Keeper of the Lost Cities Forgotten Secret #7 Map of Elysian

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

I have included all of my past comments on this Forgotten Secret.  I will indicate any additional thoughts by adding comments in brackets.

Page 267   And the more she studied the symbol, the more her brain seemed to prickle with a strange sort of familiarity.  Somehow she knew she'd seen it before—even though she was also positive that she hadn't.  Which could only mean one thing.  A long time ago—before she knew about elves or caches or the giant conspiracies she was caught up in—the Black Swan planted that same image into her brain, along with all their other secrets.

Page 270   It'd been years since she'd triggered any of the secrets that Mr. Forkle had planted inside her brain.  In fact, she often forgot that there was still information tucked away.  And sometimes she worried the reason the memories never popped up was because the Black Swan hadn't properly prepared her for the problems they were facing.

Page 271   If the Black Swan knew the symbol was important, why hide it in her mind and never bother telling her anything about it?  What good did that do for anyone?

Here we find out that Kenric had a map of Elysian, which he placed in his cache.  But of course Forkle had the map as well (which is just more evidence that Kenric is Forkle), and he implanted the map in Sophie's mind.

[Elysian scares Kenric, which is evident from the conversation with Oralie in Forgotten Secret #4.  He cached the memory because of its importance, but possibly also because it scared him.]

Page 293   "Then why would Kenric save the map in his cache?" Sophie argued.  "Probably the same reason I gave the memory to you."  Mr. Forkle turned away, staring out the window, where Edaline was now riding the Spinosaurus around one of the pastures.

Mr. Forkle knows why, and he speaks the truth when he says it was for the same reason.  I also find it noteworthy that after making this statement Forkle turns and stares out the window in kind of an evasive action.

On page 253 in Forgotten Secret #5, Kenric says, "My training as a Washer has taught me how to hide memories in a very specific way, where the person holding them remains completely unaware—but the memories can easily be triggered if the need arises."

The key word from the above statement is triggered.

On page 270, Sophie thinks, "It'd been years since she'd triggered any of the secrets that Mr. Forkle had planted inside her brain."  There's that key word again: triggered.  Sophie has all the clues she needs, but she's got to put them together to form the answers.

All of this taken together, I believe that Kenric is alive, that he's Forkle, and that he's Sophie's biological father.

From Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 More on the Forgotten Secrets:

Kenric placed a map of Elysian in his cache.  Forkle placed a map of Elysian in Sophie's brain.  When Sophie sees Forgotten Secret #7, it triggers the memory of the map placed in her brain by Forkle.  This is such an interesting coincidence.

I want to go back to Forgotten Secret #4.  Both Oralie and Kenric are present for all of Forgotten Secret #4, but one part went in Kenric's cache and the other part in Oralie's cache. 

One part of Forgotten Secret #4 reveals Oralie's role in Project Moonlark, as in it reveals that Oralie is Sophie's mother.  Most of the secrets in Kenric and Oralie's caches pertain to the Black Swan and Project Moonlark in some fashion.  Kenric placed the part pertaining specifically to Oralie in Oralie's cache.  Everything else went in Kenric's cache.

If Oralie's cache provides evidence that Oralie is Sophie's mother, then we can conclude that Kenric's cache provides evidence that Kenric is Sophie's father/Forkle.  In short:

FS #1 Kenric counts the seconds, an odd habit that he shares with Sophie.
FS #2 Kenric verifies that he and Oralie are number one matches for Project Moonlark.
FS #3 Kenric is a good liar like Forkle and disappeared during a dinner, probably to change places with his secret twin.
FS #5 Kenric recruits Prentice to be Keeper of the Black Swan.
FS #7 Kenric had the same map that Forkle implanted in Sophie's brain.

These coincidences plus everything else in these memories all add up to the same conclusion.

All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

As Series Books' Popularity Declines...

This post was written in October 2024 as the first of two related posts.  I planned to publish both posts in November 2024.  I had to wait because the second post contained proprietary images that had not at that time been shared outside of Edelweiss, which is a site used by publishers to list their catalogs.  I didn't want to get into trouble by sharing proprietary images.  I delayed publishing the posts until the images were finally released to public view.  

................................................................

We need good news on the series books front.  When we get good news, series book fans gripe and moan about how it's not the way they want it to be.  It never changes.

I've mentioned before that we have now entered at least the beginning of the end of series book fandom.  We might be further along than we realize.   

I'm one of the younger series book fans, and I'm 52.  I'm younger, but I'm not young.  I feel it's worth quoting something I wrote on Facebook on October 21, 2023:

Earlier today in a post outside this group, I made an observation about eBay.  Series books in general (with notable exceptions like the Three Investigators) are not selling very well at this time.  I have seen scarce books priced very reasonably go unsold in recent weeks.  I have seen some of these books relisted multiple times.

I hope this has more to do with inflation and the rising cost of living than anything else.  My fear is that series book fandom has passed the beginning of the end, and fewer people are interested in collecting the books.  If this has started to happen, then it is due to the average age of series book fans. 

I have always been one of the younger collectors.  Back when I first came online I was just 24.  You would think now that I'm 51 that I wouldn't be one of the younger collectors.  And yet, I still am one of the younger collectors, even though I'm not young.  Around 60% of the membership of this group is older than me.

Here is the breakdown of group membership by age:

18-24  1%

25-34  7%

35-44  14%

45-54  19% 

55-64  26%

65+  32% 

I'll be blunt:  Many series book fans will pass on in the not-so-distant future.  Our fandom will transform dramatically in the coming years. 

Let's talk about the current situation.  Nancy Drew is the only series with new titles ongoing ever since its inception in 1930.  The Hardy Boys series, until 2023, was the only other series with new titles ongoing since its inception in 1927.  The Hardy Boys Adventures series, the current incarnation of the Hardy Boys, is currently in hiatus, and we can't be certain that it will return.

[Note from February 2025:  I have believed for over a year that the Hardy Boys Adventures series has been cancelled.  Since we've heard conflicting information, I've kept my statements open-ended.  However, it's now nearly certain that the series is done.  It's been over two years since the last book was published.  Nothing shows in the pipeline on Edelweiss.  I very much doubt that we will ever see another Hardy Boys Adventures book.]

The Happy Hollisters and Judy Bolton series are currently in print.  The first 10 Three Investigators books are back in print.  I think that's it.  All other series are out of print except for the print-on-demand copies of books in the public domain.  

We need series back in print and offered by major publishing houses.  The Happy Hollisters, Three Investigators, and Judy Bolton series are not offered by major publishing houses.  This means that their reach is limited since their publishers don't have the large footprint of the major publishers.

In June, I shared photos of the shelves at Barnes & Noble.  There were very few Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books in stock.  I checked that same store again on October 26.  This is what they had.

While better than in June, the selection is still rather poor.  Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys are not in demand in new copies.  The older books remain in demand, and they are popular at secondhand book stores.  Eventually, that will change as well.

If any other series could go back into print by a major publisher, then youth would be exposed to those books.  Any exposure to youth can help extend the longevity of our hobby.  We want the books to be available to youth.  Editions offered to youth might not appeal to us in their presentation, but that is unimportant.  We want the books to appeal to youth, and we want them to be read by youth. 

This is of utmost importance.  The books need to be available to youth.

I reflected on the situation after I visited Barnes & Noble on October 26.  My thoughts went something like this:  It's too bad that the Random House reissues of the Trixie Belden series went out of print.  If those books were still in print, then at least a few more of our vintage series books would be available to the public. 

It's really interesting that my thoughts went in that direction.  Just one week later, I learned that Random House plans to reprint the first four Trixie Belden books in new paperback editions with new cover art.  This is GREAT news!  I will provide details in my next post and will also include my thoughts regarding the rather negative reaction of the fandom.

Keeper of the Lost Cities Forgotten Secret #6 Kenric and Oralie in Elysian

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

I have included all of my past comments on this Forgotten Secret.  I will indicate any additional thoughts by adding comments in brackets.

From Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 The Forgotten Secrets:

Page 260   "But I remember the jerkin Kenric's wearing.  Look at those stripes—have you ever seen anything so hideous?"

Page 260   Kenric told her, "I can't tell you that."  "That's absurd," Oralie's projection snapped.  "If you can bring me here, then surely—"  "Honestly?" Kenric interrupted.  "I'm not even supposed to be here.  No one is.  According to every map and record I've checked, this place doesn't exist.  It doesn't even have a name."

Page 262   Kenric nodded.  "That was one of the details that helped me find this place.  Something had mentioned 'whispering rapids,' so when I found this river, I followed it here."

Page 264   "I've heard stories," she told Kenric as turned to scan the meadow, "that there are certain rare forms of energy that can mess with our senses.  Perhaps one of them is here and that's what we're both picking up."

I find it interesting that on page 487 of this book Forkle says, "But I've lost far too many years searching for rivers that do not exist."  Odd, since Kenric seems to have been the one chasing after rivers.

From Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 More on the Forgotten Secrets:

Page 262:   Kenric nodded.  "That was one of the details that helped me find this place.  Something had mentioned 'whispering rapids,' so when I found this river, I followed it here."  "And I'm assuming you won't tell me where you uncovered this information," Oralie's projection said.  "It's classified," Kenric agreed.

On this reading, my thought is that the "something" mentioned by Kenric is what he found when he probed Fintan's memory in Forgotten Secret #4.  There's also this:

Page 263:   "But see how they have red on their faces?  I found a mention about that, too—'butterflies kissed with red.' "  Dex chuckled  "Whoever wrote these descriptions was trying way too hard to sound deep and poetic."  Sophie nodded, wishing she had any idea who that could've been.

I think it could have been Fintan.  In Book 2, Sophie finds this in Prentice's memories:

Book 2, Page 239:   Glowing eyes peeked through bushes covered in blue ears, and butterflies with bright red lips whispered sounds like mush.

It's not quite the same description, but Fintan has been to Elysian, so he's a candidate for being Kenric's source.  

[Note from June 2024: Upon reading Book 2 again, I reflected on the memory from Book 2, Page 239 being from Prentice's mind.  Kenric could still have gotten the memory from Fintan as I stated above and then saved it in Prentice's mind, since Prentice was his Keeper.  It's also possible that Kenric saved his own memory of Elysian in Prentice's mind.]

Page 266:   "Why can't we see who it is?"  "I think they're wearing an addler," Dex told her.  The real Oralie groaned.  "You're probably right.  Which means it must be the Washer Kenric called to make sure I wouldn't remember any of this.  They often wear addlers to protect their identities."

I believe that the Washer is Kenric's twin.  He probably showed up as Astin or Leto, but he had to wear an addler so that Oralie wouldn't figure anything out.

All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

The Final Original Text Printing of Nancy Drew #22 Crumbling Wall

I have purchased several bulk lots lately, including a near-complete set of Nancy Drew books.  I always go through the books, checking to see if any books are special printings or have anomalies.  I found one book of special interest that stood out.

A picture cover of Nancy Drew #22, The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, grabbed my attention because it had the original text and was quite thin.  I have written about how easy it is to tell at a glance whether a picture cover Nancy Drew book has the original text.  The lettering style on the spine is a key indicator.

Buyer Confusion on Nancy Drew #9

I could see immediately that Crumbling Wall had the original text, and I was struck by how thin the book was.  I believe it is the thinnest original text picture cover that I have ever seen.  I also thought that the tint was a little different from most other copies that I have.  I collect picture covers with tint variations, and original text Crumbling Wall is one of the titles with the greatest variation in tint.

I flipped through the book twice to make sure that pages weren't missing.  They were all there.  I examined everything about the book and everything tallied with what would be expected of an original text copy except for the book being so thin.  I knew that the book had to be from near the end of the run of the original text printings of Crumbling Wall and that it had been printed in the 1970s.

I first checked on the tint.

Here are my six original text copies of The Clue in the Crumbling Wall.  The first four copies (top row and first book on the left of the bottom row) are first picture cover books.  The large variance in tint in the first picture cover printing makes it apparent that the first picture cover printing was likely several printings.

The middle book in the bottom row lists to Spider Sapphire on the back cover.  Its tint is lighter than the first picture cover printings.  The last book in the bottom row is my new acquisition.  It has a slightly different lighter tint and lists to The Double Jinx Mystery followed by The Nancy Drew Cookbook.

Checking Farah's Guide verified my suspicion that this new acquisition is the very last printing of the original text.

Take a look at the spines of all six original text books, pictured in the same order as the above picture, followed by the first revised text printing.

Once I looked at the spines, I noticed the volume number.  The "22" on my new acquisition, second from the right, is in the same style as the "22" on the first printing of the revised text.  It's interesting that the volume number changed to the revised text style before the first printing of the revised text.  

"Crumbling" on the spine of my new acquisition wraps around slightly to the front cover of the book.  The book is too thin for the lettering style.  Also, the book is the same thickness as the first printing of the revised text.  The wraparound effect of "Crumbling" can be seen in the next photo of it along with the first printing of the revised text.

Both the last printing of the original text and the first printing of the revised text list to The Double Jinx Mystery followed by The Nancy Drew Cookbook on the back cover.  The two printings have several external characteristics in common, but the insides are completely different.

Keeper of the Lost Cities Forgotten Secret #5 Kenric and Prentice

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

I have included all of my past comments on this Forgotten Secret.  I want all of my thoughts in the same post, and it will be easier for me to find what I need if I separate the Forgotten Secrets into separate posts.  My new thoughts are at the end.

From Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 The Forgotten Secrets:

Page 244   There was Kenric, sitting in a cluttered library.  And in the armchair across from him sat Prentice.

Page 247   Kenric propped his feet on what looked like a polished tree stump.

Page 247   Kenric downed his drink in one gulp.  "Because I have a proposition of sorts, for the most talented Keeper I've ever met."  "The most talented," Prentice repeated, tucking several of his dreadlocks behind his ears.  "That is some heavy flattery.  Sounds like this is going to be a big proposition."  "It is," Kenric agreed.

Page 248   Sophie frowned, trying to do the mental math.  "Wait—if Wylie was three, wasn't Prentice already working with the Black Swan during this memory?"  "I'm not sure that we know exactly when he swore fealty," Oralie told her.  "But he might've been, since he was arrested a few years later."

Page 250   "You're right—and there's no subtle way of saying this, so I'll just have to put it out there.  I brought you here because I'm hoping you'll be willing to serve as my Keeper."  He let that sink in before he added, "Off the record."

Page 253   "My training as a Washer has taught me how to hide memories in a very specific way, where the person holding them remains completely unaware—but the memories can easily be triggered if the need arises.  And I, as your partner, would know the triggers.  They would be carefully selected words or phrases containing enough of a clue about the secret that I'd be able to recognize any need to call for it, yet remain completely in the dark otherwise."

Page 254   Prentice shook his head.  "We all know how easily information can leak."  "Not if you and I are the only ones who know we're working together.  I'd tell the Council that I have a Keeper—but not your identity.  And I would sooner let my sanity shatter than expose you."

Page 255   What if Kenric was the reason Prentice was arrested?  Or part of it, at least?

Page 255   And either way… Kenric was yet another person who should've come to Prentice's defense and didn't.

Page 255   Kenric was dead.  Prentice's memories were gone.  And nothing would ever change that.  "Seriously, are you okay?" Dex asked, pointing to Sophie's white-knuckled fists.  She relaxed her grip.  "Yeah. I just… wish we knew if Prentice agreed to Kenric's plan.  But with the way these memories are going, I have a feeling it's going to cut off before we get that answer."

Page 258   "Are the Councillors using Keepers now?  Don't say you can't tell me—"  "We're not," Oralie cut in.  "As far as I know, Kenric never made the suggestion.  I'm assuming that means Prentice chose not to take him up on his offer—or that their tests to protect his sanity failed."

Page 259   "But remember:  Kenric recorded each of these memories for a very specific reason.  We just need more time to understand why."

This memory unpacks some very important clues.  I was a bit puzzled by the memory the first two or three times that I read it.  I then had a lightbulb moment when I realized the context.  Remember that these memories are problematic due to the lack of context.

I at first took the memory at face value and accepted that Kenric wanted Prentice to be his personal Keeper as stated.  I didn't understand, since I knew that Prentice actually became the Keeper of the Black Swan.  I finally realized that Kenric wasn't saying what he really meant.  Kenric was requesting that Prentice be the Keeper of the Black Swan.  Kenric is Forkle.  It all makes sense.  He just wasn't going to mention his little rebel group the Black Swan until after Prentice agreed to be his Keeper.

On page 253, Kenric specifies that he knows how to hide memories so that they can be retrieved with a word or phrase.  Forkle has mentioned doing exactly this with Sophie.  In Book 3 page 377, we learn that this is called "implanting" and that it is "a super-hard skill only a few people can really pull off."  How curious that few people can do it, yet both Kenric and Forkle have this ability.

This Forgotten Secret also confirms that Kenric was a Washer.  Forkle is a Washer as well, since he has erased some of Sophie's memories.  It's strange how much Kenric and Forkle have in common.

From Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 More on the Forgotten Secrets:

Page 244:   There was Kenric, sitting in a cluttered library.  And in the armchair across from him sat Prentice.

Sophie blinks several times when the memory begins, because she can't believe that she sees Prentice with Kenric.  I didn't see it as shocking at all when I first read this memory, just because I didn't understand.  In fact, it seemed odd to me that Prentice's name is even italicized.  That's how clueless I was. 

It took me several readings over a number of weeks to figure out that Prentice is being recruited as the Keeper of the Black Swan.

One aspect continued to bother me.  Kenric makes the request as himself.  If Prentice should accept, then Prentice would know that Councillor Kenric is in the Black Swan.  That seems like too big of a secret to entrust to anybody.  I believe that nobody in the Black Swan knows who Forkle really is. 

So something just didn't add up.  Recently, I put it all together when I read the memory yet again and noticed one passage that I hadn't thought about carefully during my previous readings.

Page 249:   Everyone assumed he'd used the Black Swan's code for imminent danger because he'd somehow uncovered the Lodestar symbol and feared the Neverseen would be coming after him.  But the explanation didn't totally make sense, as Prentice could've told someone what he'd learned—both to help prove his innocence and to make sure the information didn't get buried if he ended up in Exile.  Instead, he had kept everything to himself.  Almost as if he hadn't known who he could trust.

Ah-ha!  Kenric must have washed Prentice's memories of anyone involved in the Black Swan.  Prentice had no idea who had recruited him, and he likely didn't know the names of anyone involved in the order.  That's why he hadn't known who he could trust.  This all makes sense now!   

This next passage immediately follows the one quoted above.

Page 249:   And now Sophie was watching Prentice sit with Kenric in a secret library, about to discuss some sort of "big proposition."  "You okay?" Dex asked.  Sophie blinked, realizing he was staring at her—and that she was breathing very, very fast.  "Yeah, I'm just... trying to decide if I should tell Wylie and Prentice this story."

Sophie is beginning to hyperventilate as she thinks about this, then she lies to Dex about what she is thinking.  Sophie fears that Kenric is responsible for what happened to Prentice, which means that she is on the cusp of figuring out that Kenric recruited Prentice to be the Black Swan's Keeper.  This would then lead to her realizing that Kenric is Forkle.  She is just not quite there yet.

Page 257:   Instead he stepped closer and told Kenric, "No amount of talent will ever make me infallible."

I wonder...  Is this a clue as to why Prentice called swan song?  Did Prentice make a mistake that led to his capture?

Here are my recent thoughts.

Prentice tells Kenric that Wylie is 3 years old.  Wylie is now around 20, so this memory is from around 17 years before.  Sophie is around 16 at this time, so this is from around the time that Sophie was born.

On page 256, Prentice points out that there aren't enough highly-skilled Keepers for all 12 Councillors to choose one.  Even if they did find 12 Keepers, everyone would know who they are.

Kenric doesn't address the shortage of Keepers, but he says that no one would know if the Keeper program were kept secret.  Kenric is just lying.  He knows that his story makes no sense, but he's not going to tell Prentice the truth, at least not at this point in time.

All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

eBay Auction for the 1st Known 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock Book and Dust Jacket

Books from a deceased Nancy Drew fan's collection have come up for sale on eBay, among them a 1930A-1 Old Clock book with dust jacket.  The book sold for $6,877.00.  Click on images in order to view them at a higher resolution.

This 1930A-1 Old Clock book and jacket was the first copy in dust jacket that ever surfaced.  It first sold in 1996 and has passed through more than one owner since that time.  The latest owner recently passed on, resulting in it coming back up for sale.

The jacket is in rough shape, but there are only 13 of them known to exist.  It's been six years since the 13th example surfaced.  That could mean that no additional examples exist.  We will only know of additional examples if any ever surface.  There's no guarantee.

In my post about the 13th known 1930A-1 dust jacket, I wrote:

I have been thinking a lot about the 1930A-1 Old Clock dust jacket in the last year.  I reflected on how no new known copies had come up for sale since 2014 and wondered whether I should consider paying a higher price so that I could finally acquire one.  The dust jacket is not getting any easier to find.  A few copies are probably still in the wild unknown to us, but even the existence of just a few more copies has little effect on the scarcity and value.  Hundreds of people would love to own the first printing dust jacket, and fewer than 15 are known to exist.  Most people will never have one.

And now, six years later, I am less hopeful that additional examples will surface.  I feel like there could be one or two more out there, but that's probably it.  Likely no more than 15 examples exist.

I suspect that more people are realizing what already guided my decisions back in 2010 when some people criticized my buying habits.  

In October 2010, I wrote:

The dust jackets that list to Bungalow Mystery are so extremely scarce that collectors have to settle for whatever condition dust jacket comes up for sale. There are only eight known examples of the Old Clock first printing dust jacket in existence, and two of them are the ones that just sold on eBay.

People criticized me back in 2010, saying that I was wrong to purchase water-damaged books in order to get first printing dust jackets.  No, I got rid of the books, paired the jackets with nicer first printings, and I have the matched first printing book/jackets of #2 and #3.  The jackets are currently in the same condition as they were in when I purchased them over 15 years ago.  Mold and mildew are not growing on them.

You must take what you can get, and the getting has never been good.  I believe more people now understand this better.

You can't wait for a pristine copy in dust jacket to show up for sale before you consider trying to win one of these auctions.  You must try for each copy that surfaces and trust that you will finally win an auction when it's your turn.  You must be aggressive as it's the only way to beat out the Hollywood dealer.  You can't wait for that perfect copy that probably doesn't exist.

That said, not all examples that surface will be for everyone.  Some people will continue to wait it out until they finally see the auction for the one they will purchase.  Each person knows when it's the right time.  I knew in my heart that the February 2019 auction was the one for me while the final seconds ticked down.  And it was.

This auction placed me in a situation with a bit of a moral dilemma.  I feel strongly that eBay auctions should be allowed to run to completion with as little interference as possible.  The seller's lack of knowledge paired with the characteristics of the books offered at auction led to a situation where it wasn't possible to avoid all auction inference.

To backtrack, when auctions featuring the 1930A-1 Old Clock book with dust jacket appeared on eBay during the 2000s and early 2010s, a certain enthusiastic Nancy Drew collector posted in the Nancy Drew Sleuths group about each auction, saying that everyone needed to know!!!  That person's actions guaranteed that people like me had no chance of getting the book. 

The Hollywood dealer was a member of the Nancy Drew group, no doubt so that they'd know if a first in jacket came up for sale.  I remember one time that they bid on one of the auctions immediately after the enthusiastic fan notified the group.  That fan was unwittingly helping the Hollywood dealer who was going to drive the price up by a considerable amount.  I found it all quite annoying.

Coupled with that, many people tried to get the auctions shut down so that they could buy the book direct from the seller at a bargain.  It was stressful waiting each of those auctions out, worrying that they could be ended at any time due to trickery.  

All of those early auctions were circuses.  That is why I have very strong feelings about avoiding auction interference.  So....

Coming back to the present, the very last thing I would ever do is interfere in one of these auctions, especially the first one to run on eBay after I finally got my copy.  Interference on my part would make me a hypocrite.  Sigh....

The problem was this: The seller had another auction running for a 1930A-1 Old Clock book, but that book had a reproduction dust jacket.  Several of us were suspicious about that one and verified it, but many other fans would be fooled.  We were concerned about those fans.  Jennifer Fisher, and likely a few others, were in communication with the seller, who added information to those listings.  I planned to warn people about the reproductions.  Then, the seller listed the book with the real 1930A-1 dust jacket.  Now what to do?

After much mental debate, I finally wrote a quick post about the situation.  I included the one thing I didn't want to mention towards the end of the post.

Current Nancy Drew Auction Warning, Store Hiatus, and Other Updates

I created a post that combined more than one topic.  I first mentioned my stress and why I closed my stores abruptly.  I then mentioned the Larkspur Lane reproduction wrapper and the reproduction Old Clock dust jacket.

Another listing has a 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock book that has a reproduction 1930A-1 dust jacket.  The jacket is off in appearance in several ways.  We have determined who made the copy jacket for the collector whose book is for sale.  There is no doubt that the jacket is a reproduction.

Finally, I mentioned the one thing I didn't want to mention but I had to mention.

And yes, the same seller has a 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock book with an authentic 1930A-1 dust jacket up for auction.  I have moved back my upcoming posts, since all of this is going on right now.

And so I did the one thing I never wanted to do: I told people about the latest 1930A-1 dust jacket while the auction was still running.  I knew that I needed to get the warning out the best I could about the reproductions.  I knew, and a few others knew.  But lots of people would be fooled.  We had to try since the seller wasn't handling the situation in an optimal fashion due to their inexperience with high-end Nancy Drew books.

By warning about the reproductions, I was inadvertently interfering in the auction for the book with the real 1930A-1 jacket.  Some people would misunderstand and think that the real 1930A-1 dust jacket was a reproduction.  I didn't want to hurt the seller by causing people not to bid.  I also didn't want to keep someone from bidding who might have been the future winner of the auction.

After wrestling with the dilemma for at least one day, I concluded that I had to warn people about the reproductions but also had to clarify that a real 1930A-1 dust jacket was also in the mix.  So, that's what I did. 

Unfortunately, the winning bidder of the auction with the reproduction jacket didn't find out the truth until after they won.  The winning bid was $2,015.10, and they backed out.  Think of how unhappy that buyer was.  They thought they'd finally won an auction for the 1930A-1 jacket and then they learned that it was a reproduction.  That is why the seller should have ended that listing and relisted it.  It would have spared someone the disappointment.

Meanwhile, I worked on my more detailed post about reproduction dust jackets.  

Identifying Whether a Dust Jacket is a Reproduction

The real 1930A-1 dust jacket was also mentioned in that post, which was also published while the auction was still running.  I knew that my post was getting the word out about the real 1930A-1 jacket auction to all the people who aren't on Facebook.  It was potentially going to impact the auction.

So, did it?  Fortunately, I am confident that my actions had zero impact on the final auction price.  I am able to determine in most cases who the bidders are on these high-end Nancy Drew auctions.  Those of us who are well-connected in the Nancy Drew collecting community typically can figure out who the bidders are.  As the auction ran, I kept track of who was bidding since it concerned me about what impact I was having on the auction.

I have identified every bidder for this auction.  Obviously, I'm not sharing that information.

The Hollywood dealer had already bid before I mentioned the auction, so I didn't tip him off.  He keeps a close watch on eBay and misses nothing.  The other bidders were the usual players.  I didn't tip them off, either.

I am certain that every bidder would have known about the auction regardless, through either their own eBay use or through looking at the seller's other auctions as a result of the discussions on Facebook about the reproductions.  All of the other bidders are active on Facebook.  I had no impact on the final auction price.

The top two bidders were the winner and the Hollywood dealer.  The top four bidders in the last auction from 2019 were me, someone who didn't bid this time, the winner of this auction, and the Hollywood dealer.  Next time, the highest bidders will likely be the Hollywood dealer and the third-highest bidder on this auction. 

Another person has joined the ranks of the very few who have the dubious honor of being able to say that they actually outbid the Hollywood dealer in an auction.  It's a mixture of "Yay!  I beat the Hollywood dealer!!!" and "Ouch.  I beat the Hollywood dealer."
 
I heard that people did try to get this auction closed so that they could buy the book outright.  Some things never change.

Keeper of the Lost Cities Forgotten Secret #4 Kenric and Oralie at Night

This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set.  Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published.  You've been warned.

I included a lot of quotes from Forgotten Secret #4 in my original post on the Forgotten Secrets.  

Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 The Forgotten Secrets

The quotes are way too much for this post, so go to the above link to see them.  In summary, Kenric says that he dreams of walking away from the Council, like he might resign someday.  He tells Oralie that he loves her and acts like he might kiss her.  When she declines, he then reveals that he knows about her involvement in Project Moonlark.

From my post, Keeper of the Lost Cities: Oralie and Sophie:

Book 8.5, Page 530   He leaned toward her, and her lips parted, like she might let him kiss her.  But at the last second she turned her face away.  "I can't do this."  He turned her chin back toward him.  "Can't?  Or won't?"  "Both."

Kenric is making sure of how strong Oralie's resolve is.  He professes his love, suggests that they be together, and acts like he might kiss her.  Oralie rejects him.  I believe this is partly why Kenric is able to fake his death without being shattered by guilt over what he did to Oralie.  He can justify his action because she was never going to marry him. 

While I do think that what I wrote is still part of it, I've realized something else.  Kenric said exactly why he professed his love and acted like he was going to kiss Oralie.  Somehow, I didn't consider that he comes out and says why.

Book 8.5, Page 533   "It's okay," he added, wiping away her fresh tears.  "I knew this was how this conversation was going to go.  Why do you think I've never said anything before?  I just... had to say it—at least once.  Just to see what would happen.  And now seemed like a perfect time, since you won't remember it anyway."

Kenric is very close to Oralie when he says that the reason he professed his love is that he "just... had to say it—at least once.  Just to see what would happen."  This means that he was telling the truth; he doesn't step away from her like he does when he's lying.  He didn't profess his love to plant clues; he just wanted to see what she would do.  He wasn't bullying her, either.  He loves her, and he was curious as to what she would do if he were to say it.

Kenric isn't perfect, which is why he's a compelling, fascinating character.  He wanted to know if Oralie would still resist his advances, and he wanted to do it when he knew that the memory was going to be erased anyway.  That's all it was.  And yes, coincidentally, it might have helped him avoid feeling guilty about faking his death and hurting her. 

From my first Forgotten Secrets post:

The information from this portion of the Forgotten Secret establishes that Kenric knew about Project Moonlark and also knew that Oralie was Sophie's biological mother.  Furthermore, Kenric didn't want to be a Councillor anymore.  This means that he most likely did fake his death in Book 3.

When I read the series for the third time, I wrote another post about the Forgotten Secrets.  Here is what I wrote.

Keeper of the Lost Cities #9 More on the Forgotten Secrets

In the second post, I wrote:

This portion of Forgotten Secret #4 turned quite a few readers against Kenric.  Some of the content is Kenric teasing Oralie.  The other part is Kenric telling Oralie that he knows about Project Moonlark.  Actually, Kenric questions Oralie in a needling way that doesn't come across as very nice.  Some readers see it as abusive.  I don't view it that way, because I know that something else is going on here. 

Besides...

Book 8.5, Page 533:   Oralie closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath.  "You can't hide your feelings, Kenric.  They're there—every time I'm around you."

From the above passage, we must assume that Kenric truly loves Oralie.  She'd know if he were insincere.  I believe that Kenric tells Oralie that he knows about her involvement just to get the information in the cache.  He needles her to get her to admit to her secrets.  He already knew that he was going to erase the memory because of the previous part with Fintan.  He decided to make more use of it by getting some Project Moonlark clues placed in Oralie's cache.  That's why he says what he does to Oralie.  He's not bullying her.  He's planting clues.

Book 8.5, Page 526:   "You breached his mind?  Why?"  Kenric backed away, resuming his pacing.  "The same reason I always breach someone's mind—but I didn't find the information that I was looking for, in case you're wondering."

Kenric backs away from Oralie.  He's probably lying and backs away so that Oralie can't detect the lie.  Something important happened between Kenric and Fintan during that mind breach.

In the second post, I wrote this about Kenric possibly faking his death.

I've already mentioned that this passage indicates that Kenric did fake his death.  The part that jumps out at me now is where Oralie asks, "You mean resigning?"  Kenric then hesitates before answering.  He also doesn't specify whether he means resigning.  I don't think he was considering resigning.  He was planning to fake his death all along.  Even so, what Kenric does tell Oralie is true.  He simply says that he'd have "zero problem letting someone else take over."

It may also be significant that Kenric steps closer during the conversation.  This might be so that Oralie can read his emotions and know that what he says is true.  

Book 8.5, Page 531:   "That time when you were ill... I stayed by your side the whole night, just to be safe... You'd toss and turn and whisper something over and over.  Something that sounded... a lot like suldreen."

In my second post, I also commented about Kenric telling Oralie that he heard her say "suldreen."

Ah, yes.  Kenric knows all about Project Moonlark.  I think back to Book 1.  When Sophie mentions how her human father called her "soybean," she wonders if there's an elven word that sounds like it.  Kenric says, "I can't think of what that would be."  Classic evasive Kenric/Forkle.

Now, let's get to my thoughts as I read through Book 8.5 for the fourth time. 

On page 531, Kenric steps back right before he tells Oralie how he knows that she was involved in Project Moonlark.  He claims that he heard Oralie say suldreen.  Kenric steps back so that Oralie can't detect the lie.  Kenric knows that Oralie was involved because he's part of the Black Swan.  He didn't hear her say anything.  He just had to give Oralie a believable reason, but he had to step away from her first so that she couldn't detect the lie.

When Kenric acts like he might kiss Oralie, I realized that Oralie resists for one reason only:  She's protecting Sophie.  She must remain a Councillor in order to protect Sophie.  That's it.  

In a nutshell, Oralie is torn between the two people she cares about the most:  Kenric and Sophie.  She wants to be with Kenric, but she must protect her daughter.  

Oralie mentions that Kenric was "gray as a ghoul" when he mentions Elysian, which was a slip.  She says that Fintan was telling the truth when he said he didn't know what stellarlune is.  However, Fintan did know about Elysian; I'm sure Kenric learned about it when he entered Fintan's mind.

I no longer think that Kenric was planting clues in his cache.  Kenric's cache contains memories that were inconvenient for anyone else to know.  He's the one who washed them and placed them in his cache.  

Also, and this part makes my head hurt because of the ramifications—I think the memories in Kenric's cache are mainly other people's memories of events where Kenric was present.  I don't think they are Kenric's memories necessarily, even though he was present.  Kenric had to erase this stuff from other people's minds, and he used his cache.  If we had Kenric's actual memories, we'd know a lot more about what he was really doing.  Shannon doesn't want us to know everything about Kenric just yet.

In this memory, Oralie tries to get Kenric to tell her about whatever the deal was with Fintan, which we know has something to do with Elysian and stellarlune.  Oralie comments that she can sense his "fear and frustration" as well as disgust.  The truth about Elysian and stellarlune is something that scares Kenric and causes him distress.

All of my past Keeper posts are linked from this page:

Keeper of the Lost Cities Summaries, Reviews, and Theories

Identifying Whether a Dust Jacket Is a Reproduction

Many reproduction dust jackets were created by series book collectors 20 to 30 years ago and placed on bare series books.  Some reproductions were marked as such, but others weren't.  The people who owned the books with reproduction dust jackets are now beginning to pass on, and their books are getting dispersed back into the marketplace.  The sellers don't know that the dust jackets are reproductions.  This is a big problem if you don't know what the warning signs are.  Even if you do know the warning signs, you can still be deceived quite easily.

I will start with a recent example to show my thought process as I view a jacket that is of concern.  This will give you an idea of what the clues are, and I will then explain in greater detail.

A 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock which appeared at first glance to have a dust jacket came up for sale on eBay.  (Click on each image in order to see a better version.)

Except... there was a problem.  When I first viewed the listing, I felt that something wasn't right about it.  If another Old Clock book with dust jacket had been in the same photo, it would have been obvious.  By itself, I couldn't tell whether I was right about something being off about the jacket.  

It's often hard to tell from online photos.  Sellers use varying equipment and lighting, and items often don't appear exactly as they truly are.

I looked at the back panel.

Once again, something seemed off to me, especially along the right edge of the back panel and most particularly at the top near the spine.  It looked like it might be a copy.  I still wasn't sure.

The front flap bothered me because of the shadow along the left side.  But then, that didn't necessarily mean anything.  I then looked at the right edge of the front flap.  I could see a telltale sign that did mean something.

Compare the jacket from the auction to the first printing dust jacket that I own.

Look at how far the red print is from the right edge of each jacket.  Notice that the red print on the auction DJ is closer to the right edge than on my real DJ.

I looked at the back flap of the auction DJ.

I compared it to my dust jacket.

It was obvious.  The back flap of the auction DJ is cut off along the left edge rather noticeably.  I knew then that the auction DJ must be a copy dust jacket.

I communicated with Jennifer Fisher, who checked her photo of a copy dust jacket that was made for her by another collector using their 1930A-1 jacket as the source DJ.  Bingo.

Image courtesy of Jennifer Fisher, www.nancydrewsleuth.com

Now, look at the spine of the auction DJ.

The auction jacket and Jennifer Fisher's copy jacket have the same swirly pattern in the center left spine.  They are from the same source.  Jenn verified that the collector who copied the jacket also provided a copy to the person who owned the book in the auction.  So, we knew that the auction DJ was indeed a copy.

I was suspicious from the beginning since I've seen many copy jackets and printed them myself many years ago.  I've seen how they appear in listings, and they can be difficult to spot.  But there are always signs.

A couple days later, the seller listed another 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock book but with an authentic 1930A-1 dust jacket.  The seller's copy dust jacket is shown at the left, and the seller's original jacket is shown on the right.  Comparing the images reveals how washed-out the copy dust jacket is.  They often don't look as good as originals.

Another listing by the same seller also didn't look right.

The promotional wrapper is so scarce that only a handful exist.  We only know of a few, maybe three or four of them.  The wrapper is so scarce that I featured it in my post, Ten Rarest Nancy Drew Items and Collectibles.  That post, by the way, is by an unbelievably huge amount the most popular post in this blog's history, and it's always floating in the right sidebar as a popular post.

The wrapper looks okay in the above photo except that it is sized too small.  The original wrapper should extend all the way across the front panel.

Nancy Drew collector Meredith Jaffe provided this image of the book she owns, which has the authentic wrapper.

Image courtesy Meredith Jaffe

Meredith's wrapper establishes that the wrapper from the auction cannot be real.  

Before I continue with how to determine whether a jacket is real, keep in mind that nearly all jackets that appear for sale online are real, at least 99% of them.  While copies do show up often enough, they are uncommon and dispersed throughout the online supply in low quantities.  Mainly, buyers should be aware of the warning signs just in case a jacket looks off in some fashion.

Let's go through what you should know and how you can determine whether a jacket might be of concern.

How to tell from online listings

Reproduction dust jackets are almost always in mylar covers.

Don't misunderstand my meaning.  Most jackets with or without mylar covers are real.  However, reproduction dust jackets are almost always enclosed in mylar, because they look much more real if in mylar.  This means that a jacket that is not in mylar is almost certainly fine.  I don't worry about dust jackets that are not in mylar.  While within the realm of possibility, the chance of acquiring a copy dust jacket that is not in mylar is extremely low.

Again, most jackets in mylar are fine.  But the copy dust jacket will be in mylar rather than not.  You have far less reason to be concerned about a jacket that is not in mylar.

The jacket is in extremely nice shape to where it looks new and has paper that is bright white.

Jackets that are in too nice of shape and are in mylar should be checked more carefully.  Old jackets can surface with no wear after having been stored in perfect conditions, so jackets that are high-grade aren't necessarily copies.  However, especially perfect jackets should be examined well just in case.

The colors are off or seem washed-out.  

This is a strong indicator that the jacket is a copy, since printer ink on plain paper just isn't going to look the same.  In some cases, certain dust jackets never reproduce with the same colors as the original dust jacket.

Beverly Gray at the World's Fair is a prime example.  The original dust jackets are decidedly green in tint, but printed copies almost always end up with a bit of a purple tint.  I have made printed copies myself, and I could never get the color to reproduce right.  The professionally printed American Web Books reprints of World's Fair also have a purple tint.

The above photo shows the original World's Fair from my collection on the left alongside the American Web Books reprint on the right.

The cover art and print on the jacket seem to be of lower resolution.

If the dust jacket image looks off like it might be a copy, then it probably is.

The front and back flaps are cut off at the outer edges, most often on the back flap.

Dust jackets are longer than legal-sized paper, so the entire dust jacket image does fit on the paper.  Some people print the jacket centered so that both flaps are cut off slightly.  Other people reproduce the entire front flap with the back flap noticeably cut off.

The book is in much worse condition than the dust jacket.

Sometimes real jackets are placed on poor condition books, so this situation doesn't guarantee that a jacket is a copy.  It does indicate that the jacket is not original to the book. 

Sometimes libraries stored jackets apart from the books, and sometimes stacks of nice dust jackets come up for sale.  People buy them and place them on their own books.  This is why a nice jacket on a poor condition book does not mean that the jacket is a copy.  However, if the jacket has other red flags and is on a book that is in rather poor condition, then it is likely a copy jacket.

How to tell in person

In most cases, when you hold a book with a reproduction dust jacket in person, you will know immediately that the jacket is a copy.  The paper used is often just regular paper that is not glossy.  The jacket usually will be in a mylar cover, so if you have any concern, remove the jacket from the mylar cover.  Doing that will usually allow you to tell.

You can also use a black light.  Copy jackets printed on modern paper glow under black light, and vintage jackets do not.

Sometimes, I have questioned vintage jackets when the jackets are in especially nice shape and the paper is thin.  Some Grosset & Dunlap jackets from the late 1950s were printed on very thin paper, and those are the ones I more carefully examine when they seem especially nice and bright.  What I look for is what appears to be varnish that extends off of the front cover illustration onto the front flap.  If that is present the same as always and nothing looks strange about the jacket, then I assume that the jacket is real.  I could also use a black light, but I've never felt the need.

Caveat

We are fortunate in that series book jacket reproductions are typically not printed commercially.  Most reproduction dust jackets created for series books were done by individuals on home equipment, and those are easy to spot.  If a jacket was printed commercially, then it will be much harder to tell.

For more information about identifying dust jacket reproductions including ones made commercially, read these articles.

How Do I Identify a Facsimile Dust Jacket?

The Finer Print - Growing Concern Over Facsimile Dust Jackets

Current Nancy Drew Auction Warning, Store Hiatus, and Other Updates

I abruptly deactivated all of my eBay and Etsy listings last Tuesday afternoon.  Work-related stress has been extreme for around two weeks. 

I haven't felt much stress from online selling.  However, selling books is the one thing I can control.  By not selling right now, I avoid having to pack books in the evenings, which at least reduces my overall stress slightly.

The stress is being caused by me having to miss school several times recently and in the near future for appointments.  When I'm not at school, I get nothing done.  I also must go over two lessons the day before I'm gone, even though I have instructional videos uploaded to our course management system.  This is because students learn much better in person, and most of them aren't motivated enough to watch videos at home.  The explanations need to occur when students are present.

I will get into the specifics in a future post, but I had a bad reaction to two medications a few weeks ago, resulting in some pretty bad rashes.  I'm getting better, but it's been quite unpleasant.

I have no idea what the time frame will be for when I reopen my stores.  I think for my own well-being, I need to keep my listings deactivated until spring break, which begins the afternoon of March 14.

I delayed my upcoming blog posts so that I can insert at least two posts sometime in the next two weeks.  My posts won't be published on the schedule shown in my recent post, but they are still coming soon.

Finally, you might have noticed some rather scarce Nancy Drew items are currently up for auction on eBay.  Be careful, since some of the listings feature reproductions.  I am working on a blog post with information on how to spot reproductions, but I'm not sure how quickly I can finish it.  

The seller has been advised by collectors about the authenticity concerns, and two auctions now have a message after the description mentioning those concerns.  

One listing offers a Nancy Drew Larkspur Lane book with a reproduction Bonita Granville wrapper.  The wrapper is smaller than it should be, so it can't be authentic.

Another listing has a 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock book that has a reproduction 1930A-1 dust jacket.  The jacket is off in appearance in several ways.  We have determined who made the copy jacket for the collector whose book is for sale.  There is no doubt that the jacket is a reproduction.

And yes, the same seller has a 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock book with an authentic 1930A-1 dust jacket up for auction.  I have moved back my upcoming posts, since all of this is going on right now.