Jennifer's Series Books

Series Books for Sale

2011-08-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

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

2011-06-03T14:47:00.000-05:00

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

2011-04-24T10:43:00.002-05:00

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

2011-03-11T23:14:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-27T18:43:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-25T19:41:00.001-06:00

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

2010-12-10T00:50:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-08T22:12:00.001-06:00

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

2010-12-05T16:18:00.006-06:00

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

2010-12-04T22:04:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-01T15:52:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-21T18:28:00.000-06:00

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

Nancy Drew Applewood Facsimile Editions

2010-11-20T20:23:00.003-06:00

The Nancy Drew Applewood editions are reproductions of the earliest Nancy Drew books. Volumes 1 through 21 were issued in the Applewood hardcover editions. All of the books contain the original 25 chapter text as originally issued by Grosset and Dunlap.

Most of the Applewood editions are now out of print and have become somewhat difficult to find. Volumes 1 through 6, volume 20, and volume 21 are the easiest volumes to find.

1. The Secret of the Old Clock
2. The Hidden Staircase
3. The Bungalow Mystery
4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn
5. The Secret at Shadow Ranch
6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm
7. The Clue in the Diary
8. Nancy's Mysterious Letter
9. The Sign of the Twisted Candles
10. The Password to Larkspur Lane
11. The Clue of the Broken Locket
12. The Message in the Hollow Oak
13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm
14. The Whispering Statue
15. The Haunted Bridge
16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels
17. The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk
18. The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion
19. The Quest of the Missing Map
20. The Clue in the Jewel Box
21. The Secret in the Old Attic

The Nurses Three Series

2010-11-19T19:29:00.004-06:00

The Nurses Three series was published by the Whitman Publishing Company during the 1960s. The series follows the careers of three sisters, Tracy, Penny, and Kelly Scott. All three sisters have pursued a career in nursing.

The color of each book signifies which sister is featured in the story. Tracy's books are pink; Penny's books are yellow; and Kelly's books are blue.

1. A Career for Kelly, 1963
2. First Assignment, 1963
3. A Very Special Girl, 1964
4. On Call for Trouble, 1964
5. Danger Island, 1964
6. Tracy's Little People, 1965
7. Olympic Duty, 1965

Vintage Nancy Drew Picture Cover Books

2010-11-18T00:01:00.003-06:00

The Nancy Drew picture cover editions have become popular among collectors. A picture cover book is commonly referred to as a "PC," in which "PC" stands for "picture cover." The picture cover books have the cover art illustration printed directly on the front cover of the book.

Collectors greatly desire the picture cover editions that have the original text with 25 chapters. The trouble is that not all of the picture cover books were printed with the original text. #1-4 and #6 do not exist in picture cover with the original text. #7 had only one printing in the original text in the picture cover edition , so it is very hard to find. #5 and #11 are somewhat scarce in the original text picture cover.

#5 and #7-34 were printed in picture cover in the original 25 chapter text. #35 and up never had 25 chapter texts, so all copies have the 20 chapter text.

Original 25 Chapter Text Picture Covers:

5. The Secret at Shadow Ranch, 1931
7. The Clue in the Diary, 1932
8. Nancy's Mysterious Letter, 1932
9. The Sign of the Twisted Candles, 1933
10. The Password to Larkspur Lane, 1933
11. The Clue of the Broken Locket, 1934
12. The Message in the Hollow Oak, 1935
13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, 1936
14. The Whispering Statue, 1937
15. The Haunted Bridge, 1937
16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels, 1939
17. The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, 1940
18. The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion, 1941
19. The Quest of the Missing Map, 1942
20. The Clue in the Jewel Box, 1943
21. The Secret in the Old Attic, 1944
22. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, 1945
23. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, 1946
24. The Clue in the Old Album, 1947
25. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, 1948
26. The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, 1949
27. The Secret of the Wooden Lady, 1950
28. The Clue of the Black Keys, 1951
29. The Mystery at the Ski Jump, 1952
30. The Clue of the Velvet Mask, 1953
31. The Ringmaster's Secret, 1953
32. The Scarlet Slipper Mystery, 1954
33. The Witch Tree Symbol, 1955
34. The Hidden Window Mystery, 1956

20 Chapter Text Picture Covers:

1. The Secret of the Old Clock, 1959
2. The Hidden Staircase, 1959
3. The Bungalow Mystery, 1960
4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn, 1961
5. The Secret of Shadow Ranch, 1965
6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm, 1961
7. The Clue in the Diary, 1962
8. Nancy's Mysterious Letter, 1968
9. The Sign of the Twisted Candles, 1968
10. The Password to Larkspur Lane, 1966
11. The Clue of the Broken Locket, 1965
12. The Message in the Hollow Oak, 1972
13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, 1974
14. The Whispering Statue, 1970
15. The Haunted Bridge, 1972
16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels, 1969
17. Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, 1976
18. Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion, 1971
19. The Quest of the Missing Map, 1969
20. The Clue in the Jewel Box, 1972
21. The Secret in the Old Attic, 1970
22. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, 1973
23. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, 1973
24. The Clue in the Old Album, 1977
25. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, 1967
26. The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, 1967
27. The Secret of the Wooden Lady, 1967
28. The Clue of the Black Keys, 1968
29. The Mystery at the Ski Jump, 1968
30. The Clue of the Velvet Mask, 1969
31. The Ringmaster's Secret, 1974
32. The Scarlet Slipper Mystery, 1974
33. The Witch Tree Symbol, 1975
34. The Hidden Window Mystery, 1975
35. The Haunted Showboat, 1957
36. The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, 1959
37. The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, 1960
38. The Mystery of the Fire Dragon, 1961
39. The Clue of the Dancing Puppet, 1962
40. The Moonstone Castle Mystery, 1963
41. The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes, 1964
42. The Phantom of Pine Hill, 1965
43. The Mystery of the 99 Steps, 1966
44. The Clue in the Crossword Cipher, 1967
45. The Spider Sapphire Mystery, 1968
46. The Invisible Intruder, 1969
47. The Mysterious Mannequin, 1970
48. The Crooked Banister, 1971
49. The Secret of Mirror Bay, 1972
50. The Double Jinx Mystery, 1973
51. Mystery of the Glowing Eye, 1974
52. The Secret of the Forgotten City, 1975
53. The Sky Phantom, 1976
54. The Strange Message in the Parchment, 1977
55. Mystery of Crocodile Island, 1978
56. The Thirteenth Pearl, 1979

The Dana Girls Series

2010-11-17T19:40:00.006-06:00

The Dana Girls series was published by Grosset and Dunlap. The series was issued as a rival series to Nancy Drew. The books were written by various authors under the pseudonym of Carolyn Keene. The series was in print noncontinuously from 1934 through 1979.

The first set of books consists of 30 titles.

1. By the Light of the Study Lamp, 1934
2. The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage, 1934
3. In the Shadow of the Tower, 1934
4. A Three-Cornered Mystery, 1935
5. The Secret at the Hermitage, 1936
6. The Circle of Footprints, 1937
7. The Mystery of the Locked Room, 1938
8. The Clue in the Cobweb, 1939
9. The Secret at the Gatehouse, 1940
10. The Mysterious Fireplace, 1941
11. The Clue of the Rusty Key, 1942
12. The Portrait in the Sand, 1943
13. The Secret in the Old Well, 1944
14. The Clue in the Ivy, 1952
15. The Secret of the Jade Ring, 1953
16. Mystery at the Crossroads, 1954
17. The Ghost in the Gallery, 1955
18. The Clue of the Black Flower, 1956
19. The Winking Ruby Mystery, 1957
20. The Secret of the Swiss Chalet, 1958
21. The Haunted Lagoon, 1959
22. The Mystery of the Bamboo Bird, 1960
23. The Sierra Gold Mystery, 1961
24. The Secret of Lost Lake, 1962
25. The Mystery of the Stone Tiger, 1963
26. The Riddle of the Frozen Fountain, 1964
27. The Secret of the Silver Dolphin, 1965
28. Mystery of the Wax Queen, 1966
29. The Secret of the Minstrel's Guitar, 1967
30. The Phantom Surfer, 1968

The second set of books consists of 17 titles. The first 13 titles were reprints of volumes from the first set. Volumes 14 through 17 were new titles in the series.

1. The Mystery of the Stone Tiger, 1972
2. The Riddle of the Frozen Fountain, 1972
3. The Secret of the Silver Dolphin, 1972
4. Mystery of the Wax Queen, 1972
5. The Secret of the Minstrel's Guitar, 1972
6. The Phantom Surfer, 1972
7. The Secret of the Swiss Chalet, 1973
8. The Haunted Lagoon, 1973
9. Mystery of the Bamboo Bird, 1973
10. The Sierra Gold Mystery, 1973
11. The Secret of Lost Lake, 1974
12. The Winking Ruby Mystery, 1974
13. The Ghost in the Gallery, 1975
14. The Curious Coronation, 1976
15. The Hundred-Year Mystery, 1977
16. Mountain-Peak Mystery, 1978
17. The Witch's Omen, 1979

Vintage Tweed Nancy Drew Books

2010-11-16T02:49:00.003-06:00

The first 38 Nancy Drew books were issued in the tweed format by Grosset and Dunlap. Volumes 1 through 34 were issued in the tweed format with the original text with 25 chapters. Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 also had a few printings in the tweed format with the revised text with 20 chapters. All tweed copies of #5 and #7 through #34 have the original text. #35 through #38 were never printed with 25 chapter texts, so all books have the original 20 chapter text.

1. The Secret of the Old Clock, 1930
1. The Secret of the Old Clock, 1959 (revised)
2. The Hidden Staircase, 1930
2. The Hidden Staircase, 1959 (revised)
3. The Bungalow Mystery, 1930
3. The Bungalow Mystery, 1960 (revised)
4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn, 1930
4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn, 1961 (revised)
5. The Secret at Shadow Ranch, 1931
6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm, 1931
6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm, 1961 (revised)
7. The Clue in the Diary, 1932
8. Nancy's Mysterious Letter, 1932
9. The Sign of the Twisted Candles, 1933
10. The Password to Larkspur Lane, 1933
11. The Clue of the Broken Locket, 1934
12. The Message in the Hollow Oak, 1935
13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, 1936
14. The Whispering Statue, 1937
15. The Haunted Bridge, 1937
16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels, 1939
17. The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, 1940
18. The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion, 1941
19. The Quest of the Missing Map, 1942
20. The Clue in the Jewel Box, 1943
21. The Secret in the Old Attic, 1944
22. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, 1945
23. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, 1946
24. The Clue in the Old Album, 1947
25. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, 1948
26. The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, 1949
27. The Secret of the Wooden Lady, 1950
28. The Clue of the Black Keys, 1951
29. The Mystery at the Ski Jump, 1952
30. The Clue of the Velvet Mask, 1953
31. The Ringmaster's Secret, 1953
32. The Scarlet Slipper Mystery, 1954
33. The Witch Tree Symbol, 1955
34. The Hidden Window Mystery, 1956
35. The Haunted Showboat, 1957
36. The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, 1959
37. The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, 1960
38. The Mystery of the Fire Dragon, 1961

Susan Sand Mystery Stories

2010-11-15T21:58:00.000-06:00

The Susan Sand series was published by Pinnacle during the early 1980s. The cover style of the books mimics the front covers of the Nancy Drew Wanderer paperback books of that time. The Susan Sand books were written by Marilyn Ezzell and are a parody of Nancy Drew along with the Dana Girls, Kay Tracey, Vicki Barr, Judy Bolton, and Penny Parker. The titles of the books are similar to the titles of certain books in those series.

1. The Mystery at Hollowhearth House, 1982
2. The Secret of Clovercrest Castle, 1982
3. The Clue in Witchwhistle Well, 1982
4. The Riddle of Raggedrock Ridge, 1982
5. The Phantom of Featherford Falls, 1983
6. The Password to Diamonddwarf Dale, 1983
7. The Search for the Snowship Songs, 1984
8. The Mystery of Beggarbay Bluff, 1984

Books by Mildred Wirt Benson

2010-11-14T18:20:00.004-06:00

Mildred Wirt Benson was a prolific author of juvenile series books. She is best remembered as the writer of 23 of the books in the Nancy Drew series and is considered one of the very best writers of vintage juvenile series fiction.

All of the books written by Mildred Wirt Benson are listed on this page.

The Boy Scout Explorers Series (as Don Palmer)

1. Boy Scout Explorers at Emerald Valley, 1955
2. Boy Scout Explorers at Treasure Mountain, 1955
3. Boy Scout Explorers at Headless Hollow, 1957

The Brownie Scouts Series (as Mildred A. Wirt)

1. The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley, 1949
2. The Brownie Scouts in the Circus, 1949
3. The Brownie Scouts in the Cherry Festival, 1950
4. The Brownie Scouts and Their Tree House, 1951
5. The Brownie Scouts at Silver Beach, 1952
6. The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm, 1953

Dana Girls Mystery Stories (as Carolyn Keene)

5. The Secret at the Hermitage, 1936
6. The Circle of Footprints, 1937
7. The Mystery of the Locked Room, 1938
8. The Clue in the Cobweb, 1939
9. The Secret at the Gatehouse, 1940
10. The Mysterious Fireplace, 1941
11. The Clue of the Rusty Key, 1942
12. The Portrait in the Sand, 1943
13. The Secret in the Old Well, 1944
14. The Clue in the Ivy, 1952
15. The Secret of the Jade Ring, 1953
16. Mystery at the Crossroads, 1954

The Dan Carter Cub Scout Series (as Mildred A. Wirt)

1. Dan Carter, Cub Scout, 1949
2. Dan Carter and the River Camp, 1949
3. Dan Carter and the Money Box, 1950
4. Dan Carter and the Haunted Castle, 1951
5. Dan Carter and the Great Carved Face, 1952
6. Dan Carter and the Cub Honor, 1953

The Doris Force Mystery Stories (as Julia K. Duncan)

1. Doris Force at Locked Gates, 1931
2. Doris Force at Cloudy Cove, 1931

The Dot and Dash Series (as Dorothy West)

1. Dot and Dash at the Maple Sugar Camp, 1938
2. Dot and Dash at Happy Hollow, 1938
3. Dot and Dash in the North Woods, 1938
4. Dot and Dash in the Pumpkin Patch, 1939
5. Dot and Dash at the Seashore, 1940

The Flash Evans Series (as Frank Bell)

1. Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery, 1940
2. Flash Evans, Camera News Hawk, 1940

The Girl Scouts Series (as Mildred A. Wirt)

1. The Girl Scouts at Penguin Pass, 1953
2. The Girl Scouts at Singing Sands, 1955
3. The Girl Scouts at Mystery Mansion, 1957

Honey Bunch Books (as Helen Louise Thorndyke)

18. Honey Bunch, Her First Little Treasure Hunt, 1937
19. Honey Bunch, Her First Little Club, 1938
20. Honey Bunch, Her First Trip in a Trailer, 1939
21. Honey Bunch, Her First Trip to a Big Fair, 1940
22. Honey Bunch, Her First Twin Playmates, 1941

Individual Titles (as Mildred Benson)

Dangerous Deadline, 1957
Quarry Ghost, 1959
Kristie at College [Quarry Ghost], 1960

Connie Carl at Rainbow Ranch, 1939 (as Joan Clark)

Mystery at the Lookout, 1942 (as Carolyn Keene)

Individual Titles (as Mildred A. Wirt)
C&L Mystery Stories for Girls

The Twin Ring Mystery, 1935
Mystery of the Laughing Mask, 1940

Sky Racers, 1935
Carolina Castle, 1936
Courageous Wings, 1937
Linda, 1940
Pirate Brig, 1950

Kay Tracey Mystery Stories (as Frances K. Judd)

3. The Mystery of the Swaying Curtains, 1935
4. The Shadow on the Door, 1935
5. The Six Fingered Glove Mystery, 1936
6. The Green Cameo Mystery, 1936
7. The Secret at the Windmill, 1937
8. Beneath the Crimson Brier Bush, 1937
9. The Message in the Sand Dunes, 1938
10. The Murmuring Portrait, 1938
11. When the Key Turned, 1939
12. In the Sunken Garden, 1939
14. The Sacred Feather, 1940

The Madge Sterling Series (as Ann Wirt)

1. The Missing Formula, 1932
2. The Deserted Yacht, 1932
3. The Secret of the Sundial, 1932

Mildred A. Wirt Mystery Stories

The Clue at Crooked Lane, 1936
The Hollow Wall Mystery, 1936
The Shadow Stone, 1937
The Wooden Shoe Mystery, 1938
Through the Moon-Gate Door, 1938
Ghost Gables, 1939
The Painted Shield, 1939

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (as Carolyn Keene)

1. The Secret of the Old Clock, 1930
2. The Hidden Staircase, 1930
3. The Bungalow Mystery, 1930
4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn, 1930
5. The Secret at Shadow Ranch, 1931
6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm, 1931
7. The Clue in the Diary, 1932
11. The Clue of the Broken Locket, 1934
12. The Message in the Hollow Oak, 1935
13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, 1936
14. The Whispering Statue, 1937
15. The Haunted Bridge, 1937
16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels, 1939
17. The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, 1940
18. The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion, 1941
19. The Quest of the Missing Map, 1942
20. The Clue in the Jewel Box, 1943
21. The Secret in the Old Attic, 1944
22. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, 1945
23. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, 1946
24. The Clue in the Old Album, 1947
25. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, 1948
30. The Clue of the Velvet Mask, 1953

Penny Parker Mystery Stories (as Mildred A. Wirt)

1. Tale of the Witch Doll, 1939
2. The Vanishing Houseboat, 1939
3. Danger at the Drawbridge, 1940
4. Behind the Green Door, 1940
5. Clue of the Silken Ladder, 1941
6. The Secret Pact, 1941
7. The Clock Strikes Thirteen, 1942
8. The Wishing Well, 1942
9. Ghost Beyond the Gate, 1943
10. Saboteurs on the River, 1943
11. Hoofbeats on the Turnpike, 1944
12. Voice from the Cave, 1944
13. Guilt of the Brass Thieves, 1945
14. Signal in the Dark, 1946
15. Whispering Walls, 1946
16. Swamp Island, 1947
17. The Cry at Midnight, 1947

Penny Nichols Mystery Stories (as Joan Clark)

1. Penny Nichols Finds a Clue, 1936
2. Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key, 1936
3. Penny Nichols and the Black Imp, 1936
4. Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery, 1939

Ruth Darrow Flying Stories (as Mildred A. Wirt)

1. Ruth Darrow in the Air Derby, 1930
2. Ruth Darrow in the Fire Patrol, 1930
3. Ruth Darrow in the Coast Guard, 1931
4. Ruth Darrow in Yucatan, 1931

The Ruth Fielding Series (as Alice B. Emerson)

23. Ruth Fielding and Her Great Scenario, 1927
24. Ruth Fielding at Cameron Hall, 1928
25. Ruth Fielding Clearing Her Name, 1929
26. Ruth Fielding in Talking Pictures, 1930
27. Ruth Fielding and Baby June, 1931
28. Ruth Fielding and Her Double, 1932
29. Ruth Fielding and Her Greatest Triumph, 1933
30. Ruth Fielding and Her Crowning Victory, 1934

Trailer Stories for Girls (as Mildred A. Wirt)

1. The Runaway Caravan, 1937
2. The Crimson Cruiser, 1937
3. Timbered Treasure, 1937
4. The Phantom Trailer, 1938

The Ken Holt Series

2010-11-13T15:54:00.000-06:00

The Ken Holt series consists of 18 titles published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1949 through 1963. The books were written by Sam and Beryl Epstein under the pseudonym Bruce Campbell.

1. The Secret of Skeleton Island, 1949
2. The Riddle of the Stone Elephant, 1949
3. The Black Thumb Mystery, 1950
4. The Clue of the Marked Claw, 1950
5. The Clue of the Coiled Cobra, 1951
6. The Secret of Hangman's Inn, 1951
7. The Mystery of the Iron Box, 1952
8. The Clue of the Phantom Car, 1953
9. The Mystery of the Galloping Horse, 1954
10. The Mystery of the Green Flame, 1955
11. The Mystery of the Grinning Tiger, 1956
12. The Mystery of the Vanishing Magician, 1956
13. The Mystery of the Shattered Glass, 1958
14. The Mystery of the Invisible Enemy, 1959
15. The Mystery of Gallows Cliff, 1960
16. The Clue of the Silver Scorpion, 1961
17. The Mystery of the Plumed Serpent, 1962
18. The Mystery of the Sultan's Scimitar, 1963

Boys' series enthusiasts consider the Ken Holt series to be one of the very best boys' series. The Connie Blair series is often referred to as "the Ken Holt of girls' series," which is considered a high compliment. I recently read this series and found the books to be very enjoyable.

Ken Holt lives with the Allen family in Brentwood. The Allen family helped Ken locate his father, Richard Holt, after he was kidnapped. Ken and his best friend, Sandy Allen, find themselves involved in a new mystery in each book.

These books read like a typical detective-mystery-adventure, and Ken and Sandy are frequently held hostage and threatened at gunpoint by criminals. Their adventures are typically very harrowing.

The Judy Bolton Series

2010-11-12T15:27:00.001-06:00

The Judy Bolton series consists of 38 titles published by Grosset and Dunlap. The series was written by Margaret Sutton.

1. The Vanishing Shadow, 1932
2. The Haunted Attic, 1932
3. The Invisible Chimes, 1932
4. Seven Strange Clues, 1932
5. The Ghost Parade, 1933
6. The Yellow Phantom, 1933
7. The Mystic Ball, 1934
8. The Voice in the Suitcase, 1935
9. The Mysterious Half Cat, 1936
10. The Riddle of the Double Ring, 1937
11. The Unfinished H ouse, 1938
12. The Midnight Visitor, 1939
13. The Name on the Bracelet, 1940
14. The Clue in the Patchwork Quilt, 1941
15. The Mark on the Mirror, 1942
16. The Secret of the Barred Window, 1943
17. The Rainbow Riddle, 1946
18. The Living Portrait, 1947
19. The Secret of the Musical Tree, 1948
20. The Warning on the Window, 1949
21. The Clue of the Stone Lantern, 1950
22. The Spirit of Fog Island, 1951
23. The Black Cat's Clue, 1952
24. The Forbidden Chest, 1953
25. The Haunted Road, 1954
26. The Clue in the Ruined Castle, 1955
27. The Trail of the Green Doll, 1956
28. The Haunted Fountain, 1957
29. The Clue of the Broken Wing, 1958
30. The Phantom Friend, 1959
31. The Discovery at the Dragon's Mouth, 1960
32. The Whispered Watchword, 1961
33. The Secret Quest, 1962
34. The Puzzle in the Pond, 1963
35. The Hidden Clue, 1964
36. The Pledge of the Twin Knights, 1965
37. The Search for the Glowing Hand, 1966
38. The Secret of the Sand Castle, 1967

The Judy Bolton series is one of the most popular series among collectors of girls' series books. The books were written by Margaret Sutton. What attracted me to this series of books when I first began collecting was the spooky titles. I was intrigued by The Voice in the Suitcase and The Living Portrait. How interesting!

The Trixie Belden Series

2010-11-11T16:05:00.004-06:00

The Trixie Belden series was originally published from 1948 until 1986 by the Whitman and Golden Press Publishing Company. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell, and the rest of the series was written by various authors under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.

1. The Secret of the Mansion, 1948
2. The Red Trailer Mystery, 1950
3. The Gatehouse Mystery, 1951
4. The Mysterious Visitor, 1954
5. The Mystery Off Glen Road, 1956
6. Mystery in Arizona, 1958
7. The Mysterious Code, 1961
8. The Black Jacket Mystery, 1961
9. The Happy Valley Mystery, 1962
10. The Marshland Mystery, 1962
11. The Mystery at Bob-White Cave, 1963
12. The Mystery of the Blinking Eye, 1963
13. The Mystery on Cobbett's Island, 1964
14. The Mystery of the Emeralds, 1965
15. The Mystery on the Mississippi, 1965
16. The Mystery of the Missing Heiress, 1970
17. The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest, 1977
18. The Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper, 1977
19. The Secret of the Unseen Treasure, 1977
20. The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road, 1978
21. The Mystery of the Castaway Children, 1978
22. The Mystery on Mead's Mountain, 1978
23. The Mystery of the Queen's Necklace, 1979
24. The Mystery at Saratoga, 1979
25. The Sasquatch Mystery, 1979
26. The Mystery of the Headless Horseman, 1979
27. The Mystery of the Ghostly Galleon, 1979
28. The Hudson River Mystery, 1979
29. The Mystery of the Velvet Gown, 1980
30. The Mystery of the Midnight Marauder, 1980
31. The Mystery at Maypenny's, 1980
32. The Mystery of the Whispering Witch, 1980
33. The Mystery of the Vanishing Victim, 1980
34. The Mystery of the Missing Millionaire, 1980
35. The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire, 1984
36. The Mystery of the Antique Doll, 1984
37. The Pet Show Mystery, 1985
38. The Indian Burial Ground Mystery, 1985
39. The Mystery of the Galloping Ghost, 1986

The series appeals to readers who prefer a series book heroine who seems like a real person. Many Trixie fans dislike Nancy Drew because she seems to be too perfect. Trixie Belden is hot-tempered and makes mistakes. She lives on a farm and is not wealthy. Of course, Trixie does have a wealthy friends, and this allows for Trixie to have some experiences that she would not otherwise be able to have.

The Beverly Gray Series

2010-11-10T17:34:00.001-06:00

The Beverly Gray series was written by Clair Blank. The A. L. Burt Company published the first eight books in the Beverly Gray series, including World's Fair. When Grosset and Dunlap bought the rights, World's Fair was dropped, and volumes 7 and 8 became volumes 6 and 7. Volumes 6 and up in the new numbering were published by Grosset and Dunlap.

Volumes 1 through 24 were originally issued in hardcover with dust jacket. Volumes 16 through 25 were issued in inexpensive hardcover editions by Clover Books, a division of Grosset and Dunlap. Volume 25 was only printed in the Clover Books edition.

1. Beverly Gray, Freshman, 1934
2. Beverly Gray, Sophomore, 1934
3. Beverly Gray, Junior, 1934
4. Beverly Gray, Senior, 1934
5. Beverly Gray's Career, 1935
6. Beverly Gray at the World's Fair, 1935
7/6. Beverly Gray on a World Cruise, 1936
8/7. Beverly Gray in the Orient, 1937
8. Beverly Gray on a Treasure Hunt, 1938
9. Beverly Gray's Return, 1939
10. Beverly Gray, Reporter, 1940
11. Beverly Gray's Romance, 1941
12. Beverly Gray's Quest, 1942
13. Beverly Gray's Problem, 1943
14. Beverly Gray's Adventure, 1944
15. Beverly Gray's Challenge, 1945
16. Beverly Gray's Journey, 1946
17. Beverly Gray's Assignment, 1947
18. Beverly Gray's Mystery, 1948
19. Beverly Gray's Vacation, 1949
20. Beverly Gray's Fortune, 1950
21. Beverly Gray's Secret, 1951
22. Beverly Gray's Island Mystery, 1952
23. Beverly Gray's Discovery, 1953
24. Beverly Gray's Scoop, 1954
25. Beverly Gray's Surprise, 1955

The Connie Blair Series

2010-11-07T22:05:00.000-06:00

The Connie Blair series was written by Betty Cavanna under the pseudonym of Betsy Allen. Volume 12 was written by one of Cavanna's friends.

Connie Blair works for an advertising firm and encounters mysteries during the course of her duties. The Connie Blair series is a favorite among series book enthusiasts.

1. The Clue in Blue, 1948
2. The Riddle in Red, 1948
3. Puzzle in Purple, 1948
4. The Secret of Black Cat Gulch, 1948
5. The Green Island Mystery, 1949
6. The Ghost Wore White, 1950
7. The Yellow Warning, 1951
8. The Gray Menace, 1953
9. The Brown Satchel Mystery, 1954
10. Peril in Pink, 1955
11. The Silver Secret, 1956
12. The Mystery of the Ruby Queens, 1958

The Vicki Barr Series

2010-11-03T22:37:00.001-05:00

The Vicki Barr Flight Stewardess series was written by Helen Wells and Julie Tatham. The series follows the adventures of Vicki Barr as she becomes a flight stewardess and encounters mysteries during her time on the job.

1. Silver Wings for Vicki, 1947
2. Vicki Finds the Answer, 1947
3. The Hidden Valley Mystery, 1948
4. The Secret of Magnolia Manor, 1949
5. The Clue of the Broken Blossom, 1950
6. Behind the White Veil, 1951
7. The Mystery at Hartwood House, 1952
8. Peril Over the Airport, 1953
9. The Mystery of the Vanishing Lady, 1954
10. The Search for the Missing Twin, 1954
11. The Ghost at the Waterfall, 1956
12. The Clue of the Gold Coin, 1958
13. The Silver Ring Mystery, 1960
14. The Clue of the Carved Ruby, 1961
15. The Mystery of Flight 908, 1962
16. The Brass Idol Mystery, 1964

The Melody Lane Series

2010-11-01T22:31:00.000-05:00

The Melody Lane series was written by Lilian Garis, wife of prolific series writer Howard Garis.

The Melody Lane series is unusual in that the series is not named for the main character, Carol Duncan. Rather, the series is named for the street, Melody Lane, upon which Carol lives.

1. The Ghost of Melody Lane, 1933
2. The Forbidden Trail, 1933
3. The Tower Secret, 1933
4. The Wild Warning, 1934
5. Terror at Moaning Cliff, 1935
6. The Dragon of the Hills, 1936
7. The Mystery of Stingyman's Alley, 1938
8. The Secret of the Kashmir Shawl, 1939
9. The Hermit of Proud Hill, 1940

The Nancy Drew Applewood Editions

2010-08-13T01:50:00.001-05:00

The Nancy Drew Applewood original editions have become very collectible. Applewood reprinted #1-21 in the Nancy Drew series in facsimile hardcover editions. Not only are the books nice, but I suspect they have become so popular with collectors because people know that the books are guaranteed to contain the original text.

The trouble is that the books have gone out of print. #1-6 are very easy to find and can often be found for under $10. Some sellers claim that #20 and #21 are hard to find, but these books can still be purchased from Amazon, so they are very easy to find. It is #7-19 that are the harder to find books. These books often command prices from $40 up to $150.

Applewood editions available from Jennifer's Series Books

Sara Gay Model Girl Books

2010-08-10T01:14:00.002-05:00

The Sara Gay Model Girl series was published in the United Kingdom during the 1960s. This is a thoroughly entertaining series about a girl who decides to model.

Since the series was not published in the United States, it is next to impossible for American collectors to easily purchase the series. The books are regularly offered by sellers in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, but the postage cost can be prohibitive. The postage cost can often double or triple the cost of the book.

1. Sara Gay, Model Girl
2. Sara Gay, Model Girl in Monte Carlo
3. Sara Gay, Model Girl in New York
4. Sara Gay, Model Girl in Mayfair

Nancy Drew Books with Dust Jackets

2010-08-09T01:58:00.003-05:00

Typically, Nancy Drew books with dust jackets have always been fairly expensive. This is now not necessarily true. Current collectors seem to favor the picture cover editions, which are the books that have the picture printed directly on the cover. For collectors who desire the dust-jacketed books, this is good news since the prices for the books with dust jackets have come down considerably from what they once were.

I remember when I was buying Nancy Drew books for my collection how extremely high the prices used to be. I recall a tweed copy of The Secret of Red Gate Farm that was bid up to around $45, and the jacket had flaws. I used to be able to sell Nancy Drew books with jackets consistently for $20 and up for the tweed editions with digger or blue multi endpapers.

Nowadays, this is not necessarily true. Savvy buyers can find these books at bargain prices if they know where to look. I have a wide variety of dust-jacketed Nancy Drew books available, some of them at bargain prices.

Nancy Drew books with dust jackets

The Kay Tracey Series

2010-08-08T02:21:00.004-05:00

The Kay Tracey series was a series of books designed as a rival to the Nancy Drew and Dana Girls series. The series was a product of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, which also produced the Nancy Drew and Dana Girls series.

The Kay Tracey series was originally published by the Cupples and Leon Company and was later published by Books, Inc., Garden City, and Bantam. The series was written under the pseudonym of Frances K. Judd, but the books were actually written by Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward, Mildred A. Wirt, Edna Stratemeyer Squier, and Anna Perot Rose Wright.

The series is known for its far-fetched and wacky plots, which make the books great fun to read.

1. The Secret of the Red Scarf, 1934
2. The Strange Echo, 1934
3. The Mystery of the Swaying Curtains, 1935
4. The Shadow on the Door, 1935
5. The Six-Fingered Glove Mystery, 1936
6. The Green Cameo Mystery, 1936
7. The Secret at the Windmill, 1937
8. Beneath the Crimson Briar Bush, 1937
9. The Message in the Sand Dunes, 1938
10. The Murmuring Portrait, 1938
11. When the Key Turned, 1939
12. In the Sunken Garden, 1939
13. The Forbidden Tower, 1940
14. The Sacred Feather, 1940
15. The Lone Footprint, 1941
16. The Double Disguise, 1941
17. The Mansion of Secrets, 1942
18. The Mysterious Neighbors, 1942

Finding Vintage Dana Girls Books

2010-07-21T22:29:00.004-05:00

The Dana Girls Mystery Stories were published by Grosset and Dunlap and have become very collectible. The early books were thick purple books with art deco style dust jackets. Later, the books were tweed with dust jackets. In the 1960s, the books were printed with a beige spine and the picture directly on the cover. In the 1970s, the books were issued with white spines and the picture directly on the cover.

It can be difficult to find old Dana Girls books, but by utilizing Google's Product Search, you can easily obtain a list of all Dana Girls books available on all internet sites.

Google Product Search

Bonanza is another great source for Dana Girls books.

Bonanza

I have many Dana Girls books available in my booth.

Jennifer's Series Books

Have fun collecting Dana Girls books!

Judy Bolton Books for Sale

2010-07-20T22:17:00.002-05:00

The Judy Bolton series was written by Margaret Sutton and published by Grosset and Dunlap. The series has more recently been reprinted by Applewood.

There are many vintage Judy Bolton books for sale on the internet, but it can sometimes be hard to find them, especially with all of the reprints. Google's Product Search is the most effective way to locate Judy Bolton books for purchase.

Google Product Search

Google's Product Search crawls the inventory of all websites and provides users with all of the results. The results can be easily sorted by price so that buyers can efficiently locate books within the desired price range.

Many collectors of vintage series books now list their books on Bonanza. The books on Bonanza are returned in Google's Product Search, but you can also visit Bonanza directly to see the great selection.

Bonanza

I have over 500 books up for sale on Bonanza.

Jennifer's Series Books

Have fun collecting!

Buying and Selling Trixie Belden Books

2010-07-19T21:19:00.002-05:00

The Trixie Belden series was published by Whitman and later Golden Press. The books were written by Julie Campbell and later by various authors under the pseudonym of Kathryn Kenny.

Have you become reminiscent about the Trixie Belden series? Remember those neat hardcover books with the colored illustrations? How about those Golden Press softcover books from the 1980s?

For many years, people have relied on eBay.com for most of their shopping needs, and many good books are still offered there. However, since eBay has made it harder for buyers to find books due to its faulty search algorithm, Trixie Belden fans also need to look outside eBay for some great finds.

The single best source for great vintage books is Google's Product Search.

Google Product Search

You can use Google to get a quick overview of all of the Trixie Belden books up for sale on all internet sites. Google's search works better than eBay's search, so you can sort the results better.

Many people have chosen to list their books on Bonanza, which is a fun new site.

Bonanza

I have many Trixie Belden books available in my booth.

Jennifer's Series Books

Have fun looking for books!

Buy and Sell Nancy Drew Books

2010-07-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

Have you wondered where you can buy or sell Nancy Drew books? Are you frustrated with how difficult it is to find the original blue Nancy Drew books or the older yellow spine books from the 1960s?

Many people check eBay.com first, but in recent years, eBay has increased fees dramatically and decreased exposure for sellers. This has resulted in many sellers leaving eBay for other websites.

The quickest way to discover where the vintage Nancy Drew books are located is to use Google's Product Search.

Google Product Search

By entering a search on Google, you can quickly find all of the old Nancy Drew books that are up for sale on the internet.

You should also be aware that many sellers of series books have begun listing their books on alternative sites such as Bonanza.

Bonanza

I have over 500 books up for sale on Bonanza.

Jennifer's Series Books

Good luck in your search for vintage books!