Hidden Clues #10 The Hardest to Find Books in a Series

Note:  This post pertains to defunct series that went out of print not long after the final book was published.  Defunct series that remained in print for many years after the final volume was published do not fit the pattern described here.

People often ask why certain books in defunct series are so hard to find.  The answer is simple: fewer were printed.  Decades later, many of the books have been destroyed, and the copies that remain are not enough to satisfy demand.  

Generally speaking, the hardest to find book in a series that is no longer in print is usually the final title.  The last book published usually went through one printing, and that was it.  

The first book in any series is usually the easiest to find, because it went through the most printings.

Take a hypothetical series consisting of four titles:  

#1 was published in its first printing.
#2 was published in its first printing, and #1 was printed a second time.
#3 was published in its first printing, #1 was printed the third time, and #2 the second time.
#4 was published in its first printing, #1 was printed the fourth time, #2 the third time, and #3 the second time.

The series ended shortly after the publication of #4, resulting in no additional printings of any of the books.

#1 had four printings.
#2 had three printings.
#3 had two printings.
#4 had one printing.  This would make #4 the hardest one to find.

This is a simplified version of what actually happens, since even more intermediate printings are involved, but it shows why the last book is the hardest one to find.  In addition to fewer print runs, a series usually declines in popularity, so the print run sizes decrease.  When the last book is printed in its one printing, the printing might be rather small.

I won't attempt to cover value, since it is constantly changing.  To get an idea of value, type the book into the search at eBay.com.  Filter the search to sold items, then see what the selling prices were.  Current listing prices do not indicate value.  Some sellers price items way too high, and those items will never sell.

Below, I have listed some examples of scarce titles for a sampling of series books.  The books are examples of titles that are considered to be the hardest to find title, usually by far.  The format matters as does the volume number.  For instance, the Dana Girls books were renumbered for a later format, so the same books with different volume numbers don't count.  If the book is in a different format than what I have indicated, then the book isn't scarce.

For series where I list more than one book, the scarcity is on a sliding scale where the highest-numbered title is usually the scarcest out of the group.

Scarce Last Titles (format matters)

Cherry Ames

27.  Ski Nurse Mystery

For the above book, the scarce book is the original hardcover with the Grosset & Dunlap imprint on the spine.  A modern reprint exists, and it is of minimal value.

Connie Blair

12.  The Mystery of the Ruby Queens

The scarce printing is the hardcover.  It was also printed in softcover, and that book's value is lower.

Dana Girls (Beige Spine Hardcover Edition Only)

27.  The Secret of the Silver Dophin
28.  Mystery of the Wax Queen
29.  The Secret of the Minstrel's Guitar
30.  The Phantom Surfer

Dana Girls (White Spine Hardcover Edition Only)

14.  The Curious Coronation
15.  Hundred-Year Mystery
16.  Mountain-Peak Mystery
17.  The Witch's Omen

Judy Bolton (Green Spine Hardcover Edition Only)

This one is tricky.  Prior to modern reprints, Judy Bolton #35-38 were completely impossible to find.  For that reason, they are still considered to be hard to find titles.  However, they actually aren't as hard to find as the rest of the Judy Bolton set in the green spine picture cover. 

35.  The Hidden Clue
36.  The Pledge of the Twin Knights
37.  The Search for the Glowing Hand
38.  The Secret of the Sand Castle

Ken Holt

18.  The Mystery of the Sultan's Scimitar

Rick Brant

21.  Rocket Jumper
22.  The Deadly Dutchman
23.  Danger Below!
24.  The Magic Talisman

Tom Swift, Jr.:

33.  Tom Swift and the Galaxy Ghosts

Trixie Belden:

35. The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire
36. The Mystery of the Antique Doll
37. The Pet Show Mystery
38. The Indian Burial Ground Mystery
39. The Mystery of the Galloping Ghost

Vicki Barr

15.  The Mystery of Flight 908
16.  The Brass Idol Mystery

In the case of the two Vicki Barr books, Flight 908 is far harder to find than Brass Idol.