Kay Tracey #10 The Murmuring Portrait

In Kay Tracey #10, The Murmuring Portrait, Kay, Wilma, and Betty are robbed by Monty the Mole while on a picnic.  Later, the girls hear about the Moleson Mansion, and they believe that Mrs. Moleson might be Monty's mother.  While at the mansion, the girls learn that Mrs. Moleson is in terrible health.  Mrs. Moleson's doctor and nurse appear to be trying to gain control of her fortune.  Kay searches for Monty while she tries to keep Mrs. Moleson's fortune safe.

Kay meets a young woman, Miss Robbin, who was engaged to Monty.  Miss Robbin accidentally drops her engagement ring, and Kay keeps it on purpose.  Kay plans to show the ring to Monty, if she can find him.  Keeping the ring is completely inappropriate and it's incredible that Kay does this, even though she does intend to give the ring back.

Kay becomes a thief again later in the story.  She sees a portrait that she knows once belonged to Monty.  The man refuses to give it back, so Kay takes it when she has a chance.  When Kay tells Cousin Bill what she has done, he tells her that it was okay for her to take the portrait.  This is amazing.  Kay really doesn't know if the man has a legitimate claim to the portrait, and she should not have stolen it.

Besides Kay's inappropriate behavior, this book is full of the usual crazy events.  Monty gets impaled by a pitchfork, but he isn't killed.  Monty steals an ambulance and crashes it.  Kay gets lots of bloody cuts on her hands and lower arms.  The girls hear strange mumbling from behind the portrait.  A man known as the Ruler controls all the vagabonds and disabled people who live in the area.

The Garden City and Books, Inc. editions were not revised except for the final page of the story.

The Cupples and Leon edition leaves the fate of the painting hanging at the end.  Kay is supposed to dispose of the portrait.  She doesn't want to keep it, and the text states that the disposal of the painting provides her with another adventure.  This is odd, since the reader never hears anything further about the painting in later adventures.

The final page was revised in the Garden City and Books, Inc. editions to have Kay sell the portrait to an art gallery.  At least in those editions, the reader knows what happened to the painting.

I always feel like Kay Tracey is at her best when the story is crazy from start to finish.  This one certainly delivers.  I greatly enjoyed it.

Judy Bolton Series - Titles and Collecting Information

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The Judy Bolton series is a series of books published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1932 through 1967.  The series consists of 38 titles that were all written by Margaret Sutton.  This series is popular with collectors of Nancy Drew, the Dana Girls, Beverly Gray, Trixie Belden, and other similar series.

The ads for the series stated that each book was "based on something that actually happened," and Margaret Sutton did indeed incorporate events from her life into each book.  

The last titles in the series are much more difficult to acquire than the earlier volumes, due to fewer printings and lower print runs.

The Judy Bolton books were never revised like a few other Grosset and Dunlap series.  All hardcover Judy Bolton books have the original unrevised text of the story, regardless of printing, with the exception of The Vanishing Shadow which does exist in a slightly revised 1964 printing.  The 1964 text of The Vanishing Shadow does have 1964 on the copyright page, so it cannot be confused with the original 1932 text.

Additionally, the first four Judy Bolton titles were issued in paperback by Tempo Books, a division of Grosset and Dunlap, in 1967.  The Tempo books do have slightly revised texts.

List of Judy Bolton titles:

  1. The Vanishing Shadow, 1932
  2. The Haunted Attic, 1932
  3. The Invisible Chimes, 1932
  4. Seven Strange Clues, 1932
  5. The Ghost Parade, 1933
  6. The Yellow Phantom, 1933
  7. The Mystic Ball, 1934
  8. The Voice in the Suitcase, 1935
  9. The Mysterious Half Cat, 1936
10. The Riddle of the Double Ring, 1937
11. The Unfinished House, 1938
12. The Midnight Visitor, 1939
13. The Name on the Bracelet, 1940
14. The Clue in the Patchwork Quilt, 1941
15. The Mark on the Mirror, 1942
16. The Secret of the Barred Window, 1943
17. The Rainbow Riddle, 1946
18. The Living Portrait, 1947
19. The Secret of the Musical Tree, 1948
20. The Warning on the Window, 1949
21. The Clue of the Stone Lantern, 1950
22. The Spirit of Fog Island, 1951
23. The Black Cat's Clue, 1952
24. The Forbidden Chest, 1953
25. The Haunted Road, 1954
26. The Clue in the Ruined Castle, 1955
27. The Trail of the Green Doll, 1956
28. The Haunted Fountain, 1957
29. The Clue of the Broken Wing, 1958
30. The Phantom Friend, 1959
31. The Discovery at the Dragon's Mouth, 1960
32. The Whispered Watchword, 1961
33. The Secret Quest, 1962
34. The Puzzle in the Pond, 1963
35. The Hidden Clue, 1964
36. The Pledge of the Twin Knights, 1965
37. The Search for the Glowing Hand, 1966
38. The Secret of the Sand Castle, 1967

Prices:

The purpose of this guide is to provide a starting place for buyers and sellers who are interested in the Judy Bolton series.  This guide does not attempt to give the value of the different Judy Bolton books.  The values are constantly changing based on supply and demand.  If I were to attempt to give values, they would soon be meaningless.  There are way too many factors to consider.  The only statement that can be made with certainty is that the last few titles in the series are much more difficult to acquire and do consistently sell for higher prices.

If you are planning to sell some Judy Bolton books and need to get an idea of the current pricing, search the recently completed Judy Bolton auctions on eBay to get an idea of the selling prices.  If you are planning to buy Judy Bolton books, you should also search the completed auctions to see what the selling prices are.

The illustrations:

Only volumes 1 through 10 were printed with the four glossy illustrations during the 1930s.  Volumes 11 and 12 were printed with one glossy illustration during the late 1930s and early 1940s, and during the same time period, volumes 1 through 10 were reprinted with only one glossy illustration.  Volumes 13 and up never had glossy illustrations; these volumes had the plain paper frontispiece illustration.

First printings:

Never use the copyright page to determine the age of a Judy Bolton book.  Grosset and Dunlap very rarely made changes to the copyright page.  Even when a list of titles does appear on the copyright page, the list will almost always not be accurate.

The two easiest places to look in order to determine the age of a Judy Bolton book are on the dust jacket’s front flap, if present, and on an interior list of titles.  The last title present in the list of Judy Bolton titles will tell you what the age of the book is.  For instance, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Mystic Ball, then the book was printed in 1934, which is the year of publication for The Mystic Ball.  Or, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Forbidden Chest, then the book was printed in 1953, which is the year of publication for The Forbidden Chest.

When the book is missing its dust jacket, refer to the interior list of titles, if present.  The earlier books from the 1930s and early 1940s have post-text ad pages with lists of titles.  The later Judy Bolton books will usually have a pre-text list of titles which will give you the same information.

Important:  When I refer to a pre-text list of titles, I do not mean a list that may appear on the copyright page.  Since Grosset and Dunlap rarely updated the copyright page, any list of titles that appears on the copyright page will almost always not be accurate.  If there is a pre-text list of titles that can be used to date a book, it will appear on a separate page from the copyright and title page, usually right after the endpapers.  However, with the early thick green Judy Bolton books, do not use an interior list that occurs in the front of the book but not on the copyright page.  For the thick green books, some of them have a list of titles on a page in the front of the book that is not the copyright page; these lists were also never revised. 

Identifying the age of a book:

It helps greatly to learn what the outside of a Judy Bolton book looks like for the different formats so that you can easily see by a seller’s picture how old the book likely is.  I have chosen not to add detailed pictures to this page since the number of pictures that eBay will allow on the guide is too restrictive for me to show you what you need to see.  I already have a very detailed formats page on my own website.  My formats page has pictures of all of the different types of Judy Bolton books.  

Mildred Wirt Benson: Stories and Novels for Children

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Mildred Wirt Benson is best remembered as the author of the early Nancy Drew books.  However, the Nancy Drew books are but one small part of her writing.  Benson wrote well over 100 books, most of which are just as good as the Nancy Drew books that she wrote.  While many of the books were written under Benson's real name, others were written under various pseudonyms.  The purpose of this guide is to list the many books written by Mildred Wirt Benson.

For more information about these different books, please visit my Mildred Wirt Benson page.

Boy Scout Explorers Series (as Don Palmer)

  1. Boy Scout Explorers at Emerald Valley, 1955
  2. Boy Scout Explorers at Treasure Mountain, 1955
  3. Boy Scout Explorers at Headless Hollow, 1957

The Brownie Scouts Series (as Mildred A. Wirt)

  1. The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley, 1949
  2. The Brownie Scouts in the Circus, 1949
  3. The Brownie Scouts in the Cherry Festival, 1950
  4. The Brownie Scouts and Their Tree House, 1951
  5. The Brownie Scouts at Silver Beach, 1952
  6. The Brownie Scouts at Windmill Farm, 1953

The Dana Girls Mystery Stories (as Carolyn Keene)

  5. The Secret at the Hermitage, 1936
  6. The Circle of Footprints, 1937
  7. The Mystery of the Locked Room, 1938
  8. The Clue in the Cobweb, 1939
  9. The Secret at the Gatehouse, 1940
10. The Mysterious Fireplace, 1941
11. The Clue of the Rusty Key, 1942
12. The Portrait in the Sand, 1943
13. The Secret in the Old Well, 1944
14. The Clue in the Ivy, 1952
15. The Secret of the Jade Ring, 1953
16. Mystery at the Crossroads, 1954

The Dan Carter Cub Scout Series (as Mildred A. Wirt)

  1. Dan Carter, Cub Scout, 1949
  2. Dan Carter and the River Camp, 1949
  3. Dan Carter and the Money Box, 1950
  4. Dan Carter and the Haunted Castle, 1951
  5. Dan Carter and the Great Carved Face, 1952
  6. Dan Carter and the Cub Honor, 1953

Doris Force Mystery Stories (as Julia K. Duncan)

  1. Doris Force at Locked Gates, 1931
  2. Doris Force at Cloudy Cove, 1931

Dot and Dash Books (as Dorothy West)

  1. Dot and Dash at the Maple Sugar Camp, 1938
  2. Dot and Dash at Happy Hollow, 1938
  3. Dot and Dash in the North Woods, 1938
  4. Dot and Dash in the Pumpkin Patch, 1939
  5. Dot and Dash at the Seashore, 1940

Flash Evans Books (as Frank Bell)

  1. Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery, 1940
  2. Flash Evans, Camera News Hawk, 1940

Girl Scouts Series (as Mildred A. Wirt)

  1. The Girl Scouts at Penguin Pass, 1953
  2. The Girl Scouts at Singing Sands, 1955
  3. The Girl Scouts at Mystery Mansion, 1957

Honey Bunch Books (as Helen Louise Thorndyke)

18. Honey Bunch, Her First Little Treasure Hunt, 1937
19. Honey Bunch, Her First Little Club, 1938
20. Honey Bunch, Her First Trip in a Trailer, 1939
21. Honey Bunch, Her First Trip to a Big Fair, 1940
22. Honey Bunch, Her First Twin Playmates, 1941

Individual Titles (as Mildred Benson)

Dangerous Deadline, 1957
Quarry Ghost, 1959
Kristie at College [Quarry Ghost], 1960

Connie Carl at Rainbow Ranch, 1939 (as Joan Clark)

Mystery at the Lookout, 1942 (as Carolyn Keene)

Individual Titles (as Mildred A. Wirt)

The Twin Ring Mystery, 1935
Sky Racers, 1935
Carolina Castle, 1936
Courageous Wings, 1937
Linda, 1940
Mystery of the Laughing Mask, 1940
Pirate Brig, 1950

Kay Tracey Mystery Stories (as Frances K. Judd)

  3. The Mystery of the Swaying Curtains, 1935
  4. The Shadow on the Door, 1935
  5. The Six Fingered Glove Mystery, 1936
  6. The Green Cameo Mystery, 1936
  7. The Secret at the Windmill, 1937
  8. Beneath the Crimson Brier Bush, 1937
  9. The Message in the Sand Dunes, 1938
10. The Murmuring Portrait, 1938
11. When the Key Turned, 1939
12. In the Sunken Garden, 1939
14. The Sacred Feather, 1940

The Madge Sterling Series (as Ann Wirt)

  1. The Missing Formula, 1932
  2. The Deserted Yacht, 1932
  3. The Secret of the Sundial, 1932

The Mildred A. Wirt Mystery Stories

The Clue at Crooked Lane, 1936
The Hollow Wall Mystery, 1936
The Shadow Stone, 1937
The Wooden Shoe Mystery, 1938
Through the Moon-Gate Door, 1938
Ghost Gables, 1939
The Painted Shield, 1939

The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (as Carolyn Keene)

  1. The Secret of the Old Clock, 1930
  2. The Hidden Staircase, 1930
  3. The Bungalow Mystery, 1930
  4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn, 1930
  5. The Secret at Shadow Ranch, 1931
  6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm, 1931
  7. The Clue in the Diary, 1932
11. The Clue of the Broken Locket, 1934
12. The Message in the Hollow Oak, 1935
13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, 1936
14. The Whispering Statue, 1937
15. The Haunted Bridge, 1937
16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels, 1939
17. The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, 1940
18. The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion, 1941
19. The Quest of the Missing Map, 1942
20. The Clue in the Jewel Box, 1943
21. The Secret in the Old Attic, 1944
22. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, 1945
23. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, 1946
24. The Clue in the Old Album, 1947
25. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, 1948
30. The Clue of the Velvet Mask, 1953

The Penny Nichols Mystery Stories (as Joan Clark)

  1. Penny Nichols Finds a Clue, 1936
  2. Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key, 1936
  3. Penny Nichols and the Black Imp, 1936
  4. Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery, 1939

The Penny Parker Mystery Stories (as Mildred A. Wirt)

  1. Tale of the Witch Doll, 1939
  2. The Vanishing Houseboat, 1939
  3. Danger at the Drawbridge, 1940
  4. Behind the Green Door, 1940
  5. Clue of the Silken Ladder, 1941
  6. The Secret Pact, 1941
  7. The Clock Strikes Thirteen, 1942
  8. The Wishing Well, 1942
  9. Ghost Beyond the Gate, 1943
10. Saboteurs on the River, 1943
11. Hoofbeats on the Turnpike, 1944
12. Voice from the Cave, 1944
13. Guilt of the Brass Thieves, 1945
14. Signal in the Dark, 1946
15. Whispering Walls, 1946
16. Swamp Island, 1947
17. The Cry at Midnight, 1947

The Ruth Darrow Flying Stories (as Mildred A. Wirt)

  1. Ruth Darrow in the Air Derby, 1930
  2. Ruth Darrow in the Fire Patrol, 1930
  3. Ruth Darrow in the Coast Guard, 1931
  4. Ruth Darrow in Yucatan, 1931

The Ruth Fielding Series (as Alice B. Emerson)

23. Ruth Fielding and Her Great Scenario, 1927
24. Ruth Fielding at Cameron Hall, 1928
25. Ruth Fielding Clearing Her Name, 1929
26. Ruth Fielding in Talking Pictures, 1930
27. Ruth Fielding and Baby June, 1931
28. Ruth Fielding and Her Double, 1932
29. Ruth Fielding and Her Greatest Triumph, 1933
30. Ruth Fielding and Her Crowning Victory, 1934

Trailer Stories for Girls (as Mildred A. Wirt)

 1. The Runaway Caravan, 1937
 2. The Crimson Cruiser, 1937
 3. Timbered Treasure, 1937
 4. The Phantom Trailer, 1938 

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Super Mystery Series Titles

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In this series, Nancy Drew teams up with Frank and Joe Hardy to solve mysteries.  This series was in print from 1988 until 1998 and consists of 36 volumes.  Since the higher-numbered titles went through fewer printings, they are much more scarce than the lower-numbered titles.

Unfortunately, the books are not numbered in this series as with most series books.  It is quite necessary to have a list of titles in order to keep track of which books are needed.  The purpose of this guide is to provide a list for buyers to use.  The books are listed in order by using the pre-text lists that appear in the front of each book.

This guide is not intended to be a price guide.  If I were to attempt to give prices, they would soon be meaningless.  Prices are constantly changing based on supply and demand.  If you want to have an idea of how much certain titles are worth, search on eBay for recently completed auctions and take a look at the prices.  The higher-numbered titles in the series usually sell for higher prices because they went through fewer printings.

List of Titles:

  1.  Double Crossing, 1988
  2.  A Crime for Christmas, 1988
  3.  Shock Waves, 1989
  4.  Dangerous Games, 1989
  5.  The Last Resort, 1989
  6.  The Paris Connection, 1990
  7.  Buried in Time, 1990
  8.  Mystery Train, 1990
  9.  Best of Enemies, 1991
10.  High Survival, 1991
11.  New Years Evil, 1991
12.  Tour of Danger, 1992
13.  Spies and Lies, 1992
14.  Tropic of Fear, 1992
15.  Courting Disaster, 1993
16.  Hits and Misses, 1993
17.  Evil in Amsterdam, 1993
18.  Desperate Measures, 1994
19.  Passport to Danger, 1994
20.  Hollywood Horror, 1994
21.  Copper Canyon Conspiracy, 1994
22.  Danger Down Under, 1995
23.  Dead on Arrival, 1995
24.  Target for Terror, 1995
25.  Secrets of the Nile, 1995
26.  A Question of Guilt, 1996
27.  Islands of Intrigue, 1996
28.  Murder on the Fourth of July, 1996
29.  High Stakes, 1996
30.  Nightmare in New Orleans, 1997
31.  Out of Control, 1997
32.  Exhibition of Evil, 1997
33.  At All Costs, 1997
34.  Royal Revenge, 1997
35.  Operation: Titanic, 1998
36.  Process of Elimination, 1998

Kay Tracey #9 The Message in the Sand Dunes

In Kay Tracey #9, The Message in the Sand Dunes, Kay, Wilma, Betty, Cousin Bill, and Mrs. Tracey are vacationing at Seaside Beach.  A boy named Ben Wheeler comes begging for food, and soon, Kay suspects that he might be responsible for thefts that have been occurring at cabins along the beach.

Spinster sisters Maud and Henrietta Crowley live in a nearby cottage.  The sisters bury something in the sand shortly before they move away to live in an institution.  Kay wonders what the women buried and decides to dig it up.

I find it amazing that Kay thinks she has the right to dig up what the Crowley sisters buried in the sand.

Kay goes to visit the Crowley sisters in the institution, which turns into quite an adventure.  While there, a resident accuses Kay of having been reincarnated.  Kay uses a sheet to scare an old woman and a colored porter.  Of course, Kay quite naturally has good reasons for doing this, but the scenes are quite bizarre and a bit distasteful.

Kay also manages to set off the institution's alarms accidentally.

On page 189, Kay and her friends find a warning message that was buried on the beach.  The message states, "Danger! Do not dig here!"  I mention this because on page 204, Betty makes the following remark.

"[I]f we had obeyed that message in the sand dunes saying 'Danger, don't dig here,' so many of these things never would have happened.  We'd have missed an exciting adventure."

Um, the story is practically over by the time the girls find the warning note.  They would have only missed out on 15 pages of adventure if the message had stopped them from completing their adventure.  How stupid.

The text is almost exactly the same in the later printings by Garden City and Books, Inc.  The first two pages were rewritten, and the rest of the text appears to be identical.  The Garden City and Books, Inc. editions even leave in the scene where Kay scares the colored porter.

This is a very good book.  It has a lot of randomness in the plot, but something interesting is always happening.

The Bobbsey Twins Series by Laura Lee Hope 1904-1979

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The Bobbsey Twins series was published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1908 until 1979.  The original Bobbsey Twins series lasted for 72 titles.  The series was written by several authors under the pseudonym of Laura Lee Hope.  

The first publishers of the Bobbsey Twins were Mershon and Chatterton-Peck before Grosset and Dunlap took over in 1908.  In 1979, new titles were published in softcover under the Wanderer imprint by Simon and Schuster.  This page does not cover the Simon and Schuster titles.  

The original copyright date is listed below for each volume.  Many of the books were revised during the 1960s, and the titles were changed.  The 1960s titles are also indicated in the below list.

List of titles

  1. The Bobbsey Twins, or Merry Days Indoors and Out, 1904
      The Bobbsey Twins of Lakeport, 1961
  2. The Bobbsey Twins in the Country, 1907
      The Bobbsey Twins' Adventure in the Country, 1961
  3. The Bobbsey Twins at the Seashore, 1907
      The Bobbsey Twins: The Secret at the Seashore, 1961
  4. The Bobbsey Twins at School, 1913
      The Bobbsey Twins' Mystery at School, 1962
  5. The Bobbsey Twins at Snow Lodge, 1913
      The Bobbsey Twins and the Mystery at Snow Lodge, 1960
  6. The Bobbsey Twins on a Houseboat, 1915
  7. The Bobbsey Twins at Meadow Brook, 1915
      The Bobbsey Twins' Mystery at Meadow Brook, 1963
  8. The Bobbsey Twins at Home, 1916
      The Bobbsey Twins' Big Adventure at Home, 1960
  9. The Bobbsey Twins in a Great City, 1917
      The Bobbsey Twins' Search in the Great City, 1960
10. The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberrry Island, 1917
11. The Bobbsey Twins on the Deep Blue Sea, 1918
      The Bobbsey Twins' Mystery on the Deep Blue Sea, 1965
12. The Bobbsey Twins in Washington, 1919
      The Bobbsey Twins' Adventure in Washington, 1962
13. The Bobbsey Twins in the Great West, 1920
      The Bobbsey Twins' Visit to the Great West, 1966
14. The Bobbsey Twins at Cedar Camp, 1921
      The Bobbsey Twins and the Cedar Camp Mystery, 1967
15. The Bobbsey Twins at the County Fair, 1922
      The Bobbsey Twins and the County Fair Mystery, 1960
16. The Bobbsey Twins Camping Out, 1923
17. The Bobbsey Twins and Baby May, 1924
      The Bobbsey Twins' Adventures with Baby May, 1968
18. The Bobbsey Twins Keeping House, 1925
      The Bobbsey Twins and the Play House Secret, 1968
19. The Bobbsey Twins at Cloverbank, 1926
      The Bobbsey Twins and the Four Leaf Clover Mystery, 1968
20. The Bobbsey Twins at Cherry Corners, 1927
      The Bobbsey Twins: The Mystery at Cherry Corners, 1971
21. The Bobbsey Twins and their Schoolmates, 1928
22. The Bobbsey Twins Treasure Hunting, 1929      
23. The Bobbsey Twins at Spruce Lake, 1930
24. The Bobbsey Twins' Wonderful Secret, 1931
      The Bobbsey Twins' Wonderful Winter Secret, 1962
25. The Bobbsey Twins at the Circus, 1932
     The Bobbsey Twins and the Circus Surprise, 1960
26. The Bobbsey Twins on an Airplane Trip, 1933    
27. The Bobbsey Twins Solve a Mystery, 1932           
28. The Bobbsey Twins on a Ranch, 1935           
29. The Bobbsey Twins in Eskimo Land, 1936          
30. The Bobbsey Twins in a Radio Play, 1937
31. The Bobbsey Twins at Windmill Cottage, 1938
32. The Bobbsey Twins at Lighthouse Point, 1939
33. The Bobbsey Twins at Indian Hollow, 1940
34. The Bobbsey Twins at the Ice Carnival, 1941
35. The Bobbsey Twins in the Land of Cotton, 1942    
36. The Bobbsey Twins in Echo Valley, 1943
37. The Bobbsey Twins on the Pony Trail, 1944    
38. The Bobbsey Twins at Mystery Mansion, 1945    
39. The Bobbsey Twins at Sugar Maple Hill, 1946
40. The Bobbsey Twins in Mexico, 1947
41. The Bobbsey Twins' Toy Shop, 1948
42. The Bobbsey Twins in Tulip Land, 1949
43. The Bobbsey Twins in Rainbow Valley, 1950
44. The Bobbsey Twins' Own Little Railroad, 1951
45. The Bobbsey Twins at Whitesail Harbor, 1952
46. The Bobbsey Twins and the Horseshoe Riddle, 1953
47. The Bobbsey Twins at Big Bear Pond, 1953
48. The Bobbsey Twins on a Bicycle Trip, 1954
49. The Bobbsey Twins' Own Little Ferryboat, 1956
50. The Bobbsey Twins at Pilgrim Rock, 1956
51. The Bobbsey Twins' Forest Adventure, 1957
52. The Bobbsey Twins at London Tower, 1959
53. The Bobbsey Twins in the Mystery Cave, 1960
54. The Bobbsey Twins in Volcano Land, 1961
55. The Bobbsey Twins and the Goldfish Mystery, 1962
56. The Bobbsey Twins and the Big River Mystery, 1963
57. The Bobbsey Twins and the Greek Hat Mystery, 1964
58. The Bobbsey Twins: Search for the Green Rooster, 1965
59. The Bobbsey Twins and Their Camel Adventure, 1966
60. The Bobbsey Twins: Mystery of the King's Puppet, 1967
61. The Bobbsey Twins and the Secret of Candy Castle, 1968
62. The Bobbsey Twins and the Doodlebug Mystery, 1969
63. The Bobbsey Twins and the Talking Fox Mystery, 1970
64. The Bobbsey Twins: The Red, White and Blue Mystery, 1971
65. The Bobbsey Twins: Dr. Funnybone's Secret, 1972
66. The Bobbsey Twins and the Tagalong Giraffe, 1973
67. The Bobbsey Twins and the Flying Clown, 1974
68. The Bobbsey Twins: On the Sun-Moon Cruise, 1975
69. The Bobbsey Twins: The Freedom Bell Mystery, 1976
70. The Bobbsey Twins: The Smoky Mountain Mystery, 1977
71. The Bobbsey Twins in a TV Mystery Show, 1978
72. The Bobbsey Twins: The Coral Turtle Mystery, 1979

Formats

The Bobbsey Twins books printed by Grosset and Dunlap from 1908 until 1932 have four glossy illustrations.  These books are thick and have good quality paper.  From 1932 through 1942, the books were printed with just a glossy frontispiece illustration.  From 1942 through 1948, the books became less thick.  These books each have a plain paper frontispiece illustration and have poor quality paper.  From 1949 through around 1962, the books have a tweed cover.  Around 1963 to 1964, the series switched to the lavender spine picture cover format.  

It is important to note that not all of the Bobbsey Twins books were printed in the lavender spine picture cover format during the 1960s and 1970s.  It is impossible to obtain a complete set of volumes 1 through 72 in the lavender spine format.  I do not know for certain which titles were omitted, but I believe it is some of the books that were never revised, such as volumes 21 through 23 among others.

For more information and pictures about the different Bobbsey Twins formats, there is an excellent website with this information.  It can easily be found by searching the internet for Bobbsey Twins formats.*

Prices

Prices are constantly changing based on supply and demand.  Generally, there is not as much demand for Bobbsey Twins books as for other vintage series books.  However, certain formats that are more scarce will sell for higher prices when several buyers are interested.  This guide is not intended to be a price guide since it is impossible to predict what a certain book will bring at any given time.

First printings

The copyright page is the last place to look when trying to determine whether a Bobbsey Twins book is the first printing.  The copyright pages were rarely updated by Grosset and Dunlap.

If the book does not have a dust jacket and if it is one of the thick, earlier books with glossy illustrations, look in the back of the book after the end of the story to see if there is a list of Bobbsey Twins titles.  If the book is one of the less thick books that has a plain paper frontispiece, there may be a list in the front of the book on a page other than the copyright page.  Do not use any list that may appear on the copyright page.  For the lavender spine books, there is a list of titles that appears on the back cover of the book.

If the book has a dust jacket, look on the front flap and/or back panel for a list of Bobbsey Twins titles. 

Once an appropriate list of titles has been found, refer to the last title in the list.  The last title listed determines the year of printing.  For instance, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Bobbsey Twins in the Land of Cotton, then the book was printed in 1942, which is the year of publication for The Bobbsey Twins in the Land of Cotton.  Or, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Bobbsey Twins at Pilgrim Rock, then the book was printed in 1956, which is the year of publication for The Bobbsey Twins at Pilgrim Rock. 

*eBay never allowed off-site links in its guides, so I had to tell users how to find the Bobbsey Twins formats pages.  The page to which I referred in the guide is Bobbsey Twins Formats.  Another page now exists, The Bobbsey Twins Collectors Guide.

Susan Sand Mystery Stories by Marilyn Ezzell 1982-1984

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.

This eBay guide was viewed approximately 4,500 times.

The Susan Sand Mystery Stories series was published by Pinnacle in softcover from 1982 through 1984.  The series was written by Marilyn Ezzell.

Advertisements for the series described Susan Sand as the "modern detective heroine in the classic tradition of Nancy Drew."  The series was published as a direct rival to the Nancy Drew series.  The design of the front covers mimicked the design of the Nancy Drew paperback titles of the early 1980s.

List of Titles:

1. The Mystery at Hollowhearth House, 1982
2. The Secret of Clovercrest Castle, 1982
3. The Clue in Witchwhistle Well, 1982
4. The Riddle of Raggedrock Ridge, 1982
5. The Phantom of Featherford Falls, 1983
6. The Password to Diamonddwarf Dale, 1983
7. The Search for the Snowship Songs, 1984
8. The Mystery of Beggarbay Bluff, 1984

Availability:

All eight titles are scarce.  The higher-numbered titles are more scarce, and #8 is rare.  The first several titles are worth around $5 to $10.  #7 is worth around $25.00, and #8 is worth at least around $50.00.*  These values are just an estimate based on selling prices that I have seen.  The values are subject to increase or decrease based on supply and demand.  Also keep in mind that books with heavy wear will be worth significantly less. 

*The above information about value was based on my observations in 2006.  Most series book values collapsed in late 2008 and have never recovered.  All titles in the series can currently be found for under $20, and sometimes partial or complete sets sell for under $20.  The books are still scarce, but few people are interested in purchasing them.

Kay Tracey #8 Beneath the Crimson Brier Bush

In Kay Tracey #8, Beneath the Crimson Brier Bush, Kay and Mrs. Tracey go with Aunt Jessie to inspect her farm.  Shortly after their arrival, Kay discovers a baby under a crimson brier bush.  Aunt Jessie falls in love with the baby and declares that she is going to keep it.  Aunt Jessie won't let the Traceys tell anyone about the baby, but Kay privately hopes to find the parents.

Only in Kay Tracey's crazy world would one find a baby under a bush and decide to keep it.  Mrs. Tracey and Kay have misgivings about Aunt Jessie keeping the baby, but it's not like they do anything to stop her.

Kay continues to experience the delightfully random events that are a hallmark of this series.  On page 87, Kay gets caught in a forest fire.  Later in the story, Kay and Cousin Bill return home to find their kitchen flooded by a pipe that has corroded.

It's curious and rather convenient that the one man who can save Rose's eyesight lives in a nearby city.

The story is a bit convoluted with multiple sightings of people who are missing a baby or have been seen with a baby.

For the Garden City and Books, Inc. editions, the first two pages of the story were rewritten, and the last page was partially rewritten.  Otherwise, the stories appear to be the exactly the same when opened to various random pages.

I enjoyed this story.