The Billie Bradley Series

I decided sometime recently, probably in November, to build a set of the Billie Bradley books. The Billie Bradley series was published first by Sully and then by Cupples and Leon from 1920 through 1932. The series was written under the pseudonym of Janet D. Wheeler.

Since I prefer to buy books with dust jackets, I knew that it would be very difficult to acquire a complete set. I have found in the past that when I buy books without dust jackets that I always eventually upgrade to books with dust jackets. It usually saves money to hold out for dust-jacketed copies.

All early series books from the early 1930s and before are very hard to find with intact dust jackets. The books are even a bit scarce without dust jackets. It is because I seek early, very hard to find books that I am so scornful of sellers who describe relatively common Nancy Drew books from the 1960s as rare. All Nancy Drew books from the 1960s, even the scarce printings, are much easier to find than most of the titles in obscure series.

Prior to the last week, I had successfully purchased three Billie Bradley books with dust jackets. I believe that I did begin searching online for Billie Bradley books in November. I found no examples with jackets during November and December—at least with dust jackets in acceptable condition. I do hold out for very good or better condition dust jackets unless the book is one of the last few in a series. I thought that it would take me at least a year or longer to build the complete set in dust jacket. It can be very frustrating to search for the early 20th century series books.

I bought my first Billie Bradley book in mid-January. I bought the next two Billie Bradley books in mid-February. A couple of weeks ago, a seller placed the entire Billie Bradley series on eBay. All nine books had their dust jackets. I was fortunate to win the auctions for the six books that I needed. I now have the entire Billie Bradley series in hardcover books with dust jackets. This has to be the record for the shortest amount of time it has taken me to build the complete set of an early, obscure series.

The series consists of the following titles:

1. Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance, 1920
2. Billie Bradley at Three Towers Hall, 1920
3. Billie Bradley on Lighthouse Island, 1920
4. Billie Bradley and Her Classmates, 1921
5. Billie Bradley at Twin Lakes, 1922
6. Billie Bradley at Treasure Cove, 1928
7. Billie Bradley at Sun Dial Lodge, 1929
8. Billie Bradley and the School Mystery, 1930
9. Billie Bradley Winning the Trophy, 1932

Since I was able to purchase the complete set so quickly, I have no idea for certain which titles are the hardest to find; to me, the volumes are equal in scarcity. It is only by following the listings for months that the relative scarcity of the volumes in a series can be determined. If this series follows the same pattern as other series that ended during the early 1930s, volumes 7 and 8 are probably harder to find than volume 9.

The Cupples and Leon dust jackets have two styles. The earlier style shows Billie Bradley with a book in her hand.


The later style shows Billie Bradley standing on a porch that has a checkered floor.