Q: I have been on your site numerous times trying to send you an email regarding a book donated to our library which does not have a publication/copyright date. Can you help me determine the monetary value of this book? Any assistance you can could provide would be much appreciated.

The name of the book is Abide in Christ: Thoughts on the Blessed Life of the Fellowship with the Son of God by Rev. Andrew Murray.

I’ve attached a picture of the cover of this book with this email (the date of Sept. 2016 refers to the month I sent this email to you NOT the publication date.)

A: Your book is part of the Devotional Series.

It was published in about 1907 and originally came within a labeled box.

It is a reprint and has only nominal value.

Q: Just trying to get a worth on its version of you can help with that. A Child’s Garden of Verses

A: This book is part of the Young People’s Library. Format 3 books were published from 1902-1923. All the the titles in this series are reprints.

This book without a dust jacket has little, if any, value. See http://henryaltemus.com/blog/?p=1553.

Q: I’m interested in finding out more about this book. Tanglewood Tales

A: This book is part of the Boys and Girls Classics Series.

This series had two formats. One with decorative gold gilt within the rectangular boxes on the front cover. One without those gold gilt decorations. (See below)

These book are all reprints and were published between 1899-1906. On the website there is a flow chart which can help you date your book.

They originally came within a labeled box.

Q: While preparing for a garage sale my wife came across this book published by the Henry Altemus Company of Philadelphia. The “Puss in Boots and Other Stories” is in relatively good condition (an amateurs opinion). Although there is no copyright date on it there is an inscription from my wife’s Great Grand Mother to her daughter dated December 25, 1903.

Any help or direction you can lend in determining its approximate value would be appreciated.

A: Your book is part of the Mother Goose Series.

The red coloring on the left half off the cover indicates it is from the first format of this series and based on the inscription, a 1903 or 1904 publication.

The stories and contents were reprinted from previously published works.

It originally came with a dust jacket.

Collectors would consider your book to be in fair condition without any value. What someone might pay at a garage sale is hard to know.

Q: I found this book in a thrift store. “The House of the Seven Gables” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Published 1893. Could you tell me anything about it? Thank you.

A: Your book is part of the “Popular Series of Famous Authors”.

It is a late reprint and was published in 1893.

In this shape it has no monetary value.

Series #1-34 – 1916 Ad
This is another example of a 4 panel pamphlet that is 13 x 6.25.

This flyer differs from the 1914 and 1920 cover pictures aside in that underneath the boy exclaiming “An Altemus book…Oh Joy” is an advertisement for the Conquest of the United Series Series (a 1916 series). On the book title list side this pamphlet lists #6 in the College Girl’s Series which was publshed in 1916. No later books are listed.

Series #1-34 – 1915 Ad
This flyer has 4 panels and is 13 x 6.25. The side that has the book cover pictures is identical to the 1920 Series Book flyer. Based on the advertisements this pamphlet was published in 1915. The latest books listed are the 1915 College Girls Series and no other later books in that or any other series are seen.

Series #1-34 – 1914 Ad
This flyer has 4 panels and is 13 x 6.25. The side that has the book cover pictures is identical to the 1920 Series Book flyer. Based on the advertisements this pamphlet was published in 1914-1915. The latest books listed are the 1914 College Girls Series and no other later books in that or any other series are seen.

Series #1-34 – 1911 Ad
This pamphlet has 6 panels per side and is 19.5 x 6. A number of 1911 are listed but no 1912 books. Thus the 1911 date. Also as can be noted, the 1910 flyer lists the series books at $1.00 each while by 1911 the price had come down to 50 cents. This flyer differs from Series Advertisement #2 only at the bottom of the flyer where this one only says Cloth Illustrated as opposed to #2 which states- Handsomely illustrated and splendid….

Series #1-34 – 1911 Ad
This pamphlet has 6 panels per side and is 19.5 x 6. A number of 1911 are listed but no 1912 books. Thus the 1911 date. Also as can be noted, the 1910 flyer lists the series books at $1.00 each while by 1911 the price had come down to 50 cents.