Outdoor Girls Series - Titles and Printing Information

This is the text of an eBay guide that I created in 2006.  The guides are now orphaned pages that can only be found through an Internet search.  eBay plans to delete the guides in April 2018.

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The Outdoor Girls Series is a series of books published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1913 to 1933.  The books were written by Howard Garis (volumes 1-6) and by Elizabeth M. Duffield Ward (volumes 7-23) under the pseudonym of Laura Lee Hope.  Garis and Ward followed outlines provided by the Stratemeyer Syndicate and were paid a flat fee for each volume written.  

List of titles:

  1. The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale, 1913
  2. The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake, 1913
  3. The Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car, 1913
  4. T he Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp, 1913
  5. The Outdoor Girls in Florida, 1913
  6. The Outdoor Girls at Ocean View, 1915
  7. The Outdoor Girls on Pine Island, 1916
  8. The Outdoor Girls in Army Service, 1918
  9. The Outdoor Girls at the Hostess House, 1919
10. The Outdoor Girls at Bluff Point, 1920
11. The Outdoor Girls at Wild Rose Lodge, 1921
12. The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle, 1922
13. The Outdoor Girls Around the Campfire, 1923
14. The Outdoor Girls on Cape Cod, 1924
15. The Outdoor Girls at Foaming Falls, 1925
16. The Outdoor Girls Along the Coast, 1926
17. The Outdoor Girls at Spring Hill Farm, 1927
18. The Outdoor Girls at New Moon Ranch, 1928
19. The Outdoor Girls on a Hike, 1929
20. The Outdoor Girls on a Canoe Trip, 1930
21. The Outdoor Girls at Cedar Ridge, 1931
22. The Outdoor Girls in the Air, 1932
23. The Outdoor Girls in Desert Valley, 1933

Availability:

Volumes 1 through 18 and volume 23 were only published by Grosset and Dunlap, while volumes 19 through 22 were originally published by Grosset and Dunlap and were later reprinted by Whitman.  As with all discontinued series, the higher-numbered titles are more scarce and valuable than the lower-numbered titles.  Volume 23 is extremely scarce.  Volumes 19 through 22 are also scarce in the Grosset and Dunlap editions, but are readily available in the Whitman reprints.  This may have suppressed the value of the Grosset and Dunlap editions somewhat.

Except for volume 23, it is not too difficult to acquire reading copies of the books in this series.  However, most buyers desire the original dust jackets, and the original dust jackets are quite scarce.  It is very difficult to come even close to completing a set of Outdoor Girls books in dust jacket.

Printings:

As with all other series books published by Grosset and Dunlap, the copyright page is the last place to look in order to date a book.  All printings of each book have the identical copyright page.  For instance, all printings of The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale from 1913 through 1933 have the copyright page stating 1913 with no other dates or printings indicated.  One of the many ways that Grosset and Dunlap saved money was by never updating the copyright pages.

In order to determine the age of a book, find a list of titles present somewhere on the dust jacket or inside the book.  Do not use any list that may appear on the copyright page.  Since the copyright page was never updated, a list that appears on the copyright page will almost always be wrong.  The dust jackets will have a list of Outdoor Girls titles either on the front flap, the back flap, or the back panel.  The inside of the book will normally have a list of Outdoor Girls titles on one of the post-text pages in the back of the book.  Again, do not use a list that may appear on the copyright page.

Once a list has been found, make note of the last title on the list; this title will reveal the age of the book.  For instance, if the dust jacket or a post-text page lists to The Outdoor Girls at Pine Island, then the book was printed in 1916, which was the year of publication of The Outdoor Girls at Pine Island.  Or, if the dust jacket or a post-text page lists to The Outdoor Girls at Cedar Ridge, then the book was printed in 1931, the year of publication of The Outdoor Girls at Cedar Ridge.

What is mentioned above in terms of determining the age of a book only applies to the original Grosset and Dunlap editions.  Volumes 19 through 22 were reprinted by Whitman, and only these four titles are listed on the Whitman dust jackets.  Sellers sometimes advertise the Whitman reprints as early printings because of the short list of titles.  For instance, some sellers think that since a Whitman reprint of The Outdoor Girls in the Air lists to The Outdoor Girls in the Air that it is a first printing.  The Whitman reprints were done years after the Grosset and Dunlap editions went out of print.  As a result, none of the Whitman reprints can be considered either first or early printings.

Commentary:

The Outdoor Girls series is generally overlooked by most collectors of Nancy Drew, the Dana Girls, Judy Bolton, Beverly Gray, Trixie Belden, and other similar series books.  This is likely due to the series being a much earlier series and to the bland title of the series.  This series is well-written and full of interesting adventures.  I rank it as third on my list of favorites behind Nancy Drew and Beverly Gray.  The reason why is that the series appeals to my sense of adventure, just like Nancy Drew and Beverly Gray.

I have a section of my website devoted to the Outdoor Girls series, including scans of all of the dust jackets.   

Outdoor Girls Series Values

After the recent auction for The Outdoor Girls in Desert Valley in dust jacket closed at $204.39, I was asked whether that price was a bit high. Since I have a dust-jacketed copy of #22 The Outdoor Girls in the Air up for sale on Bonanzle at around $65.00, it was felt that #23 would not be worth much more, perhaps around $100. This was my response.

I think the closing price of that auction was a bit low. #23 is extremely scarce and seldom comes up for sale, with or without a dust jacket. If I did not already own that book with a jacket, I probably would have bid at least $350 to get it.

#22 is also very scarce in the original Grosset and Dunlap edition, although not as scarce as #23. What keeps the value of #22 down is that it was reprinted by Whitman during the 1940s, and the Whitman copies are not that hard to find. People have a cheap alternative to #22, so it is not necessary to pay much for it. There are very few surviving copies of #23.

There are no price guides for series books other than Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Rick Brant. John Axe’s books give an approximation for several other series as well, but there are no other guides.

I have been collecting long enough that I have a very good idea of what the books are really worth, so I go by my past experiences when pricing my books.

I believe I sold an Outdoor Girls #23 with a rough dust jacket for around $150 to $200 a couple of years ago. I had to upgrade twice before I had that book with a nice dust jacket. It took several years to finally get one that was to my liking.

After I sent that response, I found another Desert Valley without a dust jacket that sold for $28.99, so I sent this response:

Check out this auction that I just found:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Outdoor-Girls-Laura-Lee-Hope-2-books-/260589153696

It included Desert Valley, and it should have sold for at least $50 to $75, maybe more. Most of the value is in the dust jacket, which is why the other auction at over $200 went so high.

Click on the bidding history of this second auction. Look at how many times the high bidder bid. That person was desperate to win the auction and may have bid a huge amount.

It is very hard to know how much certain books are worth without years of watching the sold prices of books. Most of the Outdoor Girls books are worth no more than $10 provided that they do not have dust jackets. In fact, #23 is the only one that is worth more than $10 without a dust jacket.

With dust jackets, the average Outdoor Girls book is worth $15 to $50, and this depends upon the condition of the dust jacket. The duotone and plain dust jackets are harder to find than the color jackets, so their value will be a little higher.

It also depends upon how many people are searching for the books at a given time. Most people do not collect the Outdoor Girls books (which is a shame because the series is one of my very favorites), so the books can be had for fairly cheap prices. The consistent exception is Desert Valley, which is so scarce that not enough copies are available for the people who do collect the Outdoor Girls books.

The Book That Came Back

I purchased a partial set of Outdoor Girls books with dust jackets. The books were packaged quite well with lots of packing peanuts and bubble wrap, so it took me a few minutes to finally get at the books. As I pulled them out of the wrapping one by one, I did a double-take when I saw The Outdoor Girls on a Hike. My immediate reaction was, "I know this book." I was not certain, but my instinct told me that I had once had that specific book in my possession.

Several years ago, I purchased a complete set of Outdoor Girls books on eBay, and the books had water damage along the lower right edges. All of the books had the same area affected by water, and the damage also affected the same part of the dust jackets. I kept some of the books and sold others immediately. Eventually I upgraded most of the books.

This copy of The Outdoor Girls on a Hike had that familiar area of water damage. I opened the book and made note of the name, Eugenia Ward, written inside the book. I also noted that the dust jacket had a Demco mylar cover, which is what I use for my books. Was this book from that set of water-damaged Outdoor Girls books? Was it a book that I had once sold?

I had no idea whether I still had any of those books, but I thought it was quite likely that I had one or two. The Outdoor Girls series is not an easy series to collect. I went to my set of Outdoor Girls books and began checking them for the name Eugenia Ward, beginning with the high-numbered ones. I remember how long it took me to upgrade those water-damaged copies of The Outdoor Girls in the Air and The Outdoor Girls in Desert Valley, so I knew that I should begin checking the series from the last titles in reverse order.

I made it halfway down my set to The Outdoor Girls at Bluff Point. I opened that book to find . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the name Eugenia Ward. A-ha! I was right! How funny is that?

Without getting into all the specific details, I know that I did not get the books I just purchased from the person to whom I sold The Outdoor Girls on a Hike. I was able to search my PayPal account to help make that determination. The book was sold in early July 2005 to someone who was a reseller. The book has obviously changed hands multiple times before finding its way back to me.

By the way, I checked the rest of my Outdoor Girls books, and The Outdoor Girls at Bluff Point is the only one of Eugenia Ward's books that is still in my possession. If not for it, I would not have been able to prove that I had once owned Eugenia's The Outdoor Girls on a Hike. Even without the proof, I would have been convinced of it. There is no mistaking that familiar water damage.

The Outdoor Girls Series

In the coming days, I will post some of my past comments from the Vintage Series Books group. These past comments are worth revisiting. I have decided to begin with my Outdoor Girls posts. Right off, I notice that I compared the Outdoor Girls series to the Beverly Gray series. In my last post, I mentioned that the Outdoor Girls series and the Ruth Fielding series were the most likely series that influenced Clair Blank.

From December 26, 2005:

I am about finished reading the Outdoor Girls series. I have been pleasantly surprised with how much I have enjoyed the books as I had no idea what to expect. I feel like the series is a combination of the Blythe Girls series and the Beverly Gray series. Most of the books were written by Elizabeth Duffield Ward, so it is natural that there is a similarity to the Blythe Girls series. Volumes 8 through 11 deal with World War I, both the girls' work in support of the war effort and their fears about their boyfriends' safety. The general feel of this part of the series is much, much like the Blythe Girls series.

I compare the series to Beverly Gray because like in the Beverly Gray series, the Outdoor Girls series has a group of girls and their boyfriends who go on one vacation after another (with the difference that the Outdoor Girls stay in the United States and generally in the northeast) and have many exciting adventures. The various Outdoor Girls are nearly drowned many times and are nearly bitten by snakes many times. In one case, a landslide traps the girls and their horses in a cave. The horses are spooked and the thought of the girls trapped in an enclosed place with spooked horses is quite frightening. So, the Outdoor Girls series appeals to my sense of adventure in much the same way that the Beverly Gray series does.

There is also a lot of humor in the Outdoor Girls series. There are many amusing scenes and/or comments in each book.

While I did like the first six books which were written by Howard Garis, I enjoyed the books written by Elizabeth Duffield Ward much more.

All in all, I consider the Outdoor Girls series to be a very strong series and well worth reading.

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

Days later, another person commented that the Outdoor Girls series is one of her favorite series. She wondered why it doesn't get noticed more. On January 3, 2006, I posted the following response:

I have an idea why it doesn't get noticed, and I base my thoughts upon why I ignored it for the longest time.

The Outdoor Girls series went out of print shortly after the Nancy Drew series began. Most people who are currently actively collecting are not old enough to remember the Outdoor Girls series. The Outdoor Girls series is only advertised on the very early Nancy Drew dust jackets which are very difficult to acquire. Most people collecting are buying books with dust jackets that do not advertise the Outdoor Girls series.

When I was in the early stages of collecting, I was buying Nancy Drews from the 1950s and 1960s. When I started to spot Dana Girls, Judy Bolton, Vicki Barr, and Connie Blair books in antique shops, I was very likely to purchase them because I had seen them mentioned on the Nancy Drew jackets. The advertising influenced me in my used book purchases.

I do remembering buying one or two Outdoor Girls books in the mid-1990s, but I later sold them because they didn't appeal to me. The titles didn't pique my interest, and this brings me to the other reason that I believe that the series is ignored. The name of the series itself sounds rather ordinary and does not at all convey how well-written, interesting, and even exciting the books are.

The books set during World War I are quite moving. I also found the comments that were made about the enemy to be interesting. There are a number of very negative comments about the Germans. For instance:

"Of course it's cruel," said Allen grimly. "But so were the Huns cruel, centuries ago. The German people have simply never advanced beyond that state. They're still in the first stages of civilization."

That quote is from Army Service, pages 25-26. Ouch! What strikes me about it is how politically incorrect that comment is and how comments like it would not be made in children's books nowadays. This type of thing is what I love about the old books. They give us an opportunity to see just a little bit of what things were like many years ago and how people viewed the world.

The Outdoor Girls in Desert Valley

I have finally acquired a copy of The Outdoor Girls in Desert Valley that has a dust jacket which does not have a faded spine. This is my fourth copy of Desert Valley in dust jacket. It isn't perfect; it has a chip out of the lower spine, but it is the first one that I have been satisfied with.

My first copy was badly water-damaged. I cannot recall whether the spine of that jacket was faded, but it was in such bad shape with ink that had bled that it hardly mattered. My second and third dust jackets of Desert Valley both were in great shape but with badly-faded spines. It has been frustrating trying to get one without a faded spine. I recall one that sold in the past year at a very high price, and it also had a faded spine.

I have wondered why all of the Desert Valleys seem to have faded spines, whereas most of the other Outdoor Girls books that I have found have not had faded spines. Most of the Outdoor Girls dust jackets have the print on the spines in either dark blue or black ink. Dark blue and black ink are not that prone to fading. Desert Valley has the print in reddish-brown. This color is very prone to fading. The spine of my dust jacket looks a little faded simply because of the color of ink. It even could be slightly faded. All I know is that it is by far the best one that I have ever seen. The mystery of the faded spines is solved!