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.

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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

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