Auction gem: rare collection of Shakespeare

A London bookseller is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare's first folio in a very special way. Especially for the occasion, he is auctioning off a very rare collection of the playwright's works. 'To buy, or not to buy; that is the question...'

It has been exactly 400 years since William Shakespeare's First Folio was published. So to mark the anniversary, some of his rare seventeenth-century editions are now up for grabs. 

The First Folios were published by Shakespeare's friends and fellow actors, John Heminge and Henry Condell shortly after his death in 1623. Until now, the plays - like Macbeth ,The Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar - had not been printed before. However, because of the publication, they were never lost. The collection that will now be sold consists of four folios and a first edition of a collection of poems. They are being offered by Peter Harrington, a leading bookseller in London. He calls it a privilege to offer the monumental works for sale. The last time the works appeared as an entire collection was when they were offered by an auction house 20 years ago.

For nearly €10 million, you can become a proud owner of the rare piece of stage history. In case you still want to save money? In addition to the whole, the books are also available separately.