tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7157530669780468545.post4816861159764395552..comments2024-03-21T21:37:03.772-05:00Comments on Series Books for Girls: Scarcity of Early First Printing Nancy Drew BooksJennifer Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10405593758228423001noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7157530669780468545.post-49983664285624233232008-07-09T19:21:00.000-05:002008-07-09T19:21:00.000-05:00Oh, I'm glad you mentioned that auction! I knew I...Oh, I'm glad you mentioned that auction! I knew I once had a Judy Bolton that had red/burgundy staircase endpapers, but I sold it (stupid, stupid). This confirms that I remembered correctly. There was a transitional printing in which the endpapers changed to red just before the haunted house endpapers.Jennifer Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10405593758228423001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7157530669780468545.post-84325961255781411522008-07-09T16:17:00.000-05:002008-07-09T16:17:00.000-05:00This is a little odd:Patchwork QuiltRed cover with...This is a little odd:<BR/><A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200236158422&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010" REL="nofollow">Patchwork Quilt</A><BR/><BR/>Red cover with pink, not blue, end papers.Lenorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866449434740350921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7157530669780468545.post-70625375857572524422008-07-07T09:51:00.000-05:002008-07-07T09:51:00.000-05:00I wouldn't be surprised if some copies are still w...I wouldn't be surprised if some copies are still with the original owners or their families--inscriptions alone seem to indicate that a lot of books get passed along and down. I have my mother's old Trixie Belden and Donna Parker books and couldn't part with them, even though, for example, I'm not particularly fond of the Donna Parker series, and, if I were, there's other cover art that I prefer to the ones I have. These family books are probably less likely to be in good condition, though. My Trixie Beldens also made their way through my cousins, and are pretty beat-up (but, again, I would never replace them).<BR/><BR/>One thing that has surprised me is that, even though the earlier dust jackets are fairly scarce (proportionally, there are TONS of Outdoor Girls books w/o dj, and a relatively small amount with), they're not horribly difficult to find online at a decent price. And they seem to generally be cheaper at fixed price sites, especially the Outdoor Girls. I recently looked through Amazon and ABE and purchased about 5 books in dj, from $7-$11 (3 color, 1 duotone, 1 original style). Moving Picture Girls and Girls of Central High are more difficult and expensive, and there's the added confusion of different publishers' reprints. Of those I've noticed only one G&D in dj for auction on eBay in the past year or so (one of the Girls of Central High).<BR/><BR/>As far as keeping lucky finds, I can say that, so far, I'm not guilty of this (beyond series I collect, of course--a $10 lot with a fine copy in dj of <I>The Discovery at the Dragon's Mouth</I> comes to mind). I've not found anything near the league of what you described, though, so who knows what I'd do faced with that temptation?Lenorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866449434740350921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7157530669780468545.post-67453487222725773362008-07-07T07:20:00.000-05:002008-07-07T07:20:00.000-05:00The early series you mention also had relatively p...The early series you mention also had relatively poor sales--at least they were not in the class of the popular Syndicate series like Tom Swift and the Bobbsey Twins.<BR/><BR/>I agree that some of the early Nancy Drews are probably single-owner copies where that person is in their 80s and perhaps just now considering a reduction of their household.<BR/><BR/>Something I saw while trying to build up my Tom Swift collection was the number of cases where books from a prominent collector went to his children. They were willing to part with the other series but kept the Tom Swifts because they meant so much to their relative.<BR/><BR/>I had privately estimated $12,000 for this copy so I was not surprised by the close value.<BR/><BR/>Most series book collectors have a hard time spending this sum for a book. However, many book collectors in other fields do spend this level for significant books in collectible condition. The 1914 A.C. McClurg first printing of Tarzan of the Apes in VG with a VG jacket has sold a couple of times for $50,000. (McClurg first printings without jacket in VG are a fraction of this at $1,000-$2,000). Tarzan is a series but the collectors are in different income brackets than most series book collectors.<BR/><BR/>Another thing I have observed is that a high-profile high-priced auction for a scarce item usually brings out more copies. People who have an item might rationalize that they have been keeping the item but perhaps now is the time to sell. These additional copies often sell at slightly less than the initial one.<BR/><BR/>Jameskeelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16006640946874012637noreply@blogger.com