Monday, March 14, 2016

Input Needed for Farah's Guide to Nancy Drew

David Farah is asking for corrections for one final edition of his Nancy Drew guide.  Here I will mention some lingering concerns about certain printings.

The first issue is the first printing of The Clue in the Crossword Cipher.  Please read this post and its comments for more information.  According to the guide, the first printing lists to Pine Hill on the back cover and has no interior list.  The existence of that printing is not in question.  The problem is that multiple copies listing to Pine Hill on the back cover and with an interior list page to 99 Steps have surfaced.  I'm pretty sure that at least four different people own first printings both with and without the interior list page.

The problem is that Farah has not been able to determine which one came first or whether both versions can be considered the first printing.  Anyone who owns a Crossword Cipher book that lists to Pine Hill on the back cover, either with or without the interior list, should check the book for any kind of markings that could indicate the exact age of the book.  These markings would include inscriptions with dates. 

Another issue is the first revised text printing of Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk.  According to the guide, the first revised text lists to Sky Phantom on the back cover.  The problem is that none of us can find one.  In the comments to this post, someone claimed to own two of them and acted like it was common.  However, that person did not provide photographic proof and was posting under a screen name.

If anyone does own a revised text Brass-Bound Trunk that lists to Sky Phantom, please contact David Farah with photographs of the book.  Otherwise, that printing will be removed from the next guide.  Farah has not seen any examples of the first revised text with Sky Phantom on the back cover, so the current belief is that it does not exist.  Unless he can get proper documentation of the existence of the revised text of Brass-Bound Trunk listing to Sky Phantom, the printing with the Cookbook ad on the back cover, 1977A-59, will be considered the first revised text.

I remembered that I do not own the first printing of the third cover art to Hidden Staircase, 1966A-97.  The book seen at the left lists to Pine Hill on the back cover and to 99 Steps on the inside, which makes it the second printing of the third cover art, 1966B-98, according to the guide.  The first printing of the third cover art lists to Pine Hill on the back cover and inside the book. 

I recall that I have been asked about the first printing of the third cover art to Hidden Staircase and now know of several advanced collectors who do not own one.  So my question is... Does anyone own the third cover art to Hidden Staircase that lists to Pine Hill on the back cover and inside the book?  And if you do not own one, I'd also like you to confirm, since that gives us an idea of the scarcity of the book.  If it exists, that's wonderful, and I'll keep searching for it.  But if it doesn't, then Farah needs to know.

I would also like to verify that the printing indicated to be the first revised text of Shadow Ranch exists.  The first revised text is 1965B-82.  The first revised text book has the second cover art and lists to Fire Dragon on the back cover and to Pine Hill on the inside.  The book seen to the right is the second printing of the revised text and has the second cover art.  It lists to Pine Hill on the back cover and inside.  Notice it has black and white multi I endpapers, which is indicative of the revised text.

Does anyone own the second cover art Shadow Ranch with the revised text that lists to Fire Dragon on the back cover and to Pine Hill on the inside?  Either way, let me know so that I will have an idea of scarcity and a verification of existence.

I thought of two more variants listed in the guide that I do not own, and I want to verify their existence.  The first is the original text of Haunted Bridge matched with the cover art seen at the left.  I have never seen one with the original text.  Do any of you own the original text paired with the cover art seen at the left?  This printing has since been confirmed to exist.

The second variant is the revised text of Leaning Chimney matched with the cover art seen at the right.  I have never seen one.  Do any of you own the revised text paired with the cover art seen at the right?  This printing has since been confirmed to exist.

I am going to be telling Farah about the following two books that have the back cover printed entirely in black ink.


Whispering Statue is 1977A-66, and Mirror Bay is 1977B-9.  I have sold extras of both books, but I haven't kept track.  For verification purposes, please let me know if you own either variant.  Also let me know if you own any picture cover books other than these two with the back cover printed entirely in black ink.  Both of these books list to Parchment.  Do yours?  Also, do any of you own either Whispering Statue or Mirror Bay that match the above printings that have the back cover normal with the red and black ink?  I have never paid attention, and now I wonder if the entire print run has all black ink or whether this variant is a subset of the print run.

Please respond either here or on my Facebook page.

3 comments:

Huggypack Tales said...

I have a copy of the Clue of the Leaning Chimney with the cover you have pictured and with revised text. It has the first white endpapers and lists to the Crossword Cipher on the back. No internal pre-text list, but has a Meet Christopher Coll Teen agent in the back
Will send pictures to you
Cindy

Unknown said...

Do you know when the new edition of Farah's Guide will be published? The 12th edition is the current one, correct? Thank you.

Jennifer White said...


The 12th edition is the current edition of Farah's Guide. As of a few months ago, David Farah had not started working on the 13th edition. I interpreted his comments as indicating that it would be awhile before the 13th edition would be published. So I'm thinking it's at least a year off and could be longer.