Vicki Barr Series - Titles and Collecting Information

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June 14, 2006

The Vicki Barr Flight Stewardess Series, also known as the Vicki Barr Air Stewardess Series, was published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1947 through 1964.  The books were written by Helen Wells and Julie Campbell Tatham.  Julie Campbell Tatham was the author of the first six Trixie Belden books.  Wells and Tatham were also both authors of the Cherry Ames Nurse Stories.  

Volume 16, The Brass Idol Mystery, is credited to Helen Wells, but it is now believed that The Brass Idol Mystery was written by Walter B. Gibson, the creator and writer of "The Shadow."

Titles in the Vicki Barr Series:

  1. Silver Wings for Vicki, 1947
  2. Vicki Finds the Answer, 1947
  3. The Hidden Valley Mystery, 1948
  4. The Secret of Magnolia Manor, 1949
  5. The Clue of the Broken Blossom, 1950
  6. Behind the White Veil, 1951
  7. The Mystery at Hartwood House, 1952
  8. Peril Over the Airport, 1953
  9. The Mystery of the Vanishing Lady, 1954
10. The Search for the Missing Twin, 1954
11. The Ghost at the Waterfall, 1956
12. The Clue of the Gold Coin, 1958
13. The Silver Ring Mystery, 1960
14. The Clue of the Carved Ruby, 1961
15. The Mystery of Flight 908, 1962
16. The Brass Idol Mystery, 1964

Formats:

The earliest titles in the series were printed with solid blue boards.  Later, the series was printed in the blue tweed boards of the 1950s.  Volumes 1 through 15 were printed in dust jacket.  Volume 16 was only printed in picture cover.  Volume 16 is considerably difficult to acquire, as is volume 15 in dust jacket.

First printings:

The copyright page is not useful when trying to determine the age of a Vicki Barr book.  Grosset and Dunlap very rarely made changes to the copyright page, so all printings of Silver Wings for Vicki will have the identical copyright page with the only year listed as 1947.

The two easiest places to look in order to determine the age of a Vicki Barr book are on the dust jacket’s front flap, if the book still has its dust jacket, and on an interior list of titles.  The last title present in the list of Vicki Barr titles will tell you what the age of the book is.  For instance, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to Peril Over the Airport, then the book was printed in 1953, which is the year of publication for Peril Over the Airport .  Or, if the dust jacket's front flap lists to The Clue of the Carved Ruby, then the book was printed in 1961, which is the year of publication for The Clue of the Carved Ruby.  When the book is missing its dust jacket, refer to the interior list of titles, if present.  For the picture cover books, refer to the list that is present on the back cover.   

Nancy Drew #57-175 Wanderer/Minstrel/Aladdin Paperbacks

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June 23, 2006

The purpose of this guide is to list the paperback titles in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series so that buyers have a handy reference for title information.

The original 56 Nancy Drew books were published in hardcover by Grosset and Dunlap.  Simon and Schuster began publishing the Nancy Drew books with the release of volume 57.

Wanderer

Volumes 57 through 78 were published with the Wanderer imprint in paperback.

Volumes 57 through 78 were also printed in very limited quantities in hardcover with dust jacket.  The Wanderer hardcovers were mainly made available to libraries.  Some few copies were sold to individuals.  As a result, the vast majority of the surviving dust-jacketed Wanderer hardcover editions are library discards and are in rough shape.  Due to the limited quantities, the Wanderer dust-jacketed hardcover editions are extremely difficult to acquire in any condition.  Most collectors do not have a complete set of the Wanderer hardcover editions, and many people who are not interested in the Wanderer hardcover editions do not realize the extreme scarcity of these books. 

Minstrel

Beginning with volume 79, the imprint changed to Minstrel, and volumes 57 through 78 were reprinted with the Minstrel imprint.  The cover art also changed for volumes 57 through 78.  Volumes 57 through 163 were printed with the Minstrel imprint.  During the latter years of the Minstrel printings, many of the lower-numbered paperback titles went out of print.

Aladdin

Volumes 164 through 175 were published with the Aladdin imprint.  The higher-numbered Minstrel titles that were still in print when the imprint changed to Aladdin were also reprinted with the Aladdin imprint.  During the last printings, the books changed to a solid yellow spine that is very reminiscent of the Grosset and Dunlap books.  The original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series was discontinued with volume 175 in 2003.

List of titles

  57. The Triple Hoax, 1979
  58. The Flying Saucer Mystery, 1980
  59. The Secret in the Old Lace, 1980
  60. The Greek Symbol Mystery, 1981
  61. The Swami’s Ring, 1981
  62. The Kachina Doll Mystery, 1981
  63. The Twin Dilemma, 1981
  64. Captive Witness, 1981
  65. Mystery of the Winged Lion, 1982
  66. Race Against Time, 1982
  67. The Sinister Omen, 1982
  68. The Elusive Heiress, 1982
  69. Clue in the Ancient Disguise, 1982
  70. The Broken Anchor, 1983
  71. The Silver Cobweb, 1983
  72. The Haunted Carousel, 1983
  73. Enemy Match, 1984
  74. The Mysterious Image, 1984
  75. The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery, 1984
  76. The Eskimo’s Secret, 1985
  77. The Bluebeard Room, 1985
  78. The Phantom of Venice, 1985
  79. The Double Horror of Fenley Place, 1987
  80. The Case of the Disappearing Diamonds, 1987
  81. The Mardi Gras Mystery, 1988
  82. The Clue in the Camera, 1988
  83. The Case of the Vanishing Veil, 1988
  84. The Joker's Revenge, 1988
  85. The Secret of Shady Glen, 1988
  86. The Mystery of Misty Canyon, 1988
  87. The Case of the Rising Stars, 1989
  88. The Search for Cindy Austin, 1989
  89. The Case of the Disappearing Deejay, 1989
  90. The Puzzle at Pineview School, 1989
  91. The Girl Who Couldn't Remember, 1989
  92. The Ghost of Craven Cove, 1989
  93. The Case of the Safecracker's Secret, 1990
  94. The Picture-Perfect Mystery, 1990
  95. The Silent Suspect, 1990
  96. The Case of the Photo Finish, 1990
  97. The Mystery at Magnolia Mansion, 1990
  98. The Haunting of Horse Island, 1990
  99. The Secret at Seven Rocks, 1991
100. A Secret in Time, 1991
101. The Mystery of the Missing Millionairess, 1991
102. The Secret in the Dark, 1991
103. The Stranger in the Shadows, 1991
104. The Mystery of the Jade Tiger, 1991
105. The Clue in the Antique Trunk, 1992
106. The Case of the Artful Crime, 1992
107. The Legend of Miner's Creek, 1992
108. The Secret of the Tibetan Treasure, 1992
109. The Mystery of the Masked Rider, 1992
110. The Nutcracker Ballet Mystery, 1992
111. The Secret at Solaire, 1993
112. Crime in the Queen’s Court, 1993
113. The Secret Lost at Sea, 1993
114. The Search for the Silver Persian, 1993
115. The Suspect in the Smoke, 1993
116. The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears, 1993
117.  Mystery on the Menu, 1994
118. Trouble at Lake Tahoe, 1994
119. The Mystery of the Missing Mascot, 1994
120. The Case of the Floating Crime, 1994
121. The Fortune Teller’s Secret, 1994
122. The Message in the Haunted Mansion, 1994
123. The Clue on the Silver Screen, 1995
124. The Secret of the Scarlet Hand, 1995
125. The Teen Model Mystery, 1995
126. The Riddle in the Rare Book, 1995
127. The Case of the Dangerous Solution, 1995
128. The Treasure in the Royal Tower, 1995
129. The Baby-Sitter Burglaries, 1996
130. The Sign of the Falcon, 1996
131. The Hidden Inheritance, 1996
132. The Fox Hunt Mystery, 1996
133. The Mystery at the Crystal Palace, 1996
134. The Secret of the Forgotten Cave, 1996
135. The Riddle of the Ruby Gazelle, 1997
136. The Wedding Day Mystery, 1997
137. In Search of the Black Rose, 1997
138. The Legend of the Lost Gold, 1997
139. The Secret of Candlelight Inn, 1997
140. The Door-to-Door Deception, 1997
141. The Wild Cat Crime, 1998
142. The Case of Capital Intrigue, 1998
143. Mystery on Maui, 1998
144. The E-mail Mystery, 1998
145. The Missing Horse Mystery, 1998
146. The Ghost of the Lantern Lady, 1998
147. The Case of the Captured Queen, 1999
148. On the Trail of Trouble, 1999
149. The Clue of the Gold Doubloons, 1999
150. Mystery at Moorsea Manor, 1999
151. The Chocolate-Covered Contest, 1999
152. The Key in the Satin Pocket, 2000
153. Whispers in the Fog, 2000
154. The Legend of the Emerald Lady, 2000
155. The Mystery in Tornado Alley, 2000
156. The Secret in the Stars, 2000
157. The Music Festival Mystery, 2000
158. The Curse of the Black Cat, 2001
159. The Secret of the Fiery Chamber, 2001
160. The Clue on the Crystal Dove, 2001
161. Lost in the Everglades, 2001
162. The Case of the Lost Song, 2001
163. The Clues Challenge, 2001
164. The Mystery of the Mother Wolf, 2002
165. The Crime Lab Case, 2002
166. The Case of the Creative Crime, 2002
167. Mystery by Moonlight, 2002
168. The Bike Tour Mystery, 2002
169. The Mistletoe Mystery, 2002
170. No Strings Attached, 2003
171. Intrigue at the Grand Opera, 2003
172. The Riding Club Crime, 2003
173. Danger on the Great Lakes, 2003
174. A Taste of Danger, 2003
175. Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland, 2003   

Nancy Drew Files #1-124 List of Series Titles

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June 23, 2006

The purpose of this guide is to list the titles in the Nancy Drew Files series.  The series began in 1986 and gave Nancy Drew trendy clothes, an interest in boys, and cases that usually involve murders.  The Nancy Drew Files series ran for 124 titles until it was discontinued in 1997. 

Some people confuse the title of this series with the Hardy Boys Casefiles series and refer to this series as the Nancy Drew Casefiles, while in fact it is simply the Nancy Drew Files series.

In most discontinued series, the higher-numbered titles are generally more difficult to acquire than the lower-numbered titles.  The same is true of this series to some extent.  However, I have come across multiple extras of quite a few of the higher-numbered titles and suspect that the hardest to find titles in this series may actually be scattered volumes from in the middle of the series.

    1. Secrets Can Kill, 1986
    2. Deadly Intent, 1986
    3. Murder on Ice, 1986
    4. Smile and Say Murder, 1986
    5. Hit and Run Holiday, 1986
    6. White Water Terror, 1986
    7. Deadly Doubles, 1987
    8. Two Points to Murder, 1987
    9. False Moves, 1987
  10. Buried Secrets, 1987
  11. Heart of Danger, 1987
  12. Fatal Ransom, 1987
  13. Wings of Fear, 1987
  14. This Side of Evil, 1987
  15. Trial by Fire, 1987
  16. Never Say Die, 1987
  17. Stay Tuned for Danger, 1987
  18. Circle of Evil, 1987
  19. Sisters in Crime, 1988
  20. Very Deadly Yours, 1988
  21. Recipe for Murder, 1988
  22. Fatal Attraction, 1988
  23. Sinister Paradise, 1988
  24. Till Death Do Us Part, 1988
  25. Rich and Dangerous, 1988
  26. Playing with Fire, 1988
  27. Most Likely to Die, 1988
  28. The Black Widow, 1988
  29. Pure Poison, 1988
  30. Death by Design, 1988
  31. Trouble in Tahiti, 1989
  32. High Marks for Malice, 1989
  33. Danger in Disguise, 1989
  34. Vanishing Act, 1989
  35. Bad Medicine, 1989
  36. Over the Edge, 1989
  37. Last Dance, 1989
  38. The Final Scene, 1989
  39. The Suspect Next Door, 1989
  40. Shadow of a Doubt, 1989
  41. Something to Hide, 1989
  42. The Wrong Chemistry, 1989
  43.  False Impressions, 1990
  44. Scent of Danger, 1990
  45. Out of Bounds, 1990
  46. Win, Place, or Die, 1990
  47. Flirting with Danger, 1990
  48. A Date with Deception, 1990
  49. Portrait in Crime, 1990
  50. Deep Secrets, 1990
  51. A Model Crime, 1990
  52. Danger for Hire, 1990
  53. Trail of Lies, 1990
  54. Cold as Ice, 1990
  55. Don't Look Twice, 1991
  56. Make No Mistake, 1991
  57. Into Thin Air, 1991
  58. Hot Pursuit, 1991
  59. High Risk, 1991
  60. Poison Pen, 1991
  61. Sweet Revenge, 1991
  62. Easy Marks, 1991
  63. Mixed Signals, 1991
  64. The Wrong Track, 1991
  65. Final Notes, 1991
  66. Tall, Dark and Deadly, 1992
  67. Nobody's Business, 1992
  68. Crosscurrents, 1992
  69. Running Scared, 1992
  70. Cutting Edge, 1992
  71. Hot Tracks, 1992
  72. Swiss Secrets, 1992
  73. Rendezvous in Rome, 1992
  74. Greek Odyssey, 1992
  75. A Talent for Murder, 1992
  76. The Perfect Plot, 1992
  77. Danger on Parade, 1992
  78. Update on Crime, 1992
  79. No Laughing Matter, 1993
  80. Power of Suggestion, 1993
  81. Making Waves, 1993
  82. Dangerous Relations, 1993
  83. Diamond Deceit, 1993
  84. Choosing Sides, 1993
  85. Sea of Suspicion, 1993
  86. Let's Talk Terror, 1993
  87. Moving Target, 1993
  88. False Pretenses, 1993
  89. Designs in Crime, 1993
  90. Stage Fright, 1993
  91. If Looks Could Kill, 1994
  92. My Deadly Valentine, 1994
  93. Hotline to Danger, 1994
  94. Illusions of Evil, 1994
  95. An Instinct for Trouble, 1994
  96. The Runaway Bridge, 1994
  97. Squeeze Play, 1994
  98. Island of Secrets, 1994
  99. The Cheating Heart, 1994
100. Dance Till You Die, 1994
101. The Picture of Guilt, 1994
102. Counterfeit Christmas, 1994
103. Heart of Ice, 1995
104. Kiss and Tell, 1995
105. Stolen Affections, 1995
106. Flying Too High, 1995
107. Anything For Love, 1995
108. Captive Heart, 1995
109. Love Notes, 1995
110. Hidden Meanings, 1995
111. The Stolen Kiss, 1995
112. For Love or Money, 1995
113. Wicked Ways, 1996
114. Rehearsing For Romance, 1996
115. Running Into Trouble, 1996
116. Under His Spell, 1996
117. Skipping a Beat, 1996
118. Betrayed by Love, 1996
119. Against the Rules, 1997
120. Dangerous Loves, 1997
121. Natural Enemies, 1997
122. Strange Memories, 1997
123. Wicked for the Weekend, 1997
124. Crime at the Chat Cafe, 1997    

Kay Tracey #11 When the Key Turned

In Kay Tracey #11, When the Key Turned, Rosa Lusardi may not be able to play in Carmont High School's upcoming recital since her father's Stradivarius violin has been stolen.  Rosa must lend her own violin to her father, leaving her without one.  Kay promises to help Rosa, and Kay's search for the violin leads her into a dangerous mystery.

On page 4, Kay must proofread music as part of an audition.

Not the least bit nervous, the girl seated herself at the piano.  With confidence and ease she played a well-known air.  Mr. Ward nodded approvingly and placed before her the same selection he had given Ethel.  Fortunately Kay could read music quickly and played the simple number without a flaw.

Kay is so perfect, just as perfect as Nancy Drew.

Kay is lucky to get out of this book alive.  Ethel puts some kind of poison powder on the piano's keyboard, and Kay gets knocked out.  Kay and Wilma are trapped in a burning house.  Kay falls through a hole into a basement.  Kay is attacked by a bear, so she hits it over the head with a violin.  Kay gets locked in a trunk.  Kay gets stuck in a quagmire.

Ethel is present when the house burns with Kay and Wilma inside.  The two escape, but Ethel doesn't know this.  Ethel rushes to the Tracey home as fast as she can.  When Mrs. Tracey answers the door, Ethel happily tells her that Kay and Wilma "were both burned to death in a fire!"  Yikes.  Fortunately for Mrs. Tracey, Kay and Wilma show up a few pages later.

On page 181, Betty and Wilma go for help after Kay gets stuck in a quagmire.  When they return, Kay has vanished!  The girls feel certain that Kay was pulled under and is dead.  Wow.

The Garden City and Books, Inc. texts look to completely identical to the Cupples and Leon edition.

This story has such a flair for the melodramatic.  I love it.

Penny Parker Mystery Stories - Titles and Information

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July 7, 2006

The Penny Parker Mystery Stories is a series of books published by the Cupples and Leon company.  The series was written by Mildred A. Wirt Benson, who is best remembered as the author of the early Nancy Drew books.  

List of titles:

  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

Determining the year of printing by using the dust jacket list:

As with other series of books, the easiest way to determine the age of a book is to find a list of titles on the dust jacket.  The Penny Parker dust jackets each have a list of titles on the front flap.  The last title present on the list determines the year of printing for the book.  For instance, if the last title listed on the front flap is The Secret Pact, then the book was printed in 1941, which is the year of publication for The Secret Pact.  Or, if the last title listed on the front flap is Whispering Walls, then the book was printed in 1946, which is the year of publication for Whispering Walls.

It is important to never use the copyright page to determine the age of a book.  Cupples and Leon operated much like Grosset and Dunlap in that the copyright page was never updated.  The Penny Parker books each have a list of titles present on the copyright page, but this list represents the list of titles that were in print at the time of the first printing of that book.  All subsequent printings of that book have the identical copyright page list; it is the list of titles on the front flap of the dust jacket that was changed rather than the copyright page list.  

Determining the year of printing when the dust jacket is missing:

Unfortunately, it is impossible to narrow down the year of printing beyond a range of years whenever the dust jacket is missing.  The only list of titles inside the book is the list on the copyright page, and as stated above, the copyright page list is useless.  However, it is possible to make certain observations about a book in order to determine the approximate age of a book that is missing its dust jacket.

The earlier books are around 1 1/4 inches thick with good quality paper and glossy frontispiece illustrations.  The later books are around 1 inch thick, have poor quality paper that has deeply yellowed or turned brown, and have plain paper frontispiece illustrations.  In between the earlier and later books are books slightly under 1 inch thick with good quality paper and glossy frontispiece illustrations.

The color of the binding is not a very good indicator of the age of the book since there are many exceptions.  Generally, the earlier books are red and the later books are blue, but there are scattered volumes that have yellow, pink, or green bindings.

The dust jackets for each volume all have the same cover art, except that the colors used were changed for various printings.  There is no clear pattern to how the colors were changed.  Some volumes have few variations while other volumes have many variations.     

Trixie Belden Series Titles and Collecting Information

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I left a note in this guide about eBay hiding the pictures, since it shows how inept eBay can be at times.  

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July 31, 2006

The Trixie Belden series is a series of books originally published by the Western Publishing Company under the divisions of Whitman and Golden from 1948 to 1986.  More recently, Random House has reprinted the earlier titles in the series.  Most of the titles in the series are still out of print.

The series was created by Julie Campbell Tatham, who quit writing the series after the first six titles.  Beginning with volume 7, the series was written by a variety of authors under the pseudonym of Kathryn Kenny.

List of titles:

  1. The Secret of the Mansion, 1948
  2. The Red Trailer Mystery, 1950
  3. The Gatehouse Mystery, 1951
  4. The Mysterious Visitor, 1954
  5. The Mystery Off Glen Road, 1956
  6. Mystery in Arizona, 1958
  7. The Mysterious Code, 1961
  8. The Black Jacket Mystery, 1961
  9. The Happy Valley Mystery, 1962
10. The Marshland Mystery, 1962
11. The Mystery at Bob-White Cave, 1963
12. The Mystery of the Blinking Eye, 1963
13. The Mystery on Cobbett's Island, 1964
14. The Mystery of the Emeralds, 1965
15. The Mystery on the Mississippi, 1965
16. The Mystery of the Missing Heiress, 1970
17. The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest, 1977
18. The Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper, 1977
19. The Secret of the Unseen Treasure, 1977
20. The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road, 1978
21. The Mystery of the Castaway Children, 1978
22. The Mystery on Mead's Mountain, 1978
23. The Mystery of the Queen's Necklace, 1979
24. The Mystery at Saratoga, 1979
25. The Sasquatch Mystery, 1979
26. The Mystery of the Headless Horseman, 1979
27. The Mystery of the Ghostly Galleon, 1979
28. The Hudson River Mystery, 1979
29. The Mystery of the Velvet Gown, 1980
30. The Mystery of the Midnight Marauder, 1980
31. The Mystery at Maypenny's, 1980
32. The Mystery of the Whispering Witch, 1980
33. The Mystery of the Vanishing Victim, 1980
34. The Mystery of the Missing Millionaire, 1980
35. The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire, 1984
36. The Mystery of the Antique Doll, 1984
37. The Pet Show Mystery, 1985
38. The Indian Burial Ground Mystery, 1985
39. The Mystery of the Galloping Ghost, 1986

Prices:

The purpose of this guide is to provide a starting place for buyers and sellers who are interested in the Trixie Belden series.  This guide does not attempt to give the value of the different Trixie Belden 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 Trixie Belden books and need to get an idea of the current pricing, search the completed Trixie Belden auctions on eBay to get an idea of the selling prices.  If you are planning to buy Trixie Belden books, you should also search the completed auctions to see what the selling prices are.

Formats:

Note:  There are supposed to be pictures in this section, but I have noticed that eBay doesn't always show them.  Sometimes eBay will show some of the pictures and not the rest.  I cannot do anything to make eBay show them each time.   Try reloading or go to my About Me page, visit my series book website, click on the Trixie Belden section, and look at the pictures there.  I am very aware that this section is incomprehensible without the pictures, and I do apologize.

The series has been printed in a wide variety of formats during its years of publication.  The first three books were originally printed in hardcover with dust jacket from 1948 to 1953.  Early reprints of these books were printed with the same cover art but with boards protected with cellophane.  Unfortunately, the cellophane is very prone to peeling.

 Volumes 4 through 10 were also printed in the Cello Edition.

The next format of Trixie Belden books was printed from 1954 to 1964.  These books are known as the Cameo Editions, because a cameo picture of Trixie appears in the upper left corner of the front cover.

Volumes 1 through 13 were printed in the Cameo Edition.

After the Cameo Editions come the Deluxe Editions which were printed from 1965 to 1967.  The Deluxe Editions are tall books that have several color pictures scattered throughout the text.

Volumes 1 through 15 were printed in the Deluxe Edition. 

The Thin Hardcover Editions were printed during the early 1970s, and these books were made with cheap materials have have not lasted well.

Volumes 1 through 16 were printed in the Thin Hardcover Edition.

In 1977, the series changed to paperback with the publication of volume 17.  The earlier paperback editions are known as the Oval editions.

Volumes 1 through 34 were printed in the Oval edition.

In 1984, the paperbacks changed style and cover art, and these paperbacks are known as the Square editions.

Volumes 35 through 38, as well as most of the earlier titles in the series, were printed in the Square edition.  Some scattered volumes were never printed in the Square edition.

Random House is currently reprinting the Trixie Belden series, and the earlier titles are now back in print.  Unfortunately, the majority of the titles in the series remain out of print.  The high-numbered titles in the series went through fewer print runs and are much more difficult to acquire than the earlier titles in the series.

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.