End of December Update on My Activities

I expect for my stores to remain closed for at least two to three more weeks.  It could be a bit longer, depending upon how events play out.  Since I'm on winter break, I'm doing okay.  I am having spells of sudden deep fatigue, but I'm at home where it doesn't matter.  I can loll around for an hour or so until my energy level recovers.  The real test will be when I go back to work on January 6.  At that time, I'll truly know how I'm doing.

I once again broke out in terribly itchy hives due to my medication increase.  The hives were nearly unbearable from around December 14 to around December 25 even with taking four to six antihistamines per day.  It was truly horrific.  I am still itching.  At least the level isn't as high, and I am taking fewer antihistamines. 

As luck would have it, I broke a tooth on December 26, and my dental insurance is still maxed out.  I thought I could avoid dental work for quite some time after I had tooth #18 changed to a crown in October.  No, tooth #29 had other plans.  I believe the failure of tooth #29 is directly tied to my implant crowns for #30 and #31 that were placed in July.

Tooth #29 rotated 90 degrees when the implant crowns were installed.  It was under a lot of pressure right after the crowns were placed and had to be adjusted.  Furthermore, in the two months leading up to the delivery of the implant crowns, I chewed on the left side along with the front right side, meaning that I was chewing on #29.  I knew that I was putting stress on #29 that it normally wouldn't have and hoped that it would hold out.  At least it did hold out until December 26.

The tooth lost a good chunk of the outer side wall, enough that I thought that I needed a crown.  Fortunately, the dentist was able to just do a filling.  I had a small filling in that tooth.  The filling was removed and then enlarged to cover a good part of the missing section.  The jagged edge was smoothed out, so the tooth feels okay. 

The filling cost $270 since insurance covered nothing.  I was given a discount, which was probably the write-off.  If I had waited until Tuesday, then I would have had insurance coverage again.  I was a bit stressed about the broken tooth, so in my opinion, it was worth paying $270 to have it done five days sooner.  I mentioned previously that I will spend extra money on something if it will make my life better.  Having the tooth fixed five days sooner has made these five days better.  The money was spent wisely. 

A great benefit to me not selling is that I devote my attention to other activities that tie in with collecting.  A recent post of mine on Facebook sparked a discussion about how people decide what to collect.  I decided to write some posts about that topic.  Those posts will begin to be published soon.

I also finished reading the Harry Potter books again, and on a whim, I picked up one of John Benton's Christian young adult books about teen prostitution and drug abuse.  I read three of them back in the summer.  I decided to force myself to read a few of them.  I'm going to try to continue.  I'm also going to try to write up some reviews.  

I have no motivation for reviews, so this will be a struggle.  I'm not sure if I will be able to make myself follow through.  I find that I cannot stay focused long enough to get through a set of books if there are more than a few books.  This has been a problem for me ever since the pandemic began, and the problem has continued to worsen.  I furthermore can hardly motivate myself to write a review.  I just don't have it in me at this time.  While I have good intentions, I don't know what will come of them.

I am mostly unmotivated about writing my usual post about books read during the last year.  I'll make myself do it, but I have little interest in doing so.  I'm not even sure if my list of books is accurate.  I found that when I read, which was quite sporadically, that I didn't remember to get them on my list promptly.  I don't know if my list is accurate, but I can tell you that I read fewer than 50 books, which is the lowest annual number of books I've read in the last decade.

That's what is going on in my world.  
 
Here's to me once again having dental coverage beginning tomorrow!  Not only that, but the first three original text Hardy Boys books will be in the public domain tomorrow.  I look forward to seeing how this plays out.  We have just three more years until the first three original text Nancy Drew books enter the public domain.

Auctions of Scandinavian Nancy Drew and Other Series Books

Some series book fans have trouble understanding why other fans collect the international editions.  That should be obvious.  It's for the same reason that we collect books with dust jackets or that we collect books in various formats like library editions.  We enjoy the differences in cover art or the different styles of books.  The cover art of the Scandinavian editions is especially gorgeous.

My very favorite books of the international editions are the Danish editions.  One example is seen at the left above.  My next favorite books are the Norwegian editions, with one example of an early book seen at the right.  I do love the original style Norwegian cover art as much as I love the Danish editions.  However, the later Norwegian cover art isn't as beautiful in my opinion, which is why I place the Norwegian editions overall in second place. 

Several collectors currently are building sets of Scandinavian series books.  For that reason, prices for Scandinavian Nancy Drew books have been especially high in recent months.  Some fans think that the prices are too high and that the bidders are being foolish.  Fans in Norway say that the books are only worth around $5 in Norway.  The value in Norway has no bearing on the value in North America. 

Different markets, different availability. 

This is simply a case of high demand for books that are in short supply in North America.

Let's think about this.

How exactly is the average collector living in the United States going to acquire Scandinavian series books?  I suppose that they could travel to a Scandinavian country, but that would be expensive with no guarantee of success.  The cost of the trip must be considered as part of the cost of any books that are found.

If a collector is lucky enough to find a contact in another country, then it is possible to acquire the books inexpensively.  Most collectors will not be able to find a contact.  This is why the prices are high.  More than one person wants the books, and so they must bid against each other.

If the people currently buying the books end up getting all that they need, then the prices will fall again.  However, this doesn't mean that the current buyers are paying too much for the books.  The buyers have no idea whether any additional copies of each title will surface or how long that might take.  These books are in short supply in North America with no guarantee of any future availability.

I have paid high prices for international editions myself.  I've had people laugh at me or criticize me for it.  It seems like how I choose to spend my money is my business.  The same goes for how anyone else spends their money.

I paid a large amount of money for all the Japanese Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton books that I purchased in 2018.

2018: The Year of the Japanese Series Book

I wrote:

When the books were mentioned on Facebook, some people questioned why the prices were so high.  Some thought that it would be better to go to Japan and find the books.  Assuming that the books could be found, one still has to pay airfare, lodging, and transportation.  The books would not be cheap once the other costs were factored in.  Of course, if one were to be going to Japan anyway, then the cost of the trip would be irrelevant.

However, this is assuming that the books can actually be found in Japan.  I have heard about collectors who have traveled to other countries and tried to find series books as they vacation.  They usually cannot find any, or they find very few.  The international editions are not just laying around waiting for one of us to show up.

I consider it far easier just to buy the books than to try to travel to Japan to purchase them.  If some of the books are priced a bit high, then that cost is a convenience fee.

The same is true for the Scandinavian books.  It is far easier to bid on an eBay auction than to travel to Norway and search for Norwegian Nancy Drew books.  

I took screen captures of recent eBay auction results.  The bottom line is that the buyers did not pay too much.  Most of the prices are lower than what I paid for each of the Japanese series books that I bought in 2018.  There, I said it.  Those books were expensive, but they were worth it to me, which is all that matters.

Always click on each image in order to see it clearly.  Blogger shows images at a low resolution until they are enlarged. 

The results are sorted by highest price first, but some appear out of order because the seller had a higher shipping charge on some listings.

Altered Covers of Series Books

This post is not how I want it and is unfinished.  I'm publishing it anyway, since I'm not interested in writing anything else.

Altered covers fall under several different types.

Covers from random books retitled to appear to be series books

These are fantasy covers.  Someone will take a random book and retitle it, making it appear to be a Nancy Drew or other series book.  There is nothing offensive about these covers.  They can be confusing to people not well versed in series books when they are posted without an explanation.

Altered covers featuring political content

These covers always create problems.  Politics and religion are the worst topics to bring into a group.  It's amazing how many people place an altered cover with political content in a group not realizing the trouble it will cause.  Back when the main series groups were not on moderation, these covers showed up each time a late night talk show featured them.  In all cases, the posts had to be removed within hours due to the fighting that ensued.

Altered covers that mention drugs, sex, or anything offensive

Quite a few altered Nancy Drew covers have been making the rounds on Facebook and Reddit in the last few months.  The vulgar covers are currently circulating mostly among the Nancy Drew game fans.  I strongly dislike them.

It's not that I'm intolerant or a prude.  Not at all.  It was suggested earlier this month in a comment on my Facebook page that those of us who dislike obscene altered covers need to "grow up."  Huh?

I see cuss words and offensive general content all over various websites.  I read Reddit a lot, and obscenities are present in a majority of the content.  It's not that I have a problem with seeing certain words; it's that I don't want to see those words on the cover of a Nancy Drew book. 

It's funny that because I object to obscenity in one narrow situation that I am perceived to be intolerant and childish.

I just do not want to see the covers myself.  Actually, it's not so much that; I can tolerate the altered covers occasionally.  I can also tolerate them when they aren't too obscene.  Unfortunately, one cover that I recently saw crossed the line past what I can tolerate.  That was the straw that did it, and I started complaining about the covers on my Facebook page. 

It's fine that many of you love seeing the altered covers.  I do understand the allure of it for people who like that sort of humor.  I would never try to prevent you from enjoying what you like.

Since some people will keep posting the covers, I do what I can to reduce how often I see them.  Let me make this clear:  I don't complain to the group moderators.  They decide what is appropriate in their groups.  If they are fine with the vulgar content, then I am the one who must adjust.  

I left the Nancy Drew subreddit where the covers are circulating.  That subreddit consists of nearly only Nancy Drew game content, the vast majority of it outside of my interest or understanding.  I am missing very little by leaving that subreddit.

The content is also in circulation on Facebook in the Nancy Drew Game Fans group.  Even though I love the Nancy Drew games, the content in that group is not of high interest.  I'm still a member, but I unfollowed the group so that the vulgar altered covers won't show in my main Facebook feed.

A Facebook friend shared an altered cover a few weeks ago.  I realized that I could block the page that was shared by that person, which should prevent me from seeing the covers whenever they are shared from that page.  I did so, which should help.

I can't do anything about the altered covers being sold on Etsy.  If I run a Nancy Drew search on Etsy, I'm going to see the covers about Nancy burying or losing her last ****.  I am sick of them and don't find them amusing, but I just ignore them as best I can.  People apparently love them.

Fortunately, we do have a few places where we can escape.  The Collecting Vintage Children's Series Books and Nancy Drew Book Fans groups on Facebook do not allow the obscene altered covers.  I also won't ever post them here or on Facebook.

If you haven't seen the altered covers and are curious, the Facebook page that creates most of them is known as "Your Ruined Childhood."  You can also search online for "fake Nancy Drew book covers" or with similar search terms to find some of them.  Many of the covers are not offensive and are just a bit stupid.  I don't get much out of any of them since I'm not interested in seeing altered Nancy Drew covers.

A Christmas Eve Hardy Boys Digest Book Find

I purchased these Hardy Boys Digest paperback books locally today.

These books are in above average condition with either light or very light wear.  They look great. 

I have always found the Minstrel Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books to be very attractive.  The cover design is nice.

The Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Digest series are well worth consideration and should not be overlooked without checking into them.  Read these old blog posts for my thoughts on both sets.

My Thoughts on Nancy Drew #57-175

An Overview of Nancy Drew #57-175

The Hardy Boys Digest Series Overview

A Great Nancy Drew Hardcover Digest Find

A couple weeks ago, I posted about some books that I purchased on eBay on December 5.

Spying Some Hardcover Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Digests

I wrote:

This happened yesterday.  I was at home, awaiting for it to be time to leave for my appointment.  I checked eBay and looked at a bulk listing of green APC Nancy Drew books.  I was using the zoom feature on the image and stopped when I reached the lower right corner.

WHAT WERE THOSE BOOKS ON THE FLOOR?!

I saw what I felt certain was a hardcover Hardy Boys Digest plus some other possible hardcover Hardy Boys Digest books.  I saw Nancy Drew Ghost Stories but couldn't tell for certain if it was hardcover. 

I checked the seller's other listings, but the books hadn't been listed.  I kept a tab open on the seller's listings page, sorted by newest first.  I came back and refreshed every so often.  Finally, the books appeared, and I got them!  This never would have happened if I hadn't taken the day off for my appointment.

These are the seller's pictures of the books.

Based on the seller's photos, I expected the Nancy Drew books to be very nice and the Hardy Boys books to be average copies.  I thought that I would end up keeping most of the Nancy Drew books and around three of the Hardy Boys books.

The books were supposed to arrive on December 12.  I checked the tracking that morning and was distressed to see that the postal service had marked the package as having an "insufficient address" and that it was being returned to the sender.  This occurred just two minutes after the package arrived at the Oklahoma City distribution center, so I was pretty sure that an entire truckload of packages got marked as being returned to sender.  No doubt, a bunch of locals were quite upset that day.

I figured that the package would arrive the next day.  Even so, I was nervous until the tracking finally updated the next morning, showing that the package was out for delivery.  I finally received the books.

As expected, the Nancy Drew books are very nice.  The Hardy Boys books are in average condition with a bit of wear and not better than my copies, and I am keeping only two of them.  

The Nancy Drew books are great.  Remember to click on images to see them at a higher resolution.

The Nancy Drew books are all Demco Turtleback editions.  The spines look very nice.  The books will look beautiful on the shelf.  The drawback is that the cover art is not reproduced well on many of the books.  The Search for Cindy Austin is particularly bad.

I cannot part with any of these books.  I will keep all 18 of the Nancy Drew books.  I am going to have to make a decision about whether I keep all of the books I already had along with these new ones or whether I can sell a few of the books I already had.  I think that perhaps a few of the ones I already had will be upgraded by these books.  For other books like Cindy Austin, I will have to keep both copies.  I think in most cases that I will keep both copies.

Another reason these books should be kept is that many of them have cover art that is more uncommon.  It's really neat to have a hardcover copy of some of the difficult to find cover art such as the one seen on Fenley Place.

Even though I wish the Hardy Boys part of the purchase had been better, I am thrilled about the Nancy Drew books.

Recent First Printing and Other Notable Nancy Drew Auctions

A number of scarce items have sold on eBay recently.  Some of them have sold for well under their value.

Click on each image in order to see it clearly.  Blogger displays embedded images at a low resolution.

A sealed Nancy Drew puzzle sold for $305.00.

I sold both the white and red versions of the Nancy Drew Diary.  The white diary is said to be much scarcer than the red diary.  It may be more scarce, but both diaries are scarce.  The white diary closed at $251.50, and the red diary closed at $238.50.  The bidders apparently valued them about the same, which is how I feel about them as well.  

Nancy Drew Ghost Stories in the Wanderer hardcover edition with dust jacket sold for $217.50.  This is one of the hardest to acquire Wanderer hardcover titles.

The first printing book and jacket for Nancy Drew Twisted Candles sold for $737.88.  I feel that this is below value, although I'm not sure what the actual value is.

A 1930A-1 Old Clock book (no jacket) sold for $695.00.  The first printing Old Clock is worth between $500 and $1000 if lacking the dust jacket, so this price is within that range.

The first printing book and jacket for Clue in the Diary sold for $1,591.79.  I recall the first printing of Diary selling years ago for $2,500 or so.  I believe that I saw that price more than once, so the buyer got a pretty good deal on this first printing copy.
 

The first printing book and jacket for Red Gate Farm sold for $800.00.  The Red Gate Farm first printing jacket isn't as hard to find as other low-numbered first printing jackets.  The first printing book is a bit harder to acquire than the jacket itself.  $800.00 probably is below value.

A first printing book and jacket for Shadow Ranch sold for $81.00.  The jacket is in pieces and is in poor condition.  Even so, this was a bargain.  The book alone is worth at least $81.00.  The jacket makes the purchase even better.  Many collectors (possibly most of them) are never going to be able to spend high amounts for the low-numbered first printings in very good or better condition.  Books and jackets like this one enable some of those people to enjoy an early book in a first printing.

A copy of Hidden Staircase with the misnumbered dust jacket sold for $158.00.  It's hard to say whether that is the value or below the value.  Years ago, I sold one or two copies for considerably less.  I assume that the value has gone up.  Read this old post of mine for more information.

 

Astonishingly High Nancy Drew Old Clock Prices

The books shown in this post are ones that actually sold.  The prices are amazing, and the books can be found for much lower prices. 

I ran a search for "Nancy Drew Old Clock" along with "first" and looked at sold items.  It's apparent that people think that Old Clock is worth much more than other titles, especially if identified as a first.  It little matters that the books are bare tweed and nowhere near first printings.

Click on an image in order to view it more clearly.

These books typically sell for $10 to $20 rather than the high prices seen above.

I also checked a few other Nancy Drew titles.  The trend is not present for Hidden Staircase, Bungalow Mystery, and others.  It's just Old Clock.

Since more than one book sold at a high price, this cannot be dismissed as meaningless.  The books were worth that much to the people who purchased them.  Clearly, some people are willing to pay high prices for bare tweed copies of Old Clock.  I am interested in why this is happening.

I suspect that each buyer used "first" as part of their search.  Without that word, eBay shows 864 results for Old Clock, which is a bit overwhelming to inexperienced buyers.  Using "first" narrows the search to 11 books, some of which are tweed and priced similarly to these sold listings.

These sorts of buying patterns are rather fascinating.

Nancy Drew Crossword Cipher First Printing Auction

I spotted an eBay auction for the first printing of Nancy Drew #44, The Clue in the Crossword Cipher, right after it was listed.  The first printing of Crossword Cipher lists to Pine Hill on the back cover. 

I wondered whether the auction was going to get noticed.  A lot of high-end stuff has been sold in recent weeks on eBay, and not all of it is getting noticed as it should be.  Ultimately, this first printing of Crossword Cipher did close at a strong price, although I'm not sure what that tells us about the value.  The closing price does tell us that the book is extremely scarce and coveted.

Click on the image in order to see a larger version.

The book closed at $255.00, but it had only two bidders.  Normally, we consider the value to be what the third-highest bidder is willing to pay.  We don't have that information in this case.

In an old post of mine, I mentioned an auction for the first printing of Crossword Cipher.  It closed at $86.00.

Noteworthy First Printing Nancy Drew Auctions

That was in 2014.

For yesterday's auction, I expected the end price to be anywhere between the opening bid of $9.99 and some indefinite price above $100.  Anything was possible.  I knew that I wasn't going to bid, and I hoped that others were aware of the listing.  I wasn't going to advertise the listing, since I have long believed that scarce items up for sale on eBay should go to the people who check eBay.  They should have a shot at getting those items for decent prices instead of having people like me tell everyone about the listings.  

This auction could have closed even higher if it had been advertised.  We'll never know.  $255.00 may seem to be a steep price for this book, but it is unbelievably scarce.  I wouldn't use "rare" for it, but it isn't that far off from what I would consider rare.  

The 1932 text picture cover of The Clue in the Diary is nowhere near rare.  A lot of people want it, but the book is findable with careful searching.  It shows up on eBay three or more times per year.  I have five extra copies of it in my possession right now (six total including the one in my collection).  I realize how odd it sounds to have six extra, but the book has shown up repeatedly this year.  I keep finding it!  I have also had a good number of them pass through my hands over the years.  At best, that book is just scarce.  It could only be considered rare in excellent condition.  Four of my five extras are in rough shape.

The Crossword Cipher first printing is close to rare in any condition.  There is a considerable difference in scarcity between the Diary picture cover with the 1932 text and Crossword Cipher in the first printing.

I don't know that I have ever seen a Nancy Drew picture cover close as high as $255.00.  This might be the most anyone has ever paid for a Nancy Drew picture cover.  

I have a tag in this blog for the first printing of Crossword Cipher.  Follow the link to see the related posts.

Nancy Drew Crossword Cipher 1st

This new post will be showing first.  Scroll down to read the previous posts.

Overflow Shelves Emptied and Everything Set

I ended all of my listings this morning.  A short while later, I received a message on eBay from a buyer asking where the Hardy Boys books went that were in their cart.  They said that they weren't done shopping.  That was a dilemma.  

I decided that I could deal with one more transaction, so I reactivated all 73 Hardy Boys listings and let the buyer know.  Nothing happened.  If I had contacted a seller who told me that they were closing but would activate the books of interest, I would have made my purchase immediately.  I feel like eight hours was enough time to wait on the buyer.  Early this evening, I ended the listings again.  If they contact me again, I will tell them that it's too late.

I am pleased to report that my eBay listings dropped to 400 items.  My goal during the last two months was to get below 400 items, but I'll take 400.  That's close enough.  I have 274 Etsy listings, which isn't bad.  

Since my listing totals dropped down by a bit, I was able to clear off my overflow shelves and get all of my eBay and Etsy books onto the designated shelves that I always use for books that are listed for sale.  It's important that I store the books only on the designated shelves so that I don't risk making mistakes.

Some of the books are stacked more than I usually do, but I want them together with each other.

These shelves contain most of my eBay books.  Click on each photo in order to see it better.

These are my Etsy shelves.

These are more Etsy shelves with Christopher Pike books from eBay stacked on them as well.

These shelves contain mostly Etsy books with some eBay books mixed in.

If you looked at the photos carefully, then you might have seen some books out of numerical order.  Books from the same series are scattered as well.  Having the books arranged in order is the least of my concerns.  

I am quite pleased that I managed to get all the books together on as few shelves as possible.  I ran sales for the last few weeks hoping to get the number of books down as much as possible, and I am happy that I succeeded.

As I mentioned previously, I may be closed around two months.  I'll just have to see how everything goes.  I'll know when I'm ready.

Reminder: My Stores Will Close by Tomorrow Morning + Thyroid Stuff

I will deactivate all of my eBay and Etsy listings either tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. 

Jennifer's Series Books on Etsy

Jennifer's Series Books on eBay

This is of necessity due to some family stuff beginning next week.  My thyroid medication also has just been adjusted, which will cause deep fatigue.

I wrote this explanation in 2019:

I always feel better for most of the first week, then the drop begins.  I can feel the very beginning of the drop coming on.

This happens because the hypothalamus detects the sudden increase in thyroid hormone in the body due to the medication increase.  The hypothalamus then secretes a hormone that tells the pituitary gland to shut down the thyroid, which then makes the patient feel sick for two to five weeks or possibly even longer.  The lengthy adjustment period is caused by the long half-life of T4.  It takes weeks for the hormone to stabilize, which is why many thyroid patients feel bad for a lengthy period of time after any medication change.

I am four days in right now, and I can feel that the drop has started.  It's going to be a steep drop this time.  I will feel crushing fatigue and will probably experience brain fog and other assorted symptoms.  I do not use the word "crushing" lightly.  The worst fatigue I have ever felt is the fatigue that I feel after a medication increase.  It is extreme. 

I'll be okay.  It's something that I have to deal with periodically, and I will get through it.  I am really looking forward to winter break.  I hope that the worst of the drop is during those two weeks.

I don't mention this for sympathy.  I like helping people.  Sharing my experiences can help others who are being gaslit by their doctors.  Unfortunately, many doctors do not understand the thyroid condition and think their patients are mental. 

I am quite fortunate in that I'm being treated at an endocrinology clinic by someone who has the same condition.  She understands while most providers don't.  Interestingly, on Monday my provider told me a story about how she was gaslit when she first started medication.  Her body's negative reaction to the medication was dismissed as nothing.

On Facebook, experiences that are different from the "group think" get shut down.  I have only ever made one comment on a Facebook page where I told someone that it is normal to feel worse for a time.  Someone else responded, telling me rather harshly that what I wrote wasn't true and that my provider was an idiot.  I have never commented again on Facebook about anything related to my thyroid experiences.

On Facebook, people aren't allowed to be different from whatever the expected norm is.  We see it in all of the groups, regardless of topic.  It's annoying.  It really is like high school with all the silly cliques.

I have cautiously made a few responses on Reddit in the last week or so and was received well.  The thyroid discussion on Reddit seems to be less prone to the "group think" effect.

Once winter break begins, I might have a couple of listings available on eBay.  I have some Aquaphor ointment that I was using on my dry lips until I suddenly developed an allergy to it.  Of course my body would develop an allergy to something as mild as Aquaphor.

I want to get the Aquaphor sold, so it might get reactivated.  I also have a Half Price Books 2023 calendar with 10% off coupons.  They are of no use to me because I have an educator discount card.  I always get 10% off.  Discounts can't be stacked, so I can't use the coupons.

I'm still going to be around on Facebook.  I just won't be selling.  The hiatus will likely be at least a minimum of four weeks, but it could be good bit longer.

Spying Some Hardcover Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Digests

This happened yesterday.  I was at home, awaiting for it to be time to leave for my appointment.  I checked eBay and looked at a bulk listing of green APC Nancy Drew books.  I was using the zoom feature on the image and stopped when I reached the lower right corner.

WHAT WERE THOSE BOOKS ON THE FLOOR?!

I saw what I felt certain was a hardcover Hardy Boys Digest plus some other possible hardcover Hardy Boys Digest books.  I saw Nancy Drew Ghost Stories but couldn't tell for certain if it was hardcover. 

I checked the seller's other listings, but the books hadn't been listed.  I kept a tab open on the seller's listings page, sorted by newest first.  I came back and refreshed every so often.  Finally, the books appeared, and I got them!  This never would have happened if I hadn't taken the day off for my appointment.

I didn't take the time to check the books before buying them.  With library editions, I have to buy first.  The Nancy Drew lot looks to be really good, possibly outstanding.  I can see that I likely will be keeping at least 13 of the books as upgrades.  I prefer the binding where the book is an actual picture cover rather than having a laminated cover.  Of course, I take anything I can get, but I love upgrading to the style that I like the best.

The Hardy Boys books don't look to be in as good of condition, but the seller's photo isn't as sharp making it hard to tell.  I know that I will be keeping at least three of the Hardy Boys books, but I can't tell on the rest.  I will have to compare the books to what I have once they have arrived.

This is so exciting.  Even though I do now have the complete set of Nancy Drew #57-175 in hardcover library editions, my set still needs work.  It's great to have an opportunity to upgrade some of the books.