of these small books, all of them the works of Shakespeare. This is one of them. Will you be able to tell me how much they are worth approximately or at least a range depending on the quality of each book? They are all in pretty good shape, but not mint. I do not know what year they were published. A woman wrote her name in them with the year 1906 written next to her name. Please find attached four photos of the book.

A: This book belongs to Series 164 Shakespeare’s Plays. These ubiquitous little books must have been some of Altemus’ best sellers as I am frequently asked about them. There are 39 different titles in the group and some were sold within large boxed sets.

These books were sold between 1899 and 1933 in as many as eight different formats. Your book appears to be from Format 5 or 7. You can figure this out by looking at the website and noting the subtle differences. (end papers, glossy title page, etc.)

Your book originally had a dust jacket.

These books have little value and most often sell for a dollar or two apiece or go unsold altogether.