Saturday, August 11, 2012

Series Book Questions from Summer 2012

These are questions that were asked this summer. I have rewritten the questions in order to avoid using direct quotes from private messages.

What type of covers should be purchased to protect dust jackets?  Do you recommend the 1.5 mm or the 2 mm?  Is it better to purchase ones with the center-slit backing paper or the ones that can be used for various height books?

This is a question that I am asked on a regular basis.

The 1.5 mm protectors work just fine. I have used the 2 mm, but I find that I prefer the way the 1.5 mm work. It’s hard to explain, but the 2 mm tends to be a little more rigid and not fold as well, which makes the jacket not rest right up against the book. They do provide better protection if a book and jacket are to be used heavily, but for a collection, the 1.5 mm is quite sufficient.

Demco Paperfold Book Jacket Covers

I like the ones from Demco because they are folded at the bottom instead of the center-slit. The ones with the center slit end up being a little bumpy in places, whereas the ones from Demco never do that.

I dislike the protectors offered by Gaylord since they stick to each other on the shelf. If you have several books in Gaylord protectors and try to remove one from the shelf, the rest come with it.

I use the 8-inch Demco covers for the Grosset and Dunlap dust jackets and the 9-inch Demco covers for taller books. The 9-inch covers work well for both sizes of books, since they can be easily adjusted down.

Do you sell copies of dust jackets?  I am not willing to pay high prices to get certain books with original jackets.

This is another question that I get asked fairly often, mainly because I usually have at least one book for sale with a copied dust jacket.  I do not sell copies of dust jackets, even though I sometimes print one for scarce books that would be easier to sell with a printed dust jacket.

Jim Towey has offered copies of dust jackets for years.  Visit his page about recreated dust jackets for more information.

What do you think of the Outdoor Girls series?  Are the books worth reading?  Do the books have four glossy illustrations or just a glossy frontispiece?

The Outdoor Girls series is one of my most favorite series of all of the ones that came before Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. The earlier series from the 1910s and 1920s are much more old fashioned and a bit different from the series that came later, but this one is one of the best.

You can visit Project Gutenberg and sample some of the texts to get a feel for whether you would like the series.

Outdoor Girls Books on Project Gutenberg

The books all have a glossy frontispiece. The books have additional internal illustrations, but all of the internals are on plain paper just like the regular text pages. The series books that began in the 1910s tended to have the additional illustrations on plain paper rather than on glossy paper.

Why are some of your Nancy Drew books described as blue or tweed and others not?  What is the difference?

The books that are called "tweed" have a cover that resembles tweed fabric. They are textured and are similar to cloth, although the covers are not made from cloth. The tweed books were in print from 1952 through 1961.

Nancy Drew books printed before 1952 are generally known as blue books. I have both the blue and the tweed books placed in the same subcategory in my booth.

This formats page should help you understand the different variations and will help you tell how old a book is.

Nancy Drew Formats

Also, you can more specifically tell how old a book is by getting the last title listed inside the book. The last title listed will tell you which year the book was printed.

I am looking for inexpensive reading copies of the original text Nancy Drew books.  What do you have available?  I can tell that the Applewood books have the original text but am not sure about the picture cover books.

The following statements concern Nancy Drew #1-34.

Each of my listings that has an original text book has a statement in the item description that the book has the original text. To make it easier, I often give the original copyright date in the title of my listings. If the copyright date is anywhere from 1930 to 1956, the book must have the original 25 chapter text. If you click on a listing, you can verify that the book has the original text by noting a copyright date between 1930 and 1956 and noting my statement that the book has the original text.

To find the books that have the original text, go to the main page of my booth, then click on the Nancy Drew category that appears on the left in the middle of the list of categories. On the resulting page, you will see additional subcategories. You will find many of the original text books that are priced reasonably in the "> Blue Books" and the "> PCs Blue Multi" subcategories.

In the "> Blue Books" category, all books have the original text. In the "> PCs Blue Multi" category, #1, 2, 3, and 4 are the only books that do NOT have the original text.* All other books in that category have the original text.

Most of the Nancy Drew books with dust jackets also have the original text, but those are generally priced a little higher. If you do look at the books with jackets, remember that the books copyrighted from 1930 to 1956 are the ones with the original text and that I have a statement in the item description stating that those books have the original text.

Note: #35 and up only had one text and were never revised, so all of those books have the original text by default, since it is the only version that ever existed.

*In my answer to the prospective buyer, I did not mention that I might sometimes have a few books in the "> Blue Books" category that do not have the original text, such as late tweed copies of #1-4 and #6.  I also did not mention that if I had an example of #6 listed in the "> PCs Blue Multi" category that it would also not have the original text.  I kept my answer limited to the books that were available in those categories on the day I answered the question so as not to further confuse the prospective buyer. 

My wife likes Nancy Drew books, but I know nothing about them.  I think I would like to purchase the 20 chapter picture cover versions of #1-56.  How should I go about doing that?  I also do not understand what is meant by "Jennifer's Series Books."

“Jennifer’s Series Books” is the name that I put on my booth. My name is Jennifer White, and I am the one selling the books that are listed in this booth.

If you decide to buy any books from me, you would first click on "Nancy Drew" which appears along the left side of my booth in the list of categories. On the resulting page, you will see a new list of categories on the left side. The books you mentioned will be found under "> PCs Blue Multi," "> PCs B&W Multi I," and "> PCs B&W Multi II." The category which mentions "Blue Multi" has more of the original text books. The other two categories have the 20 chapter revised text books. The titles of the three categories make reference to the type of endpapers inside each book.

Most Nancy Drew fans do like the original text books, so your wife probably would not mind getting some original text books. The original text books are available for #1-34, and you can also get #1-34 in the revised 20 chapter text versions. #35-56 are only available as 20 chapter texts.

If you do not mind using eBay, there are almost always bulk lots of Nancy Drew books up for sale there.* Sometimes you can find a bulk lot at a great savings per book over buying the books individually.

*I have found, especially in recent months, that many people now refuse to use eBay for any reason.  I finally have realized that instead of assuming that people are willing to use eBay that I should mention that if they do not mind using eBay that eBay is an option.

4 comments:

keeline said...

I also prefer Demco PaperFold line of jacket protectors. Since we get new books as well as vintage series, we find that the 10" height on 300 ft rolls works well for most books out there other than picture books and coffee table books. We keep a roll of 12" protectors for the picture books. For oversized books I find that the heavier plastic does help so for these we get a 16" high roll of the SuperFold.

I have had the same experience with Gaylord. The plastic is very clear but prone to static adhesion so that the books want to stick to each other. It is very disconcerting to try to pull one book of and two or a dozen neighbors try to come for the ride.

The BroDart covers I have seen seem a bit cloudy to me but I haven't looked at them in a couple years so perhaps they've improved when I wasn't looking :)

The covers sealed along one edge are the only way to go for me. I have seen jackets get a crease or a dust line where the paper backings overlap. As Jennifer indicates, this never happens with the protectors that are sealed along one edge.

By getting the protectors in rolls we save money and can cut them to the length needed. A lot of the 1950s series jackets have extra wide flaps so the "long" cut ones are usually needed. This means keeping two boxes on hand. I find also that in the boxes they are more prone to get bent at the ends if the box is not stored flat.

I do tend to readjust the roll in the box so that the free end comes out at the gap in the lid. This way I can keep the lid closed and pull out material as I need it. It helps when covering a dozen or more books.

When books come in without covers or old or covers I don't like, I recover them. A book that arrived today had a fragile jacket and the plastic without a paper backing (only useful for DJs in slipcases). I put a fresh cover on the book and it looks 100% better.

An old library book with a jacket can have its plastic cover replaced and look much better too. Some stickers you can't remove so it is best not to try. However, in a new clean plastic cover, the flaws are not so bad. Plus, some libraries put some of their offending marks on the outside of the plastic cover so replacing it removes many sins from the jacket.

James

Paula said...

I use the Super Clear archival Just-a-Fold Brodart covers and I am very pleased with them. According to my catalog, they have two types: Lo-Luster and Super Clear, so be sure to order the Super Clear if this is what you want. These have the one closed edge and the paper backing with perforated lines for folding. Last time I ordered, I found a discount code on the internet for Brodart and it was actually less expensive then Demco. :)

rachel said...

Another question if you don't mind (sorry if you've already asked this somewhere)- at which book do the Beverly Gray books get better? I love the last few but cannot suffer through all those beginning books, if you know what I mean!? Thanks

Jennifer White said...

I know what you mean. While I like most of the early books, the plots meander around from one event to another disconnected event. Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior are all like that. I can't remember the specifics on Career, but I did not like World's Fair very much. The story in World's Fair is not good enough to be worth the price that it commands due to the scarcity, although it is a necessary book in the sequence of events.

The story arc of the world cruise runs from World Cruise to Return. I like those books a lot. Beginning with Reporter, the books more take the shape of later books where the stories do not arc across multiple books, so that is where the stories are more similar to the final ones in the series.

In short, you would either start with World Cruise if you want to read that story arc or Reporter to read the ones that are individual stories.