Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys 2017 Matte Flashlight Editions

I collect library editions, and the current format from the company Bound to Stay Bound is what I refer to as the "flashlight library edition."  The flashlight library edition uses the flashlight logo seen on the flashlight editions that are published by Penguin under the Grosset and Dunlap imprint.  Here are photos of the flashlight library editions that I have, most of which came from the same library.

The last two seen in the above photo are variants.  I like the flashlight library editions better than the regular flashlight editions from the publisher.  For those who aren't familiar with the various formats of Nancy Drew books, the following photo shows the regular flashlight editions

The regular flashlight editions are too glossy and gaudy for my taste.  I would like them a lot better if they were more in the style of the flashlight library editions.  Since I do not care for the regular flashlight editions, I do not own a set.

Recently, I spotted this photo in an eBay search.

It caught my eye immediately, and I felt certain that I was viewing some of the Bound to Stay Bound flashlight library editions.  What a pretty blue on the cover of Hidden Staircase!  I decided to purchase the books.

When the books arrived, I saw the spines first.

I was a bit surprised, since the spines are identical to the regular flashlight editions. The books are not likely library editions as I had thought.  But what are they?

The books are just like the regular flashlight editions except that the finish is matte and the front cover design is different.  I examined the books, determining for certain that the books had not been rebound and appeared to be in the original binding.  I could tell that the books are absolutely brand-new and must have been printed recently.  I was flummoxed, because I do not see unexpected variants very often.  I had heard nothing about these books, and word usually spreads quickly when collectors spot variants in stores.

I knew these books had come from somewhere, but I did not know from where.  I have learned that asking questions on Facebook sometimes doesn't work as well as one would expect.  Therefore, I simply put the pictures up with the statement, "Check out these neat books!  They are flashlight editions with matte covers."  I knew that the mystery would be solved shortly.

I quickly was informed that the books came from the store Five Below.  They had been seen in that store five to six weeks ago.  Nancy Drew #1 and 2 as well as Hardy Boys #1 and 2 were available.

I went to one of the Five Below stores today and was able to get Nancy Drew #1 and Hardy Boys #2 to complete both sets.

I like these books.  If you have a Five Below store nearby, you might be able to get the books.  I understand that some stores may be low on stock while others may still have plenty available.