Dana Girls #5 The Secret at the Hermitage Glossy Internal Illustrations

The early Dana Girls books have glossy internal illustrations.

Click on each image in order to see it at a higher resolution.

Glossy frontispiece used from 1934 to 1942:

Glossy internal illustration used from 1934 to 1937:

Glossy internal illustration used from 1934 to 1937:

Glossy internal illustration used from 1934 to 1937:

Keeper of the Lost Cities International Editions

I posted previously that I was interested in acquiring the UK edition Keeper of the Lost Cities books.  I found four of them on a site in the United States.  My plan was to be patient and acquire them from U.S. sellers.  I changed my mind later.  

I found the complete set on Amazon and purchased it.  I was concerned that the books could arrive damaged, since Amazon does not pack items well.  Fortunately, the entire set was shrink-wrapped.

These pictures show the books in the shrink wrap just as they arrived.

I notice that the paper quality is lower for #8.5 and #9.  Those books are seen on the far left in the above photo.  Just about everything has decreased in quality ever since the pandemic, so this is not a surprise.  (Remember that you can click on the image in order to see it better.)

I purchased eight French edition books.  These books are small paperback editions.  They are cute books.

Finally, I purchased the two Spanish editions.  The series name was changed to Sophie Foster.

Duck EZStart Packaging Tape - Not Recommended

I recently became annoyed with the cheapest Duck packaging tape.  It shreds as it comes off the roll, which wastes time.  I purchased the more expensive Duck EZStart Packaging Tape to see if it would be easier to use. 

The tape is easier to use.  It comes off the roll very easily.  The trouble is that the packaging tape also lifts right off the package.

I didn't realize this at first.  Around a week ago, I realized that the tape was lifting off of packages that had been packed on the previous day.  I thought maybe I wasn't pressing the tape down firmly, so I became more careful to press the tape into place completely.  

You know... I really shouldn't have to do that.  Tape should stick easily, not lift off the package easily.

I also considered that the problem could have been the boxes.  I ordered boxes from Uline at about the same time that I purchased the tape.  I feel like the Uline boxes are slightly lower quality.  However, the eBay tape seems to be sticking fine as always, even on these new Uline boxes.  I think it's the Duck EZStart tape that is the problem.

I've continued using the tape but began using a little more of it on the packages.  I packed three packages this morning for shipping tomorrow.  I looked at them this evening.  Uh-oh.

The tape has partially lifted from both packages, most noticeably from the one on the left.  I had pressed the tape into place very firmly this morning.  It should not have lifted.  I pressed it down again and then wrapped tape all the way around the box across the middle top, down the side, across the bottom, and back up the other side.  I then wrapped some around going lengthwise along where the tape lifted. 

Since the packages don't go out until tomorrow, I will check them again in the morning.  If I see more lifting, then I will wrap eBay tape all the way around both boxes.     

I'm going to have to buy some other tape to use with this tape until I get it used up.

Lucky Purchase of Two Nancy Drew Library Editions

These days, it's rather difficult for me to acquire Nancy Drew library bindings that are of interest to me.  Many people now want Nancy Drew library editions, so I have strong competition.

I was very lucky to purchase these two Nancy Drew library editions recently.  (Click on images in order to see them more clearly.)

Here is The Mystery at the Ski Jump with the books I already had.  The new Ski Jump is the first book on the left.

I collect all binding colors plus all variant lettering styles.  I don't care about the condition.  Better condition is desirable, but I will keep any variant regardless of condition. 

Here is The Scarlet Slipper Mystery with the books I already had.  The new Scarlet Slipper is the book in the upper left.

The new Scarlet Slipper is the same variant as the one seen at the middle top and is in much better condition, so it will be replacing that copy.  

I continue to reflect about how interesting it is that other collectors now like these books as much as I do.  In this old post, I mention possible reasons why collectors began to favor library editions.

The Surprising Rise of the Nancy Drew Library Edition

The huge change in opinion about library editions mainly applies to Nancy Drew.  There is an increased interest in other series like Hardy Boys, Dana Girls, and Judy Bolton, but the interest in the books and the pricing of them is much reduced as compared to Nancy Drew.  

Three Investigators library editions sell for high prices, but pricing of that series has gone into the stratosphere ever since the pandemic.  The pricing has more to do with the scarcity of the books and the continuing high interest in the series.

Even for Nancy Drew, library edition pricing varies widely.  Some bindings, like the ones featured in this post, are favorites of collectors.  Some bindings are far less interesting and have minimal value.  It's problematic for sellers to use blanket pricing for all library editions when some of them aren't worth much at all.

Finding Books by R. L. Stine and Other Books

I originally listed all of my R. L. Stine books (Fear Street, etc.) on eBay.  Some of them sold, but at a slow rate.  Some months ago I listed a number of Stine books on Etsy as well.  The books sold at a brisk rate.  I gradually moved all of my R. L. Stine books from eBay to Etsy.  They continued to sell steadily, and I began to run out of books to sell.  I needed to find more of them.

Earlier this month, I visited a few local stores looking for Stine books.  I was thrilled to find some.

Click on images in order to see them better.

I found some Nancy Drew Digest softcover books. 

I also found some of the River Heights books.

The River Heights series is a spin-off of Nancy Drew, and honestly, it was a dumb idea.  Most people who love reading Nancy Drew aren't interested in teenage romance books.  I enjoy the River Heights books, but they are like Sweet Valley High, which I have loved since I was 12.  If you're a fan of Nancy Drew, then you will only enjoy the River Heights series if you also enjoy series like Sweet Valley High, which is nothing like Nancy Drew.

I found three Ken Holt, four Nancy Drew On Campus, and one Stine book at another store.

Nancy Drew On Campus was another dumb publisher idea.  It was designed to rival the Sweet Valley University series, which I don't like.  I also don't like Nancy Drew On Campus.  But I will buy them when I see them, since they aren't that easy to find.

I went back on a later date and found these books.

I purchased two Nancy Drew first picture cover printings, a Vicki Barr picture cover, two Biff Brewster picture covers, the first Ken Holt book in dust jacket, another Nancy Drew On Campus book, and two Stine books.

Hardcover Yellow Spine Nancy Drew #154 The Legend of the Emerald Lady

My hardcover library edition set of Nancy Drew #57-175 is complete, but I am interested in variations, especially the books with the yellow spines.

I spotted a small bulk lot of Nancy Drew books on eBay.  (Click on images in order to see them better.)

I spotted the hardcover edition of Nancy Drew #154 and saw that it had a yellow spine.  I wanted it.  Unfortunately, the listing was priced a bit high for me considering that the rest of the books were of no interest.

Just a few days before, I had acquired a certain book at well below value.  I won't say which book or how much, but I realized that it would cover the cost of this lot.  No problem.  I purchased the lot.

The bulk lot cost $33.63 including shipping and tax, which is rather high for just the one book of interest.  In my records, I ended up adding a certain amount to the cost of the other book that was purchased at well below value, bringing this lot's cost down to a fair amount.

Most of the flashlight editions were rebound by Perma-Bound.

Notice that The Sky Phantom is taller than the other flashlight editions.  The Sky Phantom is the only one in the original binding.  Most books rebound for library use are trimmed down and shorter than the original editions.

I am not interested in building a set of the Perma-Bound flashlight editions.  I have a rather large collection of library editions, and I decided a number of years ago to focus on the more special ones.  I no longer collect all library edition variants.

I expect to offer the Perma-Bound flashlight editions in individual listings on eBay sometime soon.  If they don't sell within a certain amount of time, then I will place them in a bulk lot with other books.

I removed the library stickers from #154.

The book is now shelved with the rest of my books.

I love the yellow spines.

Glitch in Nancy Drew Mystery of the Seven Keys Game

I had heard of a glitch in the new Nancy Drew game, Mystery of the Seven Keys.  The glitch apparently has to do with filling in a design on the top of the latte after it has been prepared during the latte-making task.  Players' games are freezing up, and it is due to computers not having a good enough graphics card.

Playing the game in the lowest resolution has been mentioned as a possible fix.  I've heard that this often doesn't help.

Finally, I reached the latte-making task.  I struggled, as I often do, since the directions didn't make sense to me.  I was reminded of my frustration during the game, The Secret of Shadow Ranch, in which the player has to pick vegetables.  The ripe vegetables made no sense.  I've picked vegetables many times, and I know what ripe vegetables look like.  The game vegetables must have been from another planet.

The latte situation is like the vegetable situation.  I just don't get it.  After not understanding the first latte that I had to make, I tried to exit the task in order to exit the game.  The arrow wouldn't work.  I realized that I was experiencing the glitch.  I had to CTRL ALT DEL to open the task manager so that I could close the game.  

I opened the game again, trying spoilers on the first latte but couldn't understand the spoilers.  I had to use the task manager again to close the game.  I tried a third time with the same result.  I began to search online for solutions to the glitch.

Many people are experiencing the frozen game during the latte-making task.  It's a significant problem.

I read that you can contact Her Interactive at Techsupport@herinteractive.com.  They will send a file called "After-Coffee-Amateur" with the game saved right after the latte-making task has been completed.  I assume that they will also send the corresponding file for senior detective as well, if that version is needed.

I found where someone placed the necessary information online in their Google Drive.  I used their file and was able to get the game to where I can play it beginning after the latte-making.  The person who prepped the file said that they did the bare minimum, so we will have to do some tasks again.  I'd rather have to redo a bunch of tasks than suffer through latte-making that made no sense and crashed for me.  It's either that or not finish the game.

Besides, I've read many comments by glitch-free players who were very frustrated over the extreme difficulty in completing the latte art part of the task.  They say that their hands are cramping since they have to try over and over.  They find that any slight slip with their mouse causes them to have to start over.  I don't want anything to do with that, so I'm fine with having to redo parts of the game.  

If you're on Facebook and in the Nancy Drew Game Fans group, here is the post.

Windows save file for those stuck on the latte art

The Google Drive has been linked from Reddit in a public post.  Here is that post.

Comment with Google Drive link

I did use the Google Drive link, and it worked for me, even though I had to search online for some answers as to how to get the information from that Google Drive to my Google Drive and then into my computer in the correct file folder.  I mention this so that you know that the file is safe.  

It might be easier just to contact Her Interactive at the email I provided above.  Their directions might be easier to follow.  I don't know since I haven't contacted them.

I also want to update something I mentioned in my first post about the game.  I noted that the game didn't autosave for me and that I lost a small amount of progress when I exited without saving.  I did find that the game was autosaving fairly frequently after I started over, but I don't trust it.  I make sure that I save the game myself whenever I exit.

Kennedy McMann will be playing the game live tomorrow (May 13) on Her Interactive's YouTube channel.  She will be live beginning at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific.  If you miss the livestream, most channels typically have livestreams available after they have ended.

Nancy Drew Mystery of the Seven Keys Trial and Error

This post is spoiler-free and covers my difficulty as I started playing the game.

As Nancy Drew game fans know, the last Nancy Drew game, Midnight in Salem, had some problems.  The new Nancy Drew game, Mystery of the Seven Keys, also is not without problems.

The game installation went fine this time, probably because I have a very new computer that is just a step down from a gaming computer.  I have lots of RAM and storage, probably more than I'll ever need.  I got one with a lot so that it would be fast.

Some other people are having trouble with game installation.

The game plays fine, unlike Midnight in Salem.  My problems with that game had a lot to do with my previous computer, but the game was partly to blame as well.

Mystery of the Seven Keys is a bit glitchy.  I don't know what is with the bubbles floating around randomly in the first scene.  I ran a Google search and found someone else mentioning the bubbles.  And then other people aren't seeing the bubbles.  How very odd.

I'm finding that the game play for Seven Keys has a steep learning curve.  I have only made it through the first scene so far.  It took me forever as I tried to figure out how to manipulate the mouse.

The game can be played with the traditional point-and-click or in the modern version.  After hearing some bad things about the modern version, I started the game with point-and-click.  I became frustrated immediately.  It just wasn't like in the older games.

I found that the settings allow players to toggle back and forth between the two ways to play.  I changed to modern.  Whoa.  The mouse was extremely sensitive, and I spun in circles.  I ended up trapped behind a counter and couldn't figure out how to get out.  It would have been funny if I hadn't been so annoyed.

I read online that the game has a glitch where the mouse cursor freezes.  One fix has to do with unplugging extra Bluetooth controllers that are in use.  That didn't apply to me.  I saw where a patch had been added, so I reinstalled the patched version of the game.  I ended up stuck behind the counter again.  I couldn't figure out what my problem was.

I switched back to point-and-click and continued to be frustrated.  I switched back to modern again and got stuck behind the counter yet again.  I finally noticed directions about using the keys A W S D to move in different directions.  Ah.  I managed to get out from behind the counter.  

I could spin in circles to look around with the mouse, but I had to use the letter keys to move.  It was awkward.

The spinning in circles was way too fast.  I found where I could reduce the mouse sensitivity in the settings, and I gradually reduced it to the very lowest level.  That took the spinning down to just turning at a reasonable speed.

I couldn't figure out what to do.  I mean... it can be difficult at times in the older Nancy Drew games, but this was at a whole new level.  Like, I had no idea.

I looked at spoiler-free threads and figured out that many people who always have played on Senior Detective (like me) decided to start over on Junior Detective just to have some clue as to what to do.  I started over on Junior Detective, and it helped.  I managed to get past the first scene. Whew.

That's where I am now.

Other observations:

I seem to recall that the older games had a warning if the player accidently tried to exit without saving.  When I was in Senior mode and feeling annoyed, I clicked "quit to desktop" without thinking and failed to save the game.  Be careful, or you could lose your progress.  

In my case it didn't matter, since I had barely started the game and then decided to start over in Junior mode.  I then read online about autosave.  Oh, really?  Why didn't I get that?

When I finally made it out of the first scene, I decided to save and quit.  I did, and then I started the game again a few minutes later.  I noticed my save and an autosave, which was when the second scene started.  It appears that autosave might kick in at key moments.  If so, that won't help if I quit at random moments.

The on-screen text is way too small.  There isn't a way to change it that I can tell.

I managed to get into Nancy's phone.  I selected the camera option and couldn't get out of it.  I accidentally snapped random pictures each time I tried to exit.  This was the result.

I finally saw in small text in the corner of the screen that I should hit "tab" to exit the camera.  Sigh.  Larger text would help greatly.

I also found the characters' voices to be too low.  The default settings have the sounds in the middle.  I raised the character voice level to 10, keeping other sounds at the default.

As I began the game, I was thrown off by the people sitting at tables who were just there.  They were moving and active, but I couldn't speak to them.  After I got used to it, I realized that this is more realistic than in the old games where the only people present are the possible suspects.

I believe I've figured out most of the mechanics of gameplay, and I should be able to begin to enjoy playing the game this weekend.