Series Books for Sale

I have lots of great series books for sale on Bonanza for many different series. I have a large variety of Nancy Drew books as well as a great selection of Trixie Belden, the Dana Girls, and other series.

I have a wide variety, from bargain books to more expensive books. You can view my books for sale by going directly to Jennifer's Series Books or by clicking on the sample pictures of some of my books seen at the right.

If you are looking for my blog about series books, go to Series Books for Girls.

New Books Listed for Sale

I have just listed a bunch of Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton books on Bonanza in my Jennifer's Series Books booth.

I have also listed a number of books on eBay, including Donna Parker, Nurses Three, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Nancy Drew, Linda Carlton, Boxcar Children, and more.

http://shop.ebay.com/thebgs/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1

Nancy Drew Books for Sale on eBay

I have finally relisted the Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton books that did not sell on eBay at the beginning of March.

Nancy Drew books on eBay

Judy Bolton #1 Vanishing Shadow Tweed w/DJ
Judy Bolton #3 Invisible Chimes PC
Judy Bolton #4 Seven Strange Clues w/DJ
Nancy Drew #9 Sign of Twisted Candles w/DJ
Nancy Drew #10 Password to Larkspur Lane w/DJ
Nancy Drew #21 Secret in the Old Attic w/DJ
Nancy Drew #25 Ghost of Blackwood Hall w/DJ
Nancy Drew #26 Clue of the Leaning Chimney w/DJ
Nancy Drew #29 Mystery at the Ski Jump w/DJ
Nancy Drew #30 Clue of the Velvet Mask w/DJ
Nancy Drew #32 Scarlet Slipper Mystery w/DJ
Nancy Drew #33 Witch Tree Symbol First Printing w/DJ
Nancy Drew #34 Hidden Window Mystery w/DJ
Nancy Drew #35 Haunted Showboat First Printing w/DJ
Nancy Drew # 37 Clue in the Old Stagecoach First Printing w/DJ

I am also planning to list a bulk lot of Nancy Drew books.

You can find most of my Nancy Drew and other series books in my booth on Bonanza.

Jennifer's Series Books

I have over 600 books for sale, including Nancy Drew, the Dana Girls, Connie Blair, Judy Bolton, and many others.

Categories for Jennifer's Series Books

My Jennifer's Series Books booth on Bonanza has a new category hierarchy.  Formerly, buyers did not have the ability to click on a main category to see all books available in that category.

Now, I have main categories for the Dana Girls, Judy Bolton, Kay Tracey, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden which contain all books that I have available in those series.  When viewing all books available in those series, subcategories can be now chosen to display just certain books in those series.  This gives buyers additional ways to view the books that I have available.  I really like it.

Figuring Out Which Nancy Drew Books to Buy

I observed a collector's difficulty in figuring out which Nancy Drew books to purchase.  I would never want to be in the position of a new collector trying to figure out what to buy on eBay.  It is very intimidating.

I was fortunate in that the first six years I collected, I did so by buying books in antique shops and in used book stores.  I bought what I found that was priced for under $10 each.  I already had close to a complete set of the original text picture cover editions plus many other variations.  I had very few books in dust jackets.

So, how do you begin if you are new and trying to decide what to purchase?  You have to decide what is important to you and what your limitations are.

Do you want first printings?  Do you want the original text books?  Do you care how old your books are?

My Nancy Drew formats page will help you decide what you should try to purchase.  If you desire original text books, my page on the original text editions will help you decide how to tell by just looking at a book.

Once you decide what you want to buy, you have to determine your limitations.

What is your budget?  What are you willing to pay per book?

It is possible to get very nice Nancy Drew books at a fraction of the value.  You have to be persistent, and you have to check eBay relentlessly every single day without fail.  You must change eBay's default from Best Match to either "newly listed" or "ending soonest" so you can avoid eBay's manipulation.  The sellers who are promoted by eBay in Best Match may not have what you want at the prices you are willing to pay.

You need to watch out for sellers who describe books as "RARE" or "rare."  Those sellers are appealing to your emotions, and in most cases, those books are not rare and are usually much easier to find than they would have you believe.  Also be careful when a seller states that a book usually does not show up for sale more often than once every few years.  Most of those sellers are either mistaken or are deliberately lying.

Here is a dirty little secret:  Nearly all Nancy Drew books that are currently listed on eBay as rare from dealers were bought on eBay recently at much lower prices.  Buyers would be much better off buying directly from the uninformed sellers who sell the books at the low prices than in buying from the people who have marked the books up and described them as rare.

The good deals are always in the large lots.  This is how most people get into selling Nancy Drew books.  I started buying lots in order to get certain books cheaper, and this is how I acquired many extras.

I recommend that new buyers of Nancy Drew books first check their local used book stores and antique shops.  The selection is not very good nowadays, but the used book stores may have some books available.  If you are lucky enough to have a chain near you like Half Price Books, then you will be able to see some good vintage Nancy Drew books.  There is nothing like seeing a few books in person and deciding whether they appeal to you.

If local stores are not an option, then spend at least a few weeks checking over the listings on eBay and on other sites like Bonanza before plunging in.  I first got online in late November 1996.  My first goal was to try to find Nancy Drew books.  I ran searches through Lycos, which was a popular search engine at the time, and found listings on various sites.  While on Tias.com, I saw a little advertisement for an internet auction site known as Auction Web.  The URL for that site was www.ebay.com/aw. 

I was excited to find around 50 Nancy Drew books up for sale in auctions.  This was nowhere near the selection that eBay has now, but it seemed like a lot at the time.  I did not plunge in immediately.  I think I discovered eBay in January 1997.  I did not register until March 17, 1997 when I decided to bid on a tweed Larkspur Lane in dust jacket, which I did not win.  It took me two months from discovering eBay to placing my first bid.

I know how overwhelming it must be to see thousands of listings on eBay and not know what to do.  Not only should you sort by "ending soonest," also dump the fixed price and look only at the auctions.  That is where you will find the best deals.

Also go to Google and click on the shopping link at the top of the page.  You can use those results to compare prices from other sites.  Also don't forget that many of us are now selling our books on Bonanza, and many of us have lower prices than the sellers on eBay due to the lower fees.

Jennifer's Series Books at Bonanza

Nancy Drew #1 The Secret of the Old Clock

The first Nancy Drew book, The Secret of the Old Clock, was originally published in 1930.  The 1930 version has 25 chapters and tells the story of Nancy Drew's search for Josiah Crowley's last will and testament.  The original text was written by Mildred Wirt Benson.

In 1959, the story was revised down to 20 chapters.  The revised text was written by Harriet Adams.  The revised text story is the same as the original, except that some characters' names and events have been changed. 

The original story is written better than the revised text and has more descriptive details.  It is also more of a period piece and shows us how an affluent girl with much freedom would have lived during the early 1930s.

All copies of The Secret of the Old Clock that were printed from 1930 through 1959 have the 1930 copyright on the copyright page and have the 25 chapter text.  All copies with the 1959 copyright page have the 20 chapter revised text.

Here are some of the books that I have available at this time in my store, Jennifer's Series Books.

The Secret of the Old Clock Applewood edition with the original text
The Secret of the Old Clock blue/orange 1940s edition
The Secret of the Old Clock 1930 first printing
The Secret of the Old Clock blue tweed revised 1959 text
The Secret of the Old Clock 1930 text with dust jacket
The Secret of the Old Clock first picture cover printing with the 1959 text

The Whitman Publishing Company

The Western Printing and Lithographing Company was founded in 1905. During the company's early years, it sought out other work that could be filled when its main business was slow. The company began printing children's books for the Hammerung-Whitman Publishing Company. Hammerung-Whitman soon went bankrupt and then became a division of Western as the Whitman Publishing Company.

The company focused on inexpensive books for children. As such, most all books have pulp paper that has deeply yellowed. The company also produced a wide variety of collectibles, such as puzzles and coloring books, that tied in with its books. Most people who collect children's books have at least some books published by Whitman in their collections.

Perhaps the most popular and enduring series of books published by Whitman is the Trixie Belden series. The company also reprinted a few titles in several older, out of print series such as Tom Swift, the Outdoor Girls, and the Blythe Girls. The company is perhaps best remembered as the publisher of dozens of television and movie tie-in books.

Here are a few of the Whitman books that I currently have available for sale.

Ginny Gordon and the Mystery at the Old Barn, 1954

Robin Kane #1 Mystery of the Blue Pelican, 1966
Robin Kane #3 Mystery of Glengary Castle, 1966
Robin Kane #4 The Candle Shop Mystery, 1967

Trixie Belden and the Secret of the Mansion, 1958
Trixie Belden and the Mystery Off Glen Road, 1956
Trixie Belden and Mystery in Arizona, 1958
Trixie Belden and the Mystery on the Mississippi, 1965

The Waltons #2 The Puzzle, 1975
The Waltons #3 The Penny Sale, 1975

Jennifer's Series Books

The Blythe Girls Series

The Blythe Girls series consists of 12 titles and was published by Grosset and Dunlap. The series was a Stratemeyer Syndicate property, and the books were written by Elizabeth Duffield Ward under the pseudonym of Laura Lee Hope.

The books follow the lives of Helen, Margy, and Rose as they face one misfortune after another. Readers of the Blythe Girls come to expect disaster to befall the girls at every turn, including such amazing events as a plane crashing into their apartment.

1. Helen, Margy, and Rose, 1925
2. Margy's Queer Inheritance, 1925
3. Rose's Great Problem, 1925
4. Helen's Strange Boarder, 1925
5. Three on a Vacation, 1925
6. Margy's Secret Mission, 1926
7. Rose's Odd Discovery, 1927
8. The Disappearance of Helen, 1928
9. Snowbound in Camp, 1929
10. Margy's Mysterious Visitor, 1930
11. Rose's Hidden Talent, 1931
12. Helen's Wonderful Mistake, 1932

Jennifer's Series Books

Nancy Drew First Printings and Early Editions

The most expensive Nancy Drew books are the first printings of the earliest Nancy Drew books. We often see common Nancy Drew books up for sale at ridiculous prices because sellers make the mistake of thinking that common books are the rare ones.

People often think that because a Nancy Drew book lists just one date on the copyright page that it must be the first printing. Nearly all Nancy Drew books printed prior to 1985 have just one date on the copyright page, and very few books ever stated anything about the printing.

It is often possible to tell whether a Nancy Drew book is the first printing by a list of titles in the series. Never go by any list that might appear on the copyright page, as the copyright page was seldom updated. Find a list that appears inside the book on an interior list page that appears before the title/copyright page or on an interior list page after the last page of the story. The book was printed in the year that the last title on the list was first published.

In many cases, it is necessary to have the dust jacket in order to determine whether the book is the first printing. The list of titles on the front flap, back flap, and back panel are all important. Sometimes the point that determines the very first printing comes down to the color of the price code on the front flap. Clearly, much information is needed before a first printing determination can be made.

The best way to know for certain that a Nancy Drew book is the first printing is to buy a Farah's Guide and use it to make that determination. For most casual sellers, a Farah's Guide is too expensive. In those cases, sellers should list all of the points for the jacket and book, such as each series advertised, where each series is listed in the book or on the jacket, and most importantly, the very last title listed for each series advertised in the book or on the dust jacket. The seller should also provide clear photos of the book and jacket so that buyers can see exactly what is offered.

I have some resources that will help.

Nancy Drew Formats
Nancy Drew Collecting Tips

Additionally, here are some first printing books that I have available, and the points mentioned for those books can help you see what is required in order to determine a book's first printing status. In order for a book to be the first printing, it has to be exactly like these books in every single way. The first printing determination points are different for every single Nancy Drew title, so these points cannot be used for other titles.

#1 The Secret of the Old Clock 1930 First Printing
#2 The Hidden Staircase 1930 First Printing
#10 The Password to Larkspur Lane First Printing
#17 The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk 1940 First Printing
#18 The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion 1941 First Printing
#22 The Clue in the Crumbling Wall 1945 First Printing
#31 The Ringmaster's Secret 1953 First Printing
#32 The Scarlet Slipper Mystery 1954 First Printing
#33 The Witch Tree Symbol 1955 First Printing
#38 The Mystery of the Fire Dragon 1961 First Printing
#39 The Clue of the Dancing Puppet 1962 First Printing
#41 The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes 1964 First Printing
#42 The Phantom of Pine Hill 1965 First Printing
#43 Mystery of the 99 Steps 1966 First Printing
#45 The Spider Sapphire Mystery 1968 First Printing
#49 The Secret of Mirror Bay 1972 First Printing
#50 The Double Jinx Mystery 1973 First Printing
#53 The Sky Phantom 1976 First Printing
#55 Mystery of Crocodile Island 1978 First Printing

Jennifer's Series Books

The Biff Brewster Series

The Biff Brewster series is a 13 volume series published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1960 through 1965. Since the series lasted only five years, the majority of the titles in the series are hard to find. The first three titles are the only ones that seem fairly easy to acquire.

1. The Brazilian Gold Mine Mystery, 1960
2. Mystery of the Chinese Ring, 1960
3. Hawaiian Sea Hunt Mystery, 1960
4. Mystery of the Mexican Treasure, 1961
5. African Ivory Mystery, 1961
6. Alaska Ghost Glacier Mystery, 1961
7. Mystery of the Ambush in India, 1962
8. Mystery of the Caribbean Pearls, 1962
9. Egyptian Scarab Mystery, 1963
10. Mystery of the Tibetan Caravan, 1963
11. British Spy Ring Mystery, 1964
12. Mystery of the Arabian Stallion, 1964
13. Mystery of the Alpine Pass, 1965

Nancy Drew Wanderer Hardcover Editions

Beginning with #57, the Nancy Drew series was published by Wanderer Books. Volumes 57 through 78 were published by Wanderer. The books sold in stores were the softcover editions, which are not very difficult to find.

The books were also published in quality hardcover editions with dust jackets. The hardcover editions were sold primarily to libraries. A few collectors purchased those books direct from the publisher through mail order. Since the vast majority of the Wanderer hardcover books were sold to libraries, nearly all surviving copies are library discards. It is extremely difficult to acquire examples that are not library discards.

#57 through #60 are fairly common. #61 through #75 are somewhat harder to find. #76 and #77 are quite scarce. #78 is rare, and I have been searching for #78 for more than 10 years.


#57 The Triple Hoax
#58 The Flying Saucer Mystery
#59 The Secret in the Old Lace
#60 The Greek Symbol Mystery
#61 The Swami's Ring
#62 The Kachina Doll Mystery
#63 The Twin Dilemma
#64 Captive Witness
#65 Mystery of the Winged Lion
#66 Race Against Time
#67 The Sinister Omen
#68 The Elusive Heiress
#69 The Clue in the Ancient Disguise
#70 The Broken Anchor
#71 The Silver Cobweb
#72 The Haunted Carousel
#73 Enemy Match
#74 The Mysterious Image
#75 The Emerald-Eye Cat Mystery
#76 The Eskimo's Secret
#77 The Bluebeard Room
#78 The Phantom of Venice

Jennifer's Series Books

The Grace Harlowe Series

Grace Harlowe is the protagonist in four sets of books that were first published by Altemus and later reprinted by Saalfield. Grace Harlowe is portrayed as a person with high morals and excellent character. Grace always does what is expected of her in school, and all of the other students look up to her, with the exception of a few rivals.

The Altemus editions are much harder to find than the Saalfield reprints. Some titles are even very difficult to find in the Saalfield reprints. The Altemus editions are exceptionally difficult to find with the dust jackets. The Altemus editions are much more desirable than the Saalfield editions, because the Saalfield editions have poor qualitly paper that has deeply yellowed and turned brittle.

The High School Girls Series

1. Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School, 1910
2. Grace Harlowe's Sophomore Year at High School, 1911
3. Grace Harlowe's Junior Year at High School, 1911
4. Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at High School, 1911

The College Girls Series

1. Grace Harlowe's First Year at Overton College, 1914
2. Grace Harlowe's Second Year at Overton College, 1914
3. Grace Harlowe's Third Year at Overton College, 1914
4. Grace Harlowe's Fourth Year at Overton College, 1914
5. Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton Campus, 1915
6. Grace Harlowe's Problem, 1916
7. Grace Harlowe's Golden Summer, 1917

Grace Harlowe Overseas Series

1. Grace Harlowe Overseas, 1920
2. Grace Harlowe with the Red Cross in France, 1920
3. Grace Harlowe with the Marines at Chateau Thierry, 1920
4. Grace Harlowe with the U.S. Troops in the Argonne, 1920
5. Grace Harlowe with the Yankee Shock Boys at St. Quentin, 1920
6. Grace Harlowe with the American Army on the Rhine, 1920

Grace Harlowe Overland Riders Series

1. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders on the Old Apache Trail, 1921
2. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders on the Great American Desert, 1921
3. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders Among the Kentucky Mountaineers, 1921
4. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the Great North Woods, 1921
5. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the High Sierras, 1923
6. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the Yellowstone National Park, 1923
7. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the Black Hills, 1923
8. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders at Circle O Ranch, 1923
9. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders Among the Border Guerillas, 1924
10. Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders On the Lost River Trail, 1924