This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 4,700 times.
The Connie Blair series is a 12 volume series that was published by
Grosset and Dunlap. The first 11 books were written by Betty Cavanna
under the pseudonym of Betsy Allen, and the last book was written by an
unknown acquaintance of Cavanna. The advertising for the series states,
"You can identify A Connie Blair Mystery at a glance because a color is
always featured in the title."
Connie Blair is a young woman who works for an advertising firm.
Connie's assignments often lead her to exotic locales and always land
Connie in the middle of a dangerous mystery.
List of Titles:
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
Formats:
All 12 volumes were originally printed in hardcover with dust
jacket. Volumes 1 through 4 were reprinted in the picture cover format,
which is when the front cover picture is printed directly on the book
itself. Volume 4 is more difficult to acquire in picture cover than
volumes 1, 2, and 3. All 12 volumes were reprinted during the late
1960s in paperback by Tempo Books, a division of Grosset and Dunlap. In
1978, volumes 1, 9, and 12 were once again reprinted in paperback.
Identifying the age of a book:
The copyright page is the last place to look when you are trying
to discover the age of a Connie Blair book. Grosset and Dunlap never
made changes to the copyright page. For each volume, every single
printing in dust jacket will have the same copyright page. For example,
all printings of
The Clue in Blue from 1948
until the last dust-jacketed printing in 1961 will have the exact same
copyright page stating 1948 with no other dates. This means that to the
uninformed, all dust-jacketed copies of
The Clue in Blue appear to be
first printings when most of them are not first printings. The same
applies to the rest of the titles in the series.
The two easiest places to look in order to determine the age of a
Connie Blair book are on the dust jacket’s front flap, if the jacket is
present, and on an interior list of titles. The last title present in
the list of Connie Blair titles will tell you what the age of the book
is. For instance, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to
The Green Island Mystery, then the book was printed in 1949, which is the year of publication for
The Green Island Mystery. Or, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to
The Brown Satchel Mystery, then the book was printed in 1954, which is the year of publication for
The Brown Satchel Mystery.
When the book is missing its dust jacket, refer to the interior
list of titles, if present. There is usually a list of titles present
on one of the pages in the front of the book.
For more information, visit my series book website.
Monday, April 30, 2018
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Rick Brant Science Adventure Series by John Blaine
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 9,200 times.
The Rick Brant Science Adventure series was published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1947 through 1968. The series is also known as the Rick Brant Electronic Adventures and the Rick Brant Science-Adventure Stories. The series was written by Peter J. Harkins and Harold Goodwin under the pseudonym of John Blaine. Harkins and Goodwin co-wrote the first three titles, and Goodwin wrote the rest of the series himself.
List of Titles:
1. The Rocket's Shadow, 1947
2. The Lost City, 1947
3. Sea Gold, 1947
4. 100 Fathoms Under, 1947
5. The Whispering Box Mystery, 1948
6. The Phantom Shark, 1949
7. Smugglers' Reef, 1950
8. The Caves of Fear, 1951
9. Stairway to Danger, 1952
10. The Golden Skull, 1954
11. The Wailing Octopus, 1956
12. The Electronic Mind Reader, 1957
13. The Scarlet Lake Mystery, 1958
14. The Pirates of Shan, 1958
15. The Blue Ghost Mystery, 1960
16. The Egyptian Cat Mystery, 1961
17. The Flaming Mountain, 1962
18. The Flying Stingaree, 1963
19. The Ruby Ray Mystery, 1964
20. The Veiled Raiders, 1965
21. The Rocket Jumper, 1966
22. The Deadly Dutchman, 1967
23. Danger Below!, 1968
24. The Magic Talisman, 1990
Rick Brant's Science Projects, 1960
Prices:
The purpose of this guide is to provide a starting place for buyers and sellers who are interested in the Rick Brant series. This guide does not attempt to give the value of the different Rick Brant books. The values are constantly changing based on supply and demand. If I were to attempt to give values, they would soon be meaningless. There are way too many factors to consider. The only statement that can be made with certainty is that the last few titles in the series are much more difficult to acquire and do consistently sell for high prices.
If you are planning to sell some Rick Brant books and need to get an idea of the current pricing, search the recently completed Rick Brant auctions on eBay to get an idea of the selling prices. If you are planning to buy Rick Brant books, you should also search the completed auctions to see what the selling prices are.
Formats:
Books 1 through 16 as well as Rick Brant's Science Projects were originally printed in hardcover with dust jackets. Volumes 1 through 16 were also printed in picture cover during the 1960s. The picture cover editions are books that have the picture printed directly on the front cover of the book. Volumes 17 through 23 were only printed in the picture cover format.
Volume 24 was never published by Grosset and Dunlap. It was finally printed in 1990 in a limited edition by Manuscript Press.
First printings:
Never use the copyright page to determine the age of a Rick Brant book. The copyright pages were never updated by Grosset and Dunlap, so all of the books appear to be first printings when only the copyright page is considered.
The two easiest places to look in order to determine the age of a Rick Brant book are on the dust jacket’s front flap, if the dust jacket is present, and on an interior list of titles. The last title present in the list of Rick Brant titles will tell you what the age of the book is. For instance, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Whispering Box Mystery, then the book was printed in 1948, which is the year of publication for The Whispering Box Mystery. Or, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Electronic Mind Reader, then the book was printed in 1957, which is the year of publication for The Electronic Mind Reader.
When the book is missing its dust jacket, refer to the interior list of titles, if present. There is often a list of titles in the front of the book somewhere in front of the title page.
For the picture cover editions, there is a list of titles on the back cover. The last title in this list will indicate the year of printing.
For more information, visit my series book website.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 9,200 times.
The Rick Brant Science Adventure series was published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1947 through 1968. The series is also known as the Rick Brant Electronic Adventures and the Rick Brant Science-Adventure Stories. The series was written by Peter J. Harkins and Harold Goodwin under the pseudonym of John Blaine. Harkins and Goodwin co-wrote the first three titles, and Goodwin wrote the rest of the series himself.
List of Titles:
1. The Rocket's Shadow, 1947
2. The Lost City, 1947
3. Sea Gold, 1947
4. 100 Fathoms Under, 1947
5. The Whispering Box Mystery, 1948
6. The Phantom Shark, 1949
7. Smugglers' Reef, 1950
8. The Caves of Fear, 1951
9. Stairway to Danger, 1952
10. The Golden Skull, 1954
11. The Wailing Octopus, 1956
12. The Electronic Mind Reader, 1957
13. The Scarlet Lake Mystery, 1958
14. The Pirates of Shan, 1958
15. The Blue Ghost Mystery, 1960
16. The Egyptian Cat Mystery, 1961
17. The Flaming Mountain, 1962
18. The Flying Stingaree, 1963
19. The Ruby Ray Mystery, 1964
20. The Veiled Raiders, 1965
21. The Rocket Jumper, 1966
22. The Deadly Dutchman, 1967
23. Danger Below!, 1968
24. The Magic Talisman, 1990
Rick Brant's Science Projects, 1960
Prices:
The purpose of this guide is to provide a starting place for buyers and sellers who are interested in the Rick Brant series. This guide does not attempt to give the value of the different Rick Brant books. The values are constantly changing based on supply and demand. If I were to attempt to give values, they would soon be meaningless. There are way too many factors to consider. The only statement that can be made with certainty is that the last few titles in the series are much more difficult to acquire and do consistently sell for high prices.
If you are planning to sell some Rick Brant books and need to get an idea of the current pricing, search the recently completed Rick Brant auctions on eBay to get an idea of the selling prices. If you are planning to buy Rick Brant books, you should also search the completed auctions to see what the selling prices are.
Formats:
Books 1 through 16 as well as Rick Brant's Science Projects were originally printed in hardcover with dust jackets. Volumes 1 through 16 were also printed in picture cover during the 1960s. The picture cover editions are books that have the picture printed directly on the front cover of the book. Volumes 17 through 23 were only printed in the picture cover format.
Volume 24 was never published by Grosset and Dunlap. It was finally printed in 1990 in a limited edition by Manuscript Press.
First printings:
Never use the copyright page to determine the age of a Rick Brant book. The copyright pages were never updated by Grosset and Dunlap, so all of the books appear to be first printings when only the copyright page is considered.
The two easiest places to look in order to determine the age of a Rick Brant book are on the dust jacket’s front flap, if the dust jacket is present, and on an interior list of titles. The last title present in the list of Rick Brant titles will tell you what the age of the book is. For instance, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Whispering Box Mystery, then the book was printed in 1948, which is the year of publication for The Whispering Box Mystery. Or, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Electronic Mind Reader, then the book was printed in 1957, which is the year of publication for The Electronic Mind Reader.
When the book is missing its dust jacket, refer to the interior list of titles, if present. There is often a list of titles in the front of the book somewhere in front of the title page.
For the picture cover editions, there is a list of titles on the back cover. The last title in this list will indicate the year of printing.
For more information, visit my series book website.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
The Ruth Fielding Series by Alice B. Emerson 1913-1934
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 7,700 times.
The Ruth Fielding Series is a 30 volume series that was published by Cupples and Leon from 1913 through 1934. Three authors wrote the series under the pseudonym of Alice B. Emerson. W. Bert Foster wrote volumes 1 through 19; Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward wrote volumes 20 through 22; and Mildred A. Wirt Benson wrote volumes 23 through 30.
List of Titles
1. Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill, 1913
2. Ruth Fielding of Briarwood Hall, 1913
3. Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp, 1913
4. Ruth Fielding at Lighthouse Point, 1913
5. Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch, 1913
6. Ruth Fielding on Cliff Island, 1915
7. Ruth Fielding at Sunrise Farm, 1915
8. Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies, 1915
9. Ruth Fielding in Moving Pictures, 1916
10. Ruth Fielding Down in Dixie, 1916
11. Ruth Fielding at College, 1917
12. Ruth Fielding in the Saddle, 1917
13. Ruth Fielding in the Red Cross, 1918
14. Ruth Fielding at the War Front, 1918
15. Ruth Fielding Homeward Bound, 1919
16. Ruth Fielding Down East, 1920
17. Ruth Fielding in the Great Northwest, 1921
18. Ruth Fielding on the St. Lawrence, 1922
19. Ruth Fielding Treasure Hunting, 1923
20. Ruth Fielding in the Far North, 1924
21. Ruth Fielding at Golden Pass, 1925
22. Ruth Fielding in Alaska, 1926
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
First Printings
Never use the copyright page to determine whether a Ruth Fielding book is a first printing. The copyright page contains a list of titles, but this list of titles was rarely, if ever, updated. Try to find a list of titles that occurs in the back of the book after the end of the story. This list of titles will be much more accurate than the copyright page. If the post-text list of titles ends with Ruth Fielding in the Saddle, then the book was printed in 1917, which is the year of publication for Ruth Fielding in the Saddle. Or, if the post-text list of titles ends with Ruth Fielding and Her Double, then the book was printed in 1931, which is the year of publication for Ruth Fielding and Her Double.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 7,700 times.
The Ruth Fielding Series is a 30 volume series that was published by Cupples and Leon from 1913 through 1934. Three authors wrote the series under the pseudonym of Alice B. Emerson. W. Bert Foster wrote volumes 1 through 19; Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward wrote volumes 20 through 22; and Mildred A. Wirt Benson wrote volumes 23 through 30.
List of Titles
1. Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill, 1913
2. Ruth Fielding of Briarwood Hall, 1913
3. Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp, 1913
4. Ruth Fielding at Lighthouse Point, 1913
5. Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch, 1913
6. Ruth Fielding on Cliff Island, 1915
7. Ruth Fielding at Sunrise Farm, 1915
8. Ruth Fielding and the Gypsies, 1915
9. Ruth Fielding in Moving Pictures, 1916
10. Ruth Fielding Down in Dixie, 1916
11. Ruth Fielding at College, 1917
12. Ruth Fielding in the Saddle, 1917
13. Ruth Fielding in the Red Cross, 1918
14. Ruth Fielding at the War Front, 1918
15. Ruth Fielding Homeward Bound, 1919
16. Ruth Fielding Down East, 1920
17. Ruth Fielding in the Great Northwest, 1921
18. Ruth Fielding on the St. Lawrence, 1922
19. Ruth Fielding Treasure Hunting, 1923
20. Ruth Fielding in the Far North, 1924
21. Ruth Fielding at Golden Pass, 1925
22. Ruth Fielding in Alaska, 1926
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
First Printings
Never use the copyright page to determine whether a Ruth Fielding book is a first printing. The copyright page contains a list of titles, but this list of titles was rarely, if ever, updated. Try to find a list of titles that occurs in the back of the book after the end of the story. This list of titles will be much more accurate than the copyright page. If the post-text list of titles ends with Ruth Fielding in the Saddle, then the book was printed in 1917, which is the year of publication for Ruth Fielding in the Saddle. Or, if the post-text list of titles ends with Ruth Fielding and Her Double, then the book was printed in 1931, which is the year of publication for Ruth Fielding and Her Double.
Friday, April 27, 2018
Kay Tracey #7 The Secret at the Windmill
Kay and her friends are out of school for the summer and plan to go to Lost Lake again like they did during the previous summer. Hmm. This means that a year has passed since the first story in the series. The only problem is that the girls have not gotten older.
On page 2, the reader learns that Betty is plump, which has never been mentioned in previous books. Kay is described as "the acknowledged leader of the trio, outstanding in school activities, and for that matter clever at anything to which she turned her hand." Again, Kay is just like the revised text era Nancy Drew.
This book is full of mishaps and unfortunate events. Ethel loses her algebra book and takes Kay's book. Kay's hand gets burned in a fire. A dog gets run over and killed. Kay hits her head hard. Kay's ankle slips into hot coals.
Later, Kay enters Juliana's house when no one is home so that she can take Juliana's clothes back to the store. Kay does this because she has learned that Juliana will be unable to pay for the clothes due to the loss of her inheritance. Kay is quite a meddler.
On page 115, Kay has received a letter, so she gets permission from her friends before she opens the letter to read it. Ah, such manners. Nowadays, people are rudely engrossed with their phones while ignoring their companions.
Kay hides $10,000 in a windmill. She checks on the money on page 158, while reflecting that hiding the money in the windmill was not a good idea. You think?
This book loosely reminds me of Trixie Belden #16, The Mystery of the Missing Heiress. That book has a character named Juliana who is supposed to receive an inheritance. The Trixie Belden book has a Dutch connection as well.
The text was not revised for the editions published by Garden City and Books, Inc.
I enjoyed the first part of the book, but I found the second half to be partially boring.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Nancy Drew Notebooks Series Checklist of Titles
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 6,300 times.
The Nancy Drew Notebooks series was published in paperback from 1994 through 2005. The series consists of 69 volumes, and the final volume was published in December 2005. The series was originally published under the Minstrel imprint and later changed to the Aladdin imprint. The higher-numbered volumes are harder to find since they went through fewer printings.
This series is a modern spin-off of the original Nancy Drew series. It features Nancy Drew and her friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, at the age of 8. This series is written for children from the ages of 5 to 8.
List of titles:
1. The Slumber Party Secret, 1994
2. The Lost Locket, 1994
3. The Secret Santa, 1994
4. Bad Day for Ballet, 1995
5. The Soccer Shoe Clue, 1995
6. The Ice Cream Scoop, 1995
7. Trouble at Camp Treehouse, 1995
8. The Best Detective, 1995
9. The Thanksgiving Surprise, 1995
10. Not Nice on Ice, 1996
11. The Pen Pal Puzzle, 1996
12. The Puppy Problem, 1996
13. The Wedding Gift Goof, 1996
14. The Funny Face Fight, 1996
15. The Crazy Key Clue, 1996
16. The Ski Slope Mystery, 1997
17. Whose Pet is Best?, 1997
18. The Stolen Unicorn, 1997
19. The Lemonade Raid, 1997
20. Hannah's Secret, 1997
21. Princess on Parade, 1997
22. The Clue in the Glue, 1998
23. Alien in the Classroom, 1998
24. The Hidden Treasures, 1998
25. Dare at the Fair, 1998
26. The Lucky Horseshoes, 1998
27. Trouble Takes the Cake, 1998
28. Thrill on the Hill, 1999
29. Lights! Camera! Clues!, 1999
30. It's No Joke!, 1999
31. Fine Feathered Mystery, 1999
32. Black Velvet Mystery, 1999
33. The Gumdrop Ghost, 1999
34. Trash or Treasure?, 2000
35. Third Grade Reporter, 2000
36. Make Believe Mystery, 2000
37. Dude Ranch Detective, 2000
38. Candy is Dandy, 2000
39. Chinese New Year Mystery, 2000
40. Dinosaur Alert!, 2001
41. Flower Power, 2001
42. Circus Act, 2001
43. The Walkie-Talkie Mystery, 2001
44. The Purple Fingerprint, 2001
45. The Dashing Dog Mystery, 2001
46. The Snow Queen's Surprise, 2002
47. The Crook Who Took the Book, 2002
48. The Crazy Carnival Case, 2002
49. The Sand Castle Mystery, 2002
50. The Scarytales Sleepover, 2002
51. The Old-Fashioned Mystery, 2002
52. Big Worry in Wonderland, 2003
53. Recipe for Trouble, 2003
54. The Stinky Cheese Surprise, 2003
55. The Day Camp Disaster, 2003
56. Turkey Trouble, 2003
57. The Carousel Mystery, 2003
58. The Dollhouse Mystery, 2004
59. The Bike Race Mystery, 2004
60. The Lighthouse Mystery, 2004
61. Space Case, 2004
62. The Secret in the Spooky Woods, 2004
63. The Snowman Surprise, 2004
64. The Bunny-Hop Hoax, 2005
65. Strike-Out Scare, 2005
66. Zoo Clue, 2005
67. The Singing Suspects, 2005
68. The Apple Bandit, 2005
69. The Kitten Caper, 2005
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 6,300 times.
The Nancy Drew Notebooks series was published in paperback from 1994 through 2005. The series consists of 69 volumes, and the final volume was published in December 2005. The series was originally published under the Minstrel imprint and later changed to the Aladdin imprint. The higher-numbered volumes are harder to find since they went through fewer printings.
This series is a modern spin-off of the original Nancy Drew series. It features Nancy Drew and her friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, at the age of 8. This series is written for children from the ages of 5 to 8.
List of titles:
1. The Slumber Party Secret, 1994
2. The Lost Locket, 1994
3. The Secret Santa, 1994
4. Bad Day for Ballet, 1995
5. The Soccer Shoe Clue, 1995
6. The Ice Cream Scoop, 1995
7. Trouble at Camp Treehouse, 1995
8. The Best Detective, 1995
9. The Thanksgiving Surprise, 1995
10. Not Nice on Ice, 1996
11. The Pen Pal Puzzle, 1996
12. The Puppy Problem, 1996
13. The Wedding Gift Goof, 1996
14. The Funny Face Fight, 1996
15. The Crazy Key Clue, 1996
16. The Ski Slope Mystery, 1997
17. Whose Pet is Best?, 1997
18. The Stolen Unicorn, 1997
19. The Lemonade Raid, 1997
20. Hannah's Secret, 1997
21. Princess on Parade, 1997
22. The Clue in the Glue, 1998
23. Alien in the Classroom, 1998
24. The Hidden Treasures, 1998
25. Dare at the Fair, 1998
26. The Lucky Horseshoes, 1998
27. Trouble Takes the Cake, 1998
28. Thrill on the Hill, 1999
29. Lights! Camera! Clues!, 1999
30. It's No Joke!, 1999
31. Fine Feathered Mystery, 1999
32. Black Velvet Mystery, 1999
33. The Gumdrop Ghost, 1999
34. Trash or Treasure?, 2000
35. Third Grade Reporter, 2000
36. Make Believe Mystery, 2000
37. Dude Ranch Detective, 2000
38. Candy is Dandy, 2000
39. Chinese New Year Mystery, 2000
40. Dinosaur Alert!, 2001
41. Flower Power, 2001
42. Circus Act, 2001
43. The Walkie-Talkie Mystery, 2001
44. The Purple Fingerprint, 2001
45. The Dashing Dog Mystery, 2001
46. The Snow Queen's Surprise, 2002
47. The Crook Who Took the Book, 2002
48. The Crazy Carnival Case, 2002
49. The Sand Castle Mystery, 2002
50. The Scarytales Sleepover, 2002
51. The Old-Fashioned Mystery, 2002
52. Big Worry in Wonderland, 2003
53. Recipe for Trouble, 2003
54. The Stinky Cheese Surprise, 2003
55. The Day Camp Disaster, 2003
56. Turkey Trouble, 2003
57. The Carousel Mystery, 2003
58. The Dollhouse Mystery, 2004
59. The Bike Race Mystery, 2004
60. The Lighthouse Mystery, 2004
61. Space Case, 2004
62. The Secret in the Spooky Woods, 2004
63. The Snowman Surprise, 2004
64. The Bunny-Hop Hoax, 2005
65. Strike-Out Scare, 2005
66. Zoo Clue, 2005
67. The Singing Suspects, 2005
68. The Apple Bandit, 2005
69. The Kitten Caper, 2005
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
The Blythe Girls Series 1925-1932 by Laura Lee Hope
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 6,100 times.
The Blythe Girls series was published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1925
through 1932. Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward wrote the series under the
pseudonym of Laura Lee Hope. Ward also wrote volumes 7 through 23 of
the Outdoor Girls series.
Summary
This series is much darker than most vintage series books. The Blythe Girls are three sisters who live alone in New York City. Money is a primary concern, and the Blythe sisters struggle for quite some time before Margy and Rose obtain jobs and before Helen gains nominal success with her art. The reader comes to expect trouble, strife, and disaster to confront the Blythe girls at every turn. Shortly after the beginning of each book, something terrible happens to either one or more of the sisters or to one of their close acquaintances. Rose faces the loss of her job several times. Helen loses her paintings by destruction or theft more than once. On one especially disastrous day, a plane crashes into the Blythes' apartment, destroying most of their furniture and forcing them to temporarily live elsewhere.
The series also has a recurring villain, Rex Pepper. Rex is the spoiled nephew of Margy's employer, the eccentric Miss Dorcas Pepper. At first, Rex's main vices appear to be his selfishness and arrogance, but in time, it becomes apparent that Rex is a criminal with no compunction. Rex tries repeatedly to steal Miss Pepper's fortune, at one point even trying to have Miss Pepper committed to an insane asylum. Rex often shows up in the most unexpected places and is always involved in an underhanded scheme.
List of Titles
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
Value
Most of the books in this series are of nominal value provided that the book is missing its dust jacket. The books are worth significantly more with nice, intact dust jackets. The books that have intact dust jackets are generally worth $25 to $50, but keep in mind that the values are always changing based on supply and demand. Sometimes a nice example with a dust jacket will sell for a very low price due to lack of interest. The first four books in the series were reprinted by Whitman, and the Whitman reprints have nominal value either with or without the dust jacket.
As with other out of print series books, the last titles in this series are much more scarce and consistently sell for higher prices. However, this series breaks one of the rules for pricing which is usually true for series books. In most series, the final volume is worth the most because it went through the least number of printings. Volume 12 in the Blythe Girls series is easier to find than volumes 10 and 11. It is my belief that volumes 10 through 12 each went through only one printing, but the print run for each of volumes 10 and 11 was much smaller than the print run for volume 12. Volumes 10 and 11 rarely come up for sale while volume 12 usually comes up for sale several times per year. Volumes 10 and 11 are scarce for examples lacking a dust jacket and are extremely rare for examples with a dust jacket. Volumes 10 and 11 are easily worth $200 and up with nice, intact dust jackets. Volumes 10 and 11 are worth around $15 to $25 without dust jackets.
First Printings
The copyright page is the last place to look when trying to determine whether a Blythe Girls book is the first printing. The copyright pages were never updated by Grosset and Dunlap, so all of the copyright pages have a list of titles that makes it appear that the book is a first printing.
If the book does not have a dust jacket, look in the back of the book after the end of the story to see if there is a list of Blythe Girls titles. If the book has a dust jacket, look on the front flap and/or back panel for a list of Blythe Girls titles. The last title listed determines the year of printing. For instance, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to Margy's Secret Mission, then the book was printed in 1926, which is the year of publication for Margy's Secret Mission. Or, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to Helen's Wonderful Mistake, then the book was printed in 1932, which is the year of publication for Helen's Wonderful Mistake.
For more information about this series, please visit my eBay series book website.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 6,100 times.
Summary
This series is much darker than most vintage series books. The Blythe Girls are three sisters who live alone in New York City. Money is a primary concern, and the Blythe sisters struggle for quite some time before Margy and Rose obtain jobs and before Helen gains nominal success with her art. The reader comes to expect trouble, strife, and disaster to confront the Blythe girls at every turn. Shortly after the beginning of each book, something terrible happens to either one or more of the sisters or to one of their close acquaintances. Rose faces the loss of her job several times. Helen loses her paintings by destruction or theft more than once. On one especially disastrous day, a plane crashes into the Blythes' apartment, destroying most of their furniture and forcing them to temporarily live elsewhere.
The series also has a recurring villain, Rex Pepper. Rex is the spoiled nephew of Margy's employer, the eccentric Miss Dorcas Pepper. At first, Rex's main vices appear to be his selfishness and arrogance, but in time, it becomes apparent that Rex is a criminal with no compunction. Rex tries repeatedly to steal Miss Pepper's fortune, at one point even trying to have Miss Pepper committed to an insane asylum. Rex often shows up in the most unexpected places and is always involved in an underhanded scheme.
List of Titles
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
Value
Most of the books in this series are of nominal value provided that the book is missing its dust jacket. The books are worth significantly more with nice, intact dust jackets. The books that have intact dust jackets are generally worth $25 to $50, but keep in mind that the values are always changing based on supply and demand. Sometimes a nice example with a dust jacket will sell for a very low price due to lack of interest. The first four books in the series were reprinted by Whitman, and the Whitman reprints have nominal value either with or without the dust jacket.
As with other out of print series books, the last titles in this series are much more scarce and consistently sell for higher prices. However, this series breaks one of the rules for pricing which is usually true for series books. In most series, the final volume is worth the most because it went through the least number of printings. Volume 12 in the Blythe Girls series is easier to find than volumes 10 and 11. It is my belief that volumes 10 through 12 each went through only one printing, but the print run for each of volumes 10 and 11 was much smaller than the print run for volume 12. Volumes 10 and 11 rarely come up for sale while volume 12 usually comes up for sale several times per year. Volumes 10 and 11 are scarce for examples lacking a dust jacket and are extremely rare for examples with a dust jacket. Volumes 10 and 11 are easily worth $200 and up with nice, intact dust jackets. Volumes 10 and 11 are worth around $15 to $25 without dust jackets.
First Printings
The copyright page is the last place to look when trying to determine whether a Blythe Girls book is the first printing. The copyright pages were never updated by Grosset and Dunlap, so all of the copyright pages have a list of titles that makes it appear that the book is a first printing.
If the book does not have a dust jacket, look in the back of the book after the end of the story to see if there is a list of Blythe Girls titles. If the book has a dust jacket, look on the front flap and/or back panel for a list of Blythe Girls titles. The last title listed determines the year of printing. For instance, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to Margy's Secret Mission, then the book was printed in 1926, which is the year of publication for Margy's Secret Mission. Or, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to Helen's Wonderful Mistake, then the book was printed in 1932, which is the year of publication for Helen's Wonderful Mistake.
For more information about this series, please visit my eBay series book website.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Kay Tracey #6 The Green Cameo Mystery
This is a book that delivers on many levels.
On page 10, a bloody cross is drawn on Kay's forehead. Later in the story, a plate glass window is broken, and the glass cuts Kay's forehead in the shape of a cross, right where the bloody cross was drawn.
Kay is drugged by incense and has a crazy dream.
Ethel is really out to get Kay in this book. She places drugged chocolates in Kay's drink, but fortunately, Kay's drink spills. Later in the story, Ethel and Pete saw through the back of a chair that is being used in the school's play. Pete plans to hurl Kay into the chair so that Kay will be injured.
Kay playfully puts her money in a drawer of the mahogany desk at the auction, then she apparently leaves it accidentally. This is very stupid.
On page 147, Kay sees money on Mr. Wong's rug. She picks it up and puts it in her pocket, planning to give it to Mr. Wong later. Kay had no business doing that. How about just putting it on Wong's desk? Of course, it turns out to be important that Kay keeps the money, but it is totally illogical. I wouldn't pick up and keep money found inside someone else's house.
Kay is held captive on a boat that is one-half mile from shore. Kay estimates that she can swim that distance in 25 minutes, so she jumps off the boat and swims to shore. What an amazing young woman.
Kay is given the Green Cameo at the end of the story, and she keeps it. Yes indeed, Kay keeps an object that is said to be cursed. Yikes. Perhaps we can blame Kay's troubles during the rest of the series on the Cameo Curse.
I did not read the revised text, but the revised text is a rewritten and condensed version of the story.
The book has a plot twist that makes it very good. This is an excellent story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Girls Aviation Series Books - Titles and Authors
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 6,200 times.
The purpose of this guide is to list the many different vintage
girls series books that feature aviation as the main theme of the
story. This guide lists complete series that revolve around flight as
well as some individual titles that focus on aviation. Two series that
feature flight attendants as the main character are also listed here.
There are also many different boys series books that feature aviation, and at a later time these books may be listed in a separate guide. I am quite certain that I do not have every single girls aviation series listed here at this time, and as I learn of additional series, I will add them to this list.
Airplane Girl by Harrison Bardwell
1. Roberta's Flying Courage, 1930
2. The Lurtiss Field Mystery, 1930
3. The Airplane Girl and the Mystery of Seal Island, 1930
4. The Airplane Girl and the Mystery Ship, 1930
Beth Dean, Airline Hostess by Margaret Hill
1. Goal in the Sky, 1953
2. Hostess in the Sky, 1955
3. Senior Hostess, 1958
Carol Rogers by Patricia O'Malley
1. Wings for Carol, 1941
2. Wider Wings, 1941
3. War Wings for Carol, 1943
4. Airline Girl, 1944
5. Winging Her Way, 1946
Courageous Wings (stand-alone volume), by Mildred A. Wirt, 1937
Dorothy Dixon by Dorothy Wayne
1. Dorothy Dixon Wins Her Wings, 1933
2. Dorothy Dixon and the Mystery Plane, 1933
3. Dorothy Dixon Solves the Conway Case, 1933
4. Dorothy Dixon and the Double Cousin, 1933
Girl Aviator by Margaret Burnham
1. The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship, 1911
2. The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings, 1911
3. The Girl Aviators' Sky Cruise, 1911
4. The Girl Aviators' Motor Butterfly, 1912
Linda Carlton by Edith Lavell
1. Linda Carlton, Air Pilot, 1931
2. Linda Carlton's Ocean Flight, 1931
3. Linda Carlton's Island Adventure, 1931
4. Linda Carlton's Perilous Summer, 1932
5. Linda Carlton's Hollywood Flight, 1933
Nancy Naylor by Elizabeth Lansing
1. Nancy Naylor, Air Pilot, 1941
2. Nancy Naylor Flies South, 1943
3. Nancy Naylor Flight Nurse, 1944
4. Nancy Naylor, Captain of Flight Nurses, 1946
5. Nancy Naylor, Visiting Nurse, 1947
Outdoor Girls
22. The Outdoor Girls in the Air, 1932
Ruth Darrow Flying Stories by Mildred A. Wirt
1. Ruth Darrow in the Air Derby, 1930
2. Ruth Darrow in the Fire Patrol, 1930
3. Ruth Darrow in Yucatan, 1931
4. Ruth Darrow and the Coast Guard, 1931
Shirley Flight Series by Judith Dale and Trudi Arlen
1. Air Hostess
2. The Diamond Smugglers
3. Desert Adventure
4. In Hollywood
5. The Flying Doctor
6. The Great Bullion Mystery
7. Congo Rescue
8. The Rajah's Daughter
9. Hawaiian Mystery, 1960
10. In Spain, 1960
11. Pacific Castaways, 1960
12. Fjord Adventure, 1960
13. Flying Jet, 1961
14. Storm Warning, 1961
15. Chinese Puzzle, 1961
16. Canadian Capers, 1961
Sky Racers (stand-alone volume) by Mildred A. Wirt, 1935
Vicki Barr Flight Stewardess by Helen Wells and Julie Tatham
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
For more information about the Vicki Barr Flight Stewardess and the Shirley Flight Air Hostess series, please visit my website.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 6,200 times.
There are also many different boys series books that feature aviation, and at a later time these books may be listed in a separate guide. I am quite certain that I do not have every single girls aviation series listed here at this time, and as I learn of additional series, I will add them to this list.
Airplane Girl by Harrison Bardwell
1. Roberta's Flying Courage, 1930
2. The Lurtiss Field Mystery, 1930
3. The Airplane Girl and the Mystery of Seal Island, 1930
4. The Airplane Girl and the Mystery Ship, 1930
Beth Dean, Airline Hostess by Margaret Hill
1. Goal in the Sky, 1953
2. Hostess in the Sky, 1955
3. Senior Hostess, 1958
Carol Rogers by Patricia O'Malley
1. Wings for Carol, 1941
2. Wider Wings, 1941
3. War Wings for Carol, 1943
4. Airline Girl, 1944
5. Winging Her Way, 1946
Courageous Wings (stand-alone volume), by Mildred A. Wirt, 1937
Dorothy Dixon by Dorothy Wayne
1. Dorothy Dixon Wins Her Wings, 1933
2. Dorothy Dixon and the Mystery Plane, 1933
3. Dorothy Dixon Solves the Conway Case, 1933
4. Dorothy Dixon and the Double Cousin, 1933
Girl Aviator by Margaret Burnham
1. The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship, 1911
2. The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings, 1911
3. The Girl Aviators' Sky Cruise, 1911
4. The Girl Aviators' Motor Butterfly, 1912
Linda Carlton by Edith Lavell
1. Linda Carlton, Air Pilot, 1931
2. Linda Carlton's Ocean Flight, 1931
3. Linda Carlton's Island Adventure, 1931
4. Linda Carlton's Perilous Summer, 1932
5. Linda Carlton's Hollywood Flight, 1933
Nancy Naylor by Elizabeth Lansing
1. Nancy Naylor, Air Pilot, 1941
2. Nancy Naylor Flies South, 1943
3. Nancy Naylor Flight Nurse, 1944
4. Nancy Naylor, Captain of Flight Nurses, 1946
5. Nancy Naylor, Visiting Nurse, 1947
Outdoor Girls
22. The Outdoor Girls in the Air, 1932
Ruth Darrow Flying Stories by Mildred A. Wirt
1. Ruth Darrow in the Air Derby, 1930
2. Ruth Darrow in the Fire Patrol, 1930
3. Ruth Darrow in Yucatan, 1931
4. Ruth Darrow and the Coast Guard, 1931
Shirley Flight Series by Judith Dale and Trudi Arlen
1. Air Hostess
2. The Diamond Smugglers
3. Desert Adventure
4. In Hollywood
5. The Flying Doctor
6. The Great Bullion Mystery
7. Congo Rescue
8. The Rajah's Daughter
9. Hawaiian Mystery, 1960
10. In Spain, 1960
11. Pacific Castaways, 1960
12. Fjord Adventure, 1960
13. Flying Jet, 1961
14. Storm Warning, 1961
15. Chinese Puzzle, 1961
16. Canadian Capers, 1961
Sky Racers (stand-alone volume) by Mildred A. Wirt, 1935
Vicki Barr Flight Stewardess by Helen Wells and Julie Tatham
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
For more information about the Vicki Barr Flight Stewardess and the Shirley Flight Air Hostess series, please visit my website.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
The Black Stallion Series by Walter Farley 1941 to 1989
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 7,400 times.
From 1941 through 1989, Walter Farley wrote a very successful series of books about the Black Stallion. The books were originally released in hardcover with dust jacket and were later reprinted in both library bindings and in paperback.
Books by Walter Farley:
The Black Stallion, 1941
The Black Stallion Returns, 1945
Son of the Black Stallion, 1947
The Island Stallion, 1948
The Black Stallion and Satan, 1949
The Black Stallion's Blood Bay Colt, 1951
The Island Stallion's Fury, 1951
The Black Stallion's Filly, 1952
The Black Stallion Revolts, 1953
The Black Stallion's Sulky Colt, 1954
The Island Stallion Races, 1955
The Black Stallion's Courage, 1956
The Black Stallion Mystery, 1957
The Horse-Tamer, 1958
The Black Stallion and Flame, 1960
Man O'War, 1962
The Black Stallion Challenged!, 1964
The Black Stallion's Ghost, 1969
The Black Stallion and the Girl, 1971
The Black Stallion Legend, 1983
Young Black Stallion, 1989 (with Steven Farley)
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 7,400 times.
From 1941 through 1989, Walter Farley wrote a very successful series of books about the Black Stallion. The books were originally released in hardcover with dust jacket and were later reprinted in both library bindings and in paperback.
Books by Walter Farley:
The Black Stallion, 1941
The Black Stallion Returns, 1945
Son of the Black Stallion, 1947
The Island Stallion, 1948
The Black Stallion and Satan, 1949
The Black Stallion's Blood Bay Colt, 1951
The Island Stallion's Fury, 1951
The Black Stallion's Filly, 1952
The Black Stallion Revolts, 1953
The Black Stallion's Sulky Colt, 1954
The Island Stallion Races, 1955
The Black Stallion's Courage, 1956
The Black Stallion Mystery, 1957
The Horse-Tamer, 1958
The Black Stallion and Flame, 1960
Man O'War, 1962
The Black Stallion Challenged!, 1964
The Black Stallion's Ghost, 1969
The Black Stallion and the Girl, 1971
The Black Stallion Legend, 1983
Young Black Stallion, 1989 (with Steven Farley)
Saturday, April 21, 2018
The Happy Hollisters 1953 to 1970 by Jerry West
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 10,000 times.
The Happy Hollisters is a series of books that is aimed at younger children. The series was published by Garden City and Doubleday from 1953 to 1970. The series was written by Andrew E. Svenson under the pseudonym of Jerry West.
List of Titles:
1. The Happy Hollisters
2. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip
3. The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach
4. The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure
5. The Happy Hollisters at Mystery Mountain
6. The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake camp
7. The Happy Hollisters and the Trading Post Mystery
8. The Happy Hollisters at Circus Island
9. The Happy Hollisters and the Secret Fort
10. The Happy Hollisters at Pony Hill Farm
11. The Happy Hollisters and the Merry-Go-Round Mystery
12. The Happy Hollisters and the Old Clipper Ship
13. The Happy Hollisters at Lizard Cove
14. The Happy Hollisters and the Scarecrow Mystery
15. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Totem Faces
16. The Happy Hollisters and the Ice Carnival Mystery
17. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery in Skyscraper City
18. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Little Mermaid
19. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery at Missile Town
20. The Happy Hollisters and the Cowboy Mystery
21. The Happy Hollisters and the Haunted House Mystery
22. The Happy Hollisters and the Secret of the Lucky Coins
23. The Happy Hollisters and the Castle Rock Mystery
24. The Happy Hollisters and the Cuckoo Clock Mystery
25. The Happy Hollisters and the Swiss Echo Mystery
26. The Happy Hollisters and the Sea Turtle Mystery
27. The Happy Hollisters and the Punch and Judy Mystery
28. The Happy Hollisters and the Whistle Pig Mystery
29. The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery
30. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Golden Witch
31. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Mexican Idol
32. The Happy Hollisters and the Monster Mystery
33. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Midnight Trolls
Availability
The books in this series are generally easy to find at a low cost. The higher-numbered titles are somewhat more scarce. The final volume, The Mystery of the Midnight Trolls, is much more scarce than the earlier titles.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 10,000 times.
The Happy Hollisters is a series of books that is aimed at younger children. The series was published by Garden City and Doubleday from 1953 to 1970. The series was written by Andrew E. Svenson under the pseudonym of Jerry West.
List of Titles:
1. The Happy Hollisters
2. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip
3. The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach
4. The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure
5. The Happy Hollisters at Mystery Mountain
6. The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake camp
7. The Happy Hollisters and the Trading Post Mystery
8. The Happy Hollisters at Circus Island
9. The Happy Hollisters and the Secret Fort
10. The Happy Hollisters at Pony Hill Farm
11. The Happy Hollisters and the Merry-Go-Round Mystery
12. The Happy Hollisters and the Old Clipper Ship
13. The Happy Hollisters at Lizard Cove
14. The Happy Hollisters and the Scarecrow Mystery
15. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Totem Faces
16. The Happy Hollisters and the Ice Carnival Mystery
17. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery in Skyscraper City
18. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Little Mermaid
19. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery at Missile Town
20. The Happy Hollisters and the Cowboy Mystery
21. The Happy Hollisters and the Haunted House Mystery
22. The Happy Hollisters and the Secret of the Lucky Coins
23. The Happy Hollisters and the Castle Rock Mystery
24. The Happy Hollisters and the Cuckoo Clock Mystery
25. The Happy Hollisters and the Swiss Echo Mystery
26. The Happy Hollisters and the Sea Turtle Mystery
27. The Happy Hollisters and the Punch and Judy Mystery
28. The Happy Hollisters and the Whistle Pig Mystery
29. The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery
30. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Golden Witch
31. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Mexican Idol
32. The Happy Hollisters and the Monster Mystery
33. The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Midnight Trolls
Availability
The books in this series are generally easy to find at a low cost. The higher-numbered titles are somewhat more scarce. The final volume, The Mystery of the Midnight Trolls, is much more scarce than the earlier titles.
Friday, April 20, 2018
Kay Tracey #5 The Six Fingered Glove Mystery
Kay and her friends plan to spend Thanksgiving in the country with Kay's Aunt Jane. Kay invites Miss Ball and her fiance to join them. While at Aunt Jane's Kay learns that the owner of the six-fingered glove might be nearby. Kay also stumbles upon railroad thieves and an abandoned movie set.
The story appears not to have been revised at all for the later Garden City and Books, Inc. editions. Comparing both editions on various random pages shows the exact same text.
Speaking of which, the title of this book bothers me so much. I wish the title had been The Six-Fingered Glove Mystery, with a hyphen. Argh!
This story is quite convoluted and strange. One scene made me cringe. The girls have just discovered that a ring belonging to the man with six fingers has disappeared. Meanwhile, Clarence Minton is proposing marriage to Beatrice Ball in the living room. Betty rushes in and cries out, "The ring has been stolen!" Miss Ball misunderstands and faints, ruining the proposal of marriage. Ugh.
Despite the bizarreness of the story, the book is good, and I enjoyed it.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Girls of Canby Hall Series by Emily Chase 1984 to 1989
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 7,300 times.
The Girls of Canby Hall series by Emily Chase was published by Scholastic from 1984 through 1989. The series was a rival of the Sweet Valley High series, but did not have the staying power of the Sweet Valley High series.
The series features a group of roommates at Canby Hall and has the usual mixture of friendship problems and romance of the teenage fiction genre.
List of Titles:
1. Roommates, 1984
2. Our Roommate is Missing, 1984
3. You're No Friend of Mine, 1984
4. Keeping Secrets, 1984
5. Summer Blues, 1984
6. Best Friends Forever, 1984
7. Four Is a Crowd, 1984
8. The Big Crush, 1984
9. Boy Trouble, 1984
10. Make Me a Star, 1985
11. With Friends Like That, 1985
12. Who's the New Girl?, 1985
13. Here Come the Boys, 1985
14. What's a Girl To Do?, 1985
15. To Tell the Truth, 1985
16. Three of a Kind, 1985
17. Graduation Day, 1986
18. Making Friends, 1986
19. One Boy Too Many, 1986
20. Friends Times Three, 1987
21. Party Time!, 1987
22. Troublemaker, 1987
23. But She's So Cute, 1987
24. Princess Who?, 1987
25. The Ghost of Canby Hall, 1987
26. Help Wanted!, 1988
27. The Roommate and the Cowboy, 1988
28. Happy Birthday, Jane, 1988
29. A Roommate Returns, 1988
30. Surprise!, 1988
31. Here Comes the Bridesmaid, 1988
32. Who's Got a Crush on Andy?, 1989
33. Six Roommates and a Baby, 1989
Canby Hall Super Editions:
Something Old, Something New, 1986
The Almost Summer Carnival, 1987
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 7,300 times.
The Girls of Canby Hall series by Emily Chase was published by Scholastic from 1984 through 1989. The series was a rival of the Sweet Valley High series, but did not have the staying power of the Sweet Valley High series.
The series features a group of roommates at Canby Hall and has the usual mixture of friendship problems and romance of the teenage fiction genre.
List of Titles:
1. Roommates, 1984
2. Our Roommate is Missing, 1984
3. You're No Friend of Mine, 1984
4. Keeping Secrets, 1984
5. Summer Blues, 1984
6. Best Friends Forever, 1984
7. Four Is a Crowd, 1984
8. The Big Crush, 1984
9. Boy Trouble, 1984
10. Make Me a Star, 1985
11. With Friends Like That, 1985
12. Who's the New Girl?, 1985
13. Here Come the Boys, 1985
14. What's a Girl To Do?, 1985
15. To Tell the Truth, 1985
16. Three of a Kind, 1985
17. Graduation Day, 1986
18. Making Friends, 1986
19. One Boy Too Many, 1986
20. Friends Times Three, 1987
21. Party Time!, 1987
22. Troublemaker, 1987
23. But She's So Cute, 1987
24. Princess Who?, 1987
25. The Ghost of Canby Hall, 1987
26. Help Wanted!, 1988
27. The Roommate and the Cowboy, 1988
28. Happy Birthday, Jane, 1988
29. A Roommate Returns, 1988
30. Surprise!, 1988
31. Here Comes the Bridesmaid, 1988
32. Who's Got a Crush on Andy?, 1989
33. Six Roommates and a Baby, 1989
Canby Hall Super Editions:
Something Old, Something New, 1986
The Almost Summer Carnival, 1987
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Campfire Girls Series Books: List of Titles and Authors
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 9,700 times.
The purpose of this guide is to list the many different vintage series books that feature a group of Campfire Girls as the main characters. This list is likely not complete, but it should cover a majority of the different series that are available.
Banner Campfire Girls by Julianne Devries
1. Campfire Girls as Detectives, 1933
2. Campfire Girls at Holly House, 1933
3. Campfire Girls Flying Around the Globe, 1933
4. Campfire Girls on Caliban Island, 1933
5. Campfire Girls as Federal Investigators, 1935
6. Campfire Girls at the White House, 1935
Campfire Girls by Irene Elliott Benson
1. Campfire Girls Mountaineering, 1918
(also published as Campfire Girls in the Alleghany Mountains, 1918)
2. Campfire Girls' Rural Retreat, 1918
(also published as Campfire Girls in the Country, 1918)
3. Campfire Girls Trip up the River, 1918
(also published as How Ethel Hollister Became a Campfire Girl, 1912)
4. Campfire Girls Outing, 1918
(also published as Ethel Hollister's Second Summer as a Campfire Girl, 1913)
5. Campfire Girls on a Hike, 1918
6. Campfire Girls at Twin Lakes, 1918
7. Campfire Girls in the Forest, 1918
8. Campfire Girls' Lake Camp, 1918
Camp Fire Girls Stories by Amy E. Blanchard
1. The Camp Fire Girls of Brightwood, 1915
2. Fagots and Flames, 1916
3. In Camp with the Muskoday Camp Fire Girls, 1917
Camp Fire Girls Series by Hildegarde Frey
1. The Camp Fire Girls in the Maine Woods, 1916
2. The Camp Fire Girls at School, 1916
3. The Camp Fire Girls at Onoway House, 1916
4. The Camp Fire Girls Go Motoring, 1916
5. The Camp Fire Girls' Larks and Pranks, 1918
6. The Camp Fire Girls on Ellen's Isle, 1918
7. The Camp Fire Girls on the Open Road, 1918
8. The Camp Fire Girls Do Their Bit, 1919
9. The Camp Fire Girls Solve a Mystery, 1919
10. The Camp Fire Girls at Camp Keewaydin, 1920
Campfire Girls by Isabel Hornibrook
1. Girls of the Morning Glory Camp Fire, 1916
2. Campfire Girls and Mt. Greylock, 1917
3. Campfire Girls in War and Peace, 1919
Campfire Girls Series by Margaret Penrose
These books are retitled reprints of the Radio Girls Series.
1. The Campfire Girls of Roselawn, 1930
2. The Campfire Girls on the Program, 1930
3. The Campfire Girls on Station Island, 1930
4. The Campfire Girls at Forest Lodge, 1930
Campfire Girls by Harriet Rietz (#1-2) and Samuel Edward Lowe (#3-7)
1. The Campfire Girls and Aunt Madge, 1919
2. The Campfire Girls' Week End Party
3. The Campfire Girls' Success
4. The Campfire Girls in High School
5. The Campfire Girls' Duty Call
6. The Campfire Girls at Work, 1920
7. The Campfire Girls' Red Cross Work
Camp Fire Girls by Margaret Love
1. The Camp Fire Girls at Hillside, 1913
2. The Camp Fire Girls at Pine-Tree Camp, 1914
3. The Camp Fire Girls at Top O' World, 1916
4. The Camp Fire at Lookout Pass, 1917
5. The Camp Fire Girls at Driftwood, 1918
6. The Camp Fire Girls in Old Kentucky, 1919
7. The Camp Fire Girls on a Yacht, 1920
8. The Camp Fire Girls on Hurricane Island, 1921
Camp Fire Girls Series by Jane L. Stewart
1. The Camp Fire Girls in the Woods, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's First Council Fire)
2. The Camp Fire Girls on the Farm, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's Chum)
3. The Camp Fire Girls at Long Lake, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl in Summer Camp)
4. The Camp Fire Girls in the Mountains, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's Adventure)
5. The Camp Fire Girls on the March, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's Test of Friendship)
6. The Camp Fire Girls at the Seashore, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's Happiness)
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 9,700 times.
The purpose of this guide is to list the many different vintage series books that feature a group of Campfire Girls as the main characters. This list is likely not complete, but it should cover a majority of the different series that are available.
Banner Campfire Girls by Julianne Devries
1. Campfire Girls as Detectives, 1933
2. Campfire Girls at Holly House, 1933
3. Campfire Girls Flying Around the Globe, 1933
4. Campfire Girls on Caliban Island, 1933
5. Campfire Girls as Federal Investigators, 1935
6. Campfire Girls at the White House, 1935
Campfire Girls by Irene Elliott Benson
1. Campfire Girls Mountaineering, 1918
(also published as Campfire Girls in the Alleghany Mountains, 1918)
2. Campfire Girls' Rural Retreat, 1918
(also published as Campfire Girls in the Country, 1918)
3. Campfire Girls Trip up the River, 1918
(also published as How Ethel Hollister Became a Campfire Girl, 1912)
4. Campfire Girls Outing, 1918
(also published as Ethel Hollister's Second Summer as a Campfire Girl, 1913)
5. Campfire Girls on a Hike, 1918
6. Campfire Girls at Twin Lakes, 1918
7. Campfire Girls in the Forest, 1918
8. Campfire Girls' Lake Camp, 1918
Camp Fire Girls Stories by Amy E. Blanchard
1. The Camp Fire Girls of Brightwood, 1915
2. Fagots and Flames, 1916
3. In Camp with the Muskoday Camp Fire Girls, 1917
Camp Fire Girls Series by Hildegarde Frey
1. The Camp Fire Girls in the Maine Woods, 1916
2. The Camp Fire Girls at School, 1916
3. The Camp Fire Girls at Onoway House, 1916
4. The Camp Fire Girls Go Motoring, 1916
5. The Camp Fire Girls' Larks and Pranks, 1918
6. The Camp Fire Girls on Ellen's Isle, 1918
7. The Camp Fire Girls on the Open Road, 1918
8. The Camp Fire Girls Do Their Bit, 1919
9. The Camp Fire Girls Solve a Mystery, 1919
10. The Camp Fire Girls at Camp Keewaydin, 1920
Campfire Girls by Isabel Hornibrook
1. Girls of the Morning Glory Camp Fire, 1916
2. Campfire Girls and Mt. Greylock, 1917
3. Campfire Girls in War and Peace, 1919
Campfire Girls Series by Margaret Penrose
These books are retitled reprints of the Radio Girls Series.
1. The Campfire Girls of Roselawn, 1930
2. The Campfire Girls on the Program, 1930
3. The Campfire Girls on Station Island, 1930
4. The Campfire Girls at Forest Lodge, 1930
Campfire Girls by Harriet Rietz (#1-2) and Samuel Edward Lowe (#3-7)
1. The Campfire Girls and Aunt Madge, 1919
2. The Campfire Girls' Week End Party
3. The Campfire Girls' Success
4. The Campfire Girls in High School
5. The Campfire Girls' Duty Call
6. The Campfire Girls at Work, 1920
7. The Campfire Girls' Red Cross Work
Camp Fire Girls by Margaret Love
1. The Camp Fire Girls at Hillside, 1913
2. The Camp Fire Girls at Pine-Tree Camp, 1914
3. The Camp Fire Girls at Top O' World, 1916
4. The Camp Fire at Lookout Pass, 1917
5. The Camp Fire Girls at Driftwood, 1918
6. The Camp Fire Girls in Old Kentucky, 1919
7. The Camp Fire Girls on a Yacht, 1920
8. The Camp Fire Girls on Hurricane Island, 1921
Camp Fire Girls Series by Jane L. Stewart
1. The Camp Fire Girls in the Woods, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's First Council Fire)
2. The Camp Fire Girls on the Farm, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's Chum)
3. The Camp Fire Girls at Long Lake, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl in Summer Camp)
4. The Camp Fire Girls in the Mountains, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's Adventure)
5. The Camp Fire Girls on the March, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's Test of Friendship)
6. The Camp Fire Girls at the Seashore, 1914
(also published as A Campfire Girl's Happiness)
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Vintage Picture Books Featuring Cats and Kittens
I have always been attracted to books about cats and kittens, although I never actively collected them. In early June 2016, I saw an eBay listing for White Princess by Elva Dittman. The book was showing in one of my saved searches, which was for "Cupples and Leon." Cupples and Leon published the book in 1945. I thought the book was adorable, so I found a copy with a nicer dust jacket on AbeBooks and purchased it.
I wanted to find more books like it, but I was at a loss as to how to proceed. I tried some searches using "cat" and "kitten" but did not find anything. Rather, I did not find anything that appealed to me; I did not want books with cartoonish pictures. I forgot about trying to find more of these books for quite some time.
In late 2017, I decided to try again. I found The Antique Cat by Bianca Bradbury. It was published in 1945 and is about a scruffy alley cat who finds a home in an antique shop.
This next book is one that I purchased eight years ago in a thrift store. One Kitten Too Many by Bianca Bradbury and Marie C. Nichols was published in 1952.
Cats and More Cats by Diana Thorne and Connie Moran was published in 1945.
I then stumbled upon the books of Clare Turlay Newberry. Newberry specialized in drawing cats, and her books are currently available in reprints. I decided that I wanted vintage copies with dust jackets, which is not an easy task. Most old picture books lost their jackets soon after falling into the hands of young children.
In Drawing a Cat from 1940, Clare Turlay Newberry explains her technique.
Percy, Polly, and Pete was published in 1952.
Babette was published in 1937.
Mittens was published in 1936.
Smudge was published in 1948.
Ice Cream for Two was published in 1953.
April's Kittens was published in 1940. I opted for an FLB library edition, which has an illustration that appeals to me more than the dust jacket art of the original edition. I love library editions, so this book is perfect for me.
Pandora was published in 1944. The second photo seen below shows one of my favorite passages from the book. Cat owners are used to that kind of behavior.
The Kittens' ABC was published in 1946.
All of these books are delightful, and I love them.
Remember that you can click on any photo to see a larger version.
In late 2017, I decided to try again. I found The Antique Cat by Bianca Bradbury. It was published in 1945 and is about a scruffy alley cat who finds a home in an antique shop.
This next book is one that I purchased eight years ago in a thrift store. One Kitten Too Many by Bianca Bradbury and Marie C. Nichols was published in 1952.
Cats and More Cats by Diana Thorne and Connie Moran was published in 1945.
I then stumbled upon the books of Clare Turlay Newberry. Newberry specialized in drawing cats, and her books are currently available in reprints. I decided that I wanted vintage copies with dust jackets, which is not an easy task. Most old picture books lost their jackets soon after falling into the hands of young children.
In Drawing a Cat from 1940, Clare Turlay Newberry explains her technique.
Percy, Polly, and Pete was published in 1952.
Babette was published in 1937.
Mittens was published in 1936.
Smudge was published in 1948.
Ice Cream for Two was published in 1953.
April's Kittens was published in 1940. I opted for an FLB library edition, which has an illustration that appeals to me more than the dust jacket art of the original edition. I love library editions, so this book is perfect for me.
Pandora was published in 1944. The second photo seen below shows one of my favorite passages from the book. Cat owners are used to that kind of behavior.
The Kittens' ABC was published in 1946.
All of these books are delightful, and I love them.
Monday, April 16, 2018
Kay Tracey Series - Titles and Collecting Formats
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 5,900 times.
The Kay Tracey series was published by the Cupples and Leon Company during the 1930s and 1940s. From the 1950s through the early 1980s, the series was published by several different companies. The series was written by four different authors who all shared the pseudonym of Frances K. Judd. Most of the volumes, #3 through #12 as well as #14, were written by Mildred Wirt Benson. #1 and #2 were written by Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward; #13 was written by Edna M. Stratemeyer Squier; and #15 through #18 were written by Anna Perot Rose Wright.
List of Titles in the Kay Tracey Series:
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
Formats:
The printing history and format changes for the Kay Tracey series are rather odd and a bit difficult to explain. Here goes:
The books
printed from 1934 until the early 1940s are thick yellow books with good
quality paper and a glossy frontispiece illustration. The dust jackets
each had a question mark on the spine. At least volumes 1 through 16
were printed in the thick format. All 18 volumes were printed with the
question mark dust jacket. Later printings of the books with the
question mark dust jackets are less thick and have poor quality paper.
During the
mid-1940s, the dust jackets were changed to a solid color spine with a
spine symbol in the middle of the spine, indicating some part of the
mystery. Each volume had the dust jacket printed in one of three
colors: yellow, blue, or red. The dust jacket for each volume was
printed only with the spine color designated for that volume, either
yellow, blue, or red. There seems to be no pattern for which color was
selected for each volume; it appears to be random. These books all have
poor quality paper and plain frontispiece illustrations. This style of
dust jacket is more difficult to find than the question mark dust
jackets.
After Cupples and Leon stopped printing the series, The Mystery of the Swaying Curtains, The Shadow on the Door, and The Forbidden Tower each went out of print permanently.
During the
1950s, 15 of the books (all except the three mentioned directly above)
were reprinted by Garden City Books and Books, Inc. Both sets have the
same wraparound dust jackets. The Garden City books were printed first
and are shorter than the Books, Inc. books.
During the 1960s and 1970s, all 15 books were reprinted by Books, Inc. in a set of paperbacks and a set of picture covers that have the exact same cover art as the Garden City and Books, Inc. hardcover dust-jacketed sets. This means that four different sets of Kay Tracey books have the same cover art. The volume numbers were changed for these sets, so most of the volumes have different volume numbers than when printed by Cupples and Leon.
During the
1960s, 8 titles were reprinted by Berkley in paperback with new cover
art and with the volumes in yet another different order.
The volumes printed in this set are Sacred Feather, Mansion of Secrets, Six Fingered Glove, Mysterious Neighbors, Green Cameo, Double Disguise, Strange Echo, and Sand Dunes.
During the
late 1970s, a set of 6 books were reprinted with cover art that very
closely resembles the Garden City and Books, Inc. cover art, but is
actually new cover art redrawn to mimic the older cover art.
This set includes Mansion of Secrets, Six Fingered Glove, Double Disguise, Sunken Garden, Green Cameo, and Sand Dunes.
In 1980, a
set of 6 paperbacks were printed by Bantam, also with new cover art.
This set includes Double Disguise, Sunken Garden, Six Fingered Glove, Mansion of Secrets, Green Cameo, and Sand Dunes.
Texts:
For the most part, the texts remained unchanged when reprinted by each publisher. The only three books that actually have significantly revised texts are Red Scarf, Green Cameo, and Strange Echo. The Garden City and Books, Inc. texts of these three books are around 75% different from the original Cupples and Leon texts. The remaining 12 texts that were reprinted by other publishers are either identical or nearly identical to the Cupples and Leon texts. The only changes are a few stray words or passages, or possibly a character's name.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 5,900 times.
The Kay Tracey series was published by the Cupples and Leon Company during the 1930s and 1940s. From the 1950s through the early 1980s, the series was published by several different companies. The series was written by four different authors who all shared the pseudonym of Frances K. Judd. Most of the volumes, #3 through #12 as well as #14, were written by Mildred Wirt Benson. #1 and #2 were written by Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward; #13 was written by Edna M. Stratemeyer Squier; and #15 through #18 were written by Anna Perot Rose Wright.
List of Titles in the Kay Tracey Series:
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
Formats:
The printing history and format changes for the Kay Tracey series are rather odd and a bit difficult to explain. Here goes:
After Cupples and Leon stopped printing the series, The Mystery of the Swaying Curtains, The Shadow on the Door, and The Forbidden Tower each went out of print permanently.
During the 1960s and 1970s, all 15 books were reprinted by Books, Inc. in a set of paperbacks and a set of picture covers that have the exact same cover art as the Garden City and Books, Inc. hardcover dust-jacketed sets. This means that four different sets of Kay Tracey books have the same cover art. The volume numbers were changed for these sets, so most of the volumes have different volume numbers than when printed by Cupples and Leon.
The volumes printed in this set are Sacred Feather, Mansion of Secrets, Six Fingered Glove, Mysterious Neighbors, Green Cameo, Double Disguise, Strange Echo, and Sand Dunes.
This set includes Mansion of Secrets, Six Fingered Glove, Double Disguise, Sunken Garden, Green Cameo, and Sand Dunes.
This set includes Double Disguise, Sunken Garden, Six Fingered Glove, Mansion of Secrets, Green Cameo, and Sand Dunes.
Texts:
For the most part, the texts remained unchanged when reprinted by each publisher. The only three books that actually have significantly revised texts are Red Scarf, Green Cameo, and Strange Echo. The Garden City and Books, Inc. texts of these three books are around 75% different from the original Cupples and Leon texts. The remaining 12 texts that were reprinted by other publishers are either identical or nearly identical to the Cupples and Leon texts. The only changes are a few stray words or passages, or possibly a character's name.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
The Betty Gordon Series by Alice B. Emerson 1920-1932
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 4,700 times.
The Betty Gordon Series was published by Cupples and Leon from 1920 through 1932. The series was written by several different people under the pseudonym of Alice B. Emerson, a pseudonym that was also used for the Ruth Fielding series.
List of Titles
1. Betty Gordon at Bramble Farm, 1920
2. Betty Gordon in Washington, 1920
3. Betty Gordon in the Land of Oil, 1920
4. Betty Gordon at Boarding School, 1921
5. Betty Gordon at Mountain Camp, 1922
6. Betty Gordon at Ocean Park, 1923
7. Betty Gordon and Her School Chums, 1924
8. Betty Gordon at Rainbow Ranch, 1925
9. Betty Gordon in Mexican Wilds, 1926
10. Betty Gordon and the Lost Pearls, 1927
11. Betty Gordon on the Campus, 1928
12. Betty Gordon and the Hale Twins, 1929
13. Betty Gordon at Mystery Farm, 1930
14. Betty Gordon on No-Trail Island, 1931
15. Betty Gordon and the Mystery Girl, 1932
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 4,700 times.
The Betty Gordon Series was published by Cupples and Leon from 1920 through 1932. The series was written by several different people under the pseudonym of Alice B. Emerson, a pseudonym that was also used for the Ruth Fielding series.
List of Titles
1. Betty Gordon at Bramble Farm, 1920
2. Betty Gordon in Washington, 1920
3. Betty Gordon in the Land of Oil, 1920
4. Betty Gordon at Boarding School, 1921
5. Betty Gordon at Mountain Camp, 1922
6. Betty Gordon at Ocean Park, 1923
7. Betty Gordon and Her School Chums, 1924
8. Betty Gordon at Rainbow Ranch, 1925
9. Betty Gordon in Mexican Wilds, 1926
10. Betty Gordon and the Lost Pearls, 1927
11. Betty Gordon on the Campus, 1928
12. Betty Gordon and the Hale Twins, 1929
13. Betty Gordon at Mystery Farm, 1930
14. Betty Gordon on No-Trail Island, 1931
15. Betty Gordon and the Mystery Girl, 1932
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Peggy Lane Theater Stories series by Virginia Hughes
This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006. The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search. eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 4,000 times.
The Peggy Lane Theater Stories series was published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1962 through 1965. The series was written by several authors under the pseudonym of Virginia Hughes. There are eight titles in the series, all of which were printed in picture cover with the picture printed directly on the cover of the book. The spine and back cover of each book is bright pink; however, some books have a slightly lighter pink color.
All eight books are harder to find than more popular offerings by Grosset and Dunlap. The first four titles are the easiest to find and seem to be about equally common. Volumes 5 through 8 are more difficult to acquire, with volumes 7 and 8 the most scarce.
Prices are usually quite low for the earlier volumes in the series. The final two volumes are worth quite a bit more, but low demand still keeps the price much lower than scarce titles in other series. Keep in mind that prices are always changing, but volumes 7 and 8 should be worth a minimum of $25-35. Volumes 7 and 8 have sometimes sold for higher prices when several buyers are interested at the same time.
List of Titles
1. Peggy Finds the Theater, 1962
2. Peggy Plays Off-Broadway, 1962
3. Peggy Goes Straw Hat, 1963
4. Peggy on the Road, 1963
5. Peggy Goes Hollywood, 1964
6. Peggy's London Debut, 1964
7. Peggy Plays Paris, 1965
8. Peggy's Roman Holiday, 1965
Summary
The series centers around Peggy Lane, who is a teenage girl attempting to break into the world of theater in New York City. Peggy faces several difficulties, but ultimately succeeds. In true series book style, Peggy's struggles are less than what an actress might expect in the real world and Peggy's success comes sooner than one would expect.
While the books primarily focus on Peggy's acting career, each book includes either a conflict between characters or a minor mystery. The books have just a hint of romance since Peggy has several admirers. This series is an excellent series, in particular the first few books which are extremely well-written and richly descriptive.
This information is a variation of what I have on my series book website. My website does include more information that what is presented here.
This eBay guide was viewed approximately 4,000 times.
The Peggy Lane Theater Stories series was published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1962 through 1965. The series was written by several authors under the pseudonym of Virginia Hughes. There are eight titles in the series, all of which were printed in picture cover with the picture printed directly on the cover of the book. The spine and back cover of each book is bright pink; however, some books have a slightly lighter pink color.
All eight books are harder to find than more popular offerings by Grosset and Dunlap. The first four titles are the easiest to find and seem to be about equally common. Volumes 5 through 8 are more difficult to acquire, with volumes 7 and 8 the most scarce.
Prices are usually quite low for the earlier volumes in the series. The final two volumes are worth quite a bit more, but low demand still keeps the price much lower than scarce titles in other series. Keep in mind that prices are always changing, but volumes 7 and 8 should be worth a minimum of $25-35. Volumes 7 and 8 have sometimes sold for higher prices when several buyers are interested at the same time.
List of Titles
1. Peggy Finds the Theater, 1962
2. Peggy Plays Off-Broadway, 1962
3. Peggy Goes Straw Hat, 1963
4. Peggy on the Road, 1963
5. Peggy Goes Hollywood, 1964
6. Peggy's London Debut, 1964
7. Peggy Plays Paris, 1965
8. Peggy's Roman Holiday, 1965
Summary
The series centers around Peggy Lane, who is a teenage girl attempting to break into the world of theater in New York City. Peggy faces several difficulties, but ultimately succeeds. In true series book style, Peggy's struggles are less than what an actress might expect in the real world and Peggy's success comes sooner than one would expect.
While the books primarily focus on Peggy's acting career, each book includes either a conflict between characters or a minor mystery. The books have just a hint of romance since Peggy has several admirers. This series is an excellent series, in particular the first few books which are extremely well-written and richly descriptive.
This information is a variation of what I have on my series book website. My website does include more information that what is presented here.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Kay Tracey #4 The Shadow on the Door
The shadow part of the mystery is quite lame and bizarre, and I suspect that this is why the book was one of the three Kay Tracey books that went out of print after Cupples and Leon quit publishing the series.
Kay gives a great summary of this mystery on page 7. "Lovely American girl working as secretary to a wealthy woman, who makes speeches about the conditions of the poor. Said woman also gives talks about child welfare, but neglects the little boy entrusted to her care. Moreover, she has some kind of secret dealing with a foreigner whom she pretends not to know, and yet who is engaged to her own secretary! There's a mystery, if there ever was one!"
Kay finds a checkbook with large amounts drawn to charities that seem fake. Kay discovers that Mrs. Van Hutton is the owner, which is quite a coincidence and gives Kay a clue to the mystery. After Kay finds the checkbook, I suddenly realized that this story is similar to the Nancy Drew book, Nancy's Mysterious Letter. That story also involves a man taking donations under false pretenses, and a woman must be saved from marrying him. This story also contains a football scene, and so does Nancy's Mysterious Letter.
Kay has never been interested in acting. When the lead actress for a play is injured, Kay is immediately able to step in and do such a good job that she is asked to take on the role permanently. Wow. This is very similar to Nancy Drew in The Clue of the Dancing Puppet. Kay has a lot in common with the revised text Nancy.
Mr. Hammond calls the police to tell them about the case. When the police arrive, Mr. Hammond has Kay explain her suspicions to the police. The police are very impressed. This is more shades of Nancy Drew.
Kay also has Nancy Drew's ability to avoid serious injury. Kay is swinging on a trapeze when it fails, so Kay hurls herself through the air to a mat, where she tucks herself into a roll. Kay is uninjured.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The shadow part is odd and unnecessary, but otherwise, the book is excellent.
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