New Nancy Drew Mysteries Board Game from Outset Media

There's a new Nancy Drew game on the market from Outset Media, the same maker who has done the Nancy Drew Puzzles (Cobble Hill) and the Nancy Drew Collector Game several years ago. You can order it at Barnes & Noble right now - order 2+ and get free shipping. It looks Clue-like in how it's played with logic/deduction which is cool. I really love the graphics and how they've colorized internal illustrations of Nancy! Nancy in the car with the map peering over it is so fun. I would even possibly get a third game to just frame some if it like the board/etc. I think it makes a nice statement piece just on the graphics alone. Let me know if you get it and how you like playing the game! Thanks to collector Jim McNamara for the images I used to make the collage - shots of the inside/board/pieces/game sheets/etc. Click on the images to see larger  pictures.

Mysterious Life of a Nancy Drew Collector - The Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection - Toledo Library

The clicking of keys on the typewriter, a ghostly author tapping away, churning out mysterious yarn after yarn, bringing to life many characters including the most famous teenage sleuth of the 20^th Century. Mildred Wirt Benson’s Nancy Drew was something of a force to be reckoned with - a plucky girl with a zeal for adventure and daring escapades. And many had no clue early on that Benson’s Carolyn Keene, ghostwriter of the original Nancy Drew books for The Stratemeyer Syndicate, was writing some of these nostalgic mysteries in Toledo’s Old Orchard, ensconced in her two-story home, often locked away in her writer’s room and library. The tale of Nancy Drew and her dauntless ghostwriter is one that has overlapped over the decades, many pondering who the real Nancy Drew was. Real living history in Toledo, OH, the perfect location for a large collection of thousands of Nancy Drew books and memorabilia that I’d collected for many years, donated to the Toledo Public Library in 2019.

How does one come to collect a voluminous collection surrounding Mystery’s IT Girl, Nancy Drew? To clue you in, it begins in childhood with a spooky mystery. A tale of woe. Dastardly villains. The hunt by intrepid sleuth Nancy Drew for answers. Foibles and baffling events segue to righting wrongs and saving the day and wrapping things up nicely at the end of the mystery with justice served and order restored. And then comes the teaser - the promise of another even more exciting adventure and more mysteries to solve soon. Those were the trappings of the many Nancy Drew books we devoured as kids and continue to as adults.

At some point we transition from childhood reader to adulthood. From fan to collector, revisiting our childhood days of getting lost in a good yarn to the exclusion of life and homework for something more exciting and present. It was a time to grow and learn and figure things out and with a pal like Nancy Drew, we were inspired with that can-do-anything attitude. As adults looking back, we get a thrill remembering the good times we had solving mysteries with Nancy. For collectors like myself, collecting is a way of reclaiming that nostalgia and holding onto it indefinitely.

After over 20 years of collecting since the late 1990s, I’d amassed over 4000 items and it had served a great purpose to me but was really destined for more. It wasn’t just what I collected, but the way I collected. To tell that story about Nancy Drew and those that created her. To put together a collection of the many puzzle pieces that make up the story behind Nancy Drew. To have something that fans and scholars can learn from and study. To inspire others to collect and revisit their childhood. To help solidify Nancy’s legacy as not only an entertaining sleuth but her empowerment of kids – and adults – to go out and conquer and never give up. It’s been more about bringing history alive and telling the stories behind the scenes, so they live on and inspire new generations. It’s about preserving Nancy Drew’s legacy as not only a phenomenal children’s book series but as Pop Culture icon who has inspired and challenged so many from kids on up to most of our ladies on the US Supreme Court. That a fictional character can resonate with so many for over 90 years and be such a driving force amongst fans of the series, is pretty amazing. These are the things that drove me in my collecting in addition to nostalgia. And it was the history behind the scenes and Nancy’s first ghostwriter, Benson, who drove me to research and write about that history and collect it as well.

With over 600 books published since 1930, there’s a lot out there to collect. You may wonder how one goes from 600 to a few thousand and you can find all the intriguing answers at the Toledo Public Library. But here’s a few things you can find when you sleuth there for more details - from the regular classic series to various spin-off series to series for older teens and younger kids there’s something for everyone and each new generation has had their Nancy Drew to aspire to. From the regular books and all the neat printing formats over the years to library editions, book club editions and even foreign editions, there’s a lot of books to be found at the library.

And then there’s the gamut of Nancy Drew collectibles related to books, movies and television. Always intriguing, there’s even ephemera ranging from historical documents to advertising items that help tell the story from concept to creation to marketing to distribution to the actual book or collectible. The history behind Nancy Drew is often as fascinating as Nancy Drew’s cases, sometimes even more dramatic and suspenseful. It’s what inspired me to go beyond collecting to researching and writing about Nancy Drew since 1997. Between collecting and writing, it led to consulting on a wide variety of merchandise, books and productions like the 2007 Nancy Drew movie which gave me the opportunity to acquire some unique things for the collection.

The classic Nancy Drew in cloche hats from the 1930s, to a 1950s Bobby-Soxer and then mod 1960s sleuth with her titian-haired flip meets modern Nancy Drew from the 1980s to present day, every decade reflecting that generation's style.  Shelves hold books filled with vintage and modern tales of a very daring and intelligent sleuth and there are many exciting tales to be had in Nancy Drew's world of lost wills, haunted houses, lost treasures, and musty old attics full of secrets and sinister suspects. There are also many stories to tell behind the scenes of Nancy Drew and her creators and writers like Benson and this collection can provide the clues to unravel all these mysteries - real and fictional.

So, when the Toledo Public Library reached out to me in 2019 during its renovation of the main library about donating my collection, I was thrilled at the opportunity to let Nancy Drew shine and let so many get to see the collection and learn and grow from it. They were able to carve out a space for it just perfect for Nancy Drew fans to visit in The Mystery Room. Located at the downtown main library in the children’s section, the collection has been seen by many fans making visits locally and from afar. There was even a marriage proposal to a Nancy Drew fan in the room.

The choice of Toledo for the donation is due in large part to Benson, having been a long-term resident and also having written some of the original Nancy Drew books there after moving from Cleveland where some of the earlier Nancy Drews were written. I’ve always been fascinated with the ghostwriters behind the pen name and Benson was in many ways a real-life Nancy Drew which inspired me to write about her life and legacy including an upcoming biography about her life that I’m currently writing. The library also has some very neat historical items in relation to Benson including one of each of the 135 books she published, photos, awards and even her NASA application to be a journalist in space. There’s a Literary Landmark dedicated to her writing career which hangs outside The Mystery Room that houses my collection. They also own the original Russell H. Tandy painting for the 1931 edition of volume #5, The Secret at Shadow Ranch.

The Toledo Public Library – any library for that matter – is a wonderful place. Libraries are a foundation for literacy, especially among those that can’t afford to read otherwise or have the kind of resources to open up the world of reading to them. It’s a place to lose yourself in adventures and learn about so much and grow as a person. It’s a place I loved to read Nancy Drew books as a kid – in my school library. And for some, libraries are a place to visit a collection like this and open up the world of Nancy Drew and her mysterious history. Benson wrote about libraries in her last published Toledo Blade column before she passed away in 2002. Benson often used the library to research for her books. She spent a lot of time at the Cleveland Public Library researching while writing Shadow Ranch,  among others and then later in Toledo at the Toledo Public Library. I love libraries and have such fond affection for them. Every year at our Nancy Drew Conventions we donate a full set of Nancy Drew books to the local library for people of all ages to enjoy, especially the new generation of kids. Once upon a time decades ago, and even some rare instances now, some people tried to keep Nancy Drew and similar series literature out of libraries. Libraries are all amazing and worthy of any donation such as my Nancy Drew collection, and I hope this inspires other collectors to consider donating their collections to their libraries. And that’s one reason why I felt like the Toledo Public Library would be a wonderful home for the collection in addition to Toledo’s historic connections to Nancy Drew.

21 years ago, members of the Nancy Drew Sleuths including myself visited Toledo and met with Benson at the Toledo Blade where she’d been working as a journalist for over 50 years. It was then that I became inspired with her back story and being a real-life Nancy Drew. Numerous research trips and Nancy Drew events have brought me to Toledo many times over the years, I even followed in Nancy Drew’s footsteps sleuthing around Benson’s old attic for clues. Having my collection there for the community and visitors to enjoy makes it feel like a second home.

Keeping history alive is a wonderful thing and the Toledo Public Library has been so supportive of that goal. Every generation has had their Nancy Drew - and they are all there at the library just waiting to be rediscovered and for young fans to discover and be inspired by. That’s the most rewarding thing to this longtime Nancy Drew Collector. 

Happy Birthday Millie Benson!

Happy Birthday to Millie Benson aka Mildred Wirt Benson – first Carolyn Keene, author of over 130 published books, among other fine feats. I sit here fondly thinking about her legacy – and she wore so many hats! From author to journalist to aviatrix to Mayan temple adventurer and many other things in between. She’s most famously known as being the original Carolyn Keene and a real-life Nancy Drew in many respects and we’re going to celebrate her most famous literary character – Nancy Drew – in Toledo, OH this week at a series of events at the Toledo Public Library. The dedication of my Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection and all the other mystery fanfare at the library over two days will be an amazing event for the Nancy Drew Fans attending, many members of the Nancy Drew Sleuths, plus local Toledoans looking to solve the mystery of what’s in…The Mystery Room…and rediscover Nancy Drew.  Millie wrote most of the Nancy Drew books in Ohio after moving there in the late 1920s to the Cleveland area. In 1938, she moved to Toledo and spent the rest of her life there writing and working as a longtime journalist for The Toledo Times and The Toledo Blade. She wrote Nancy Drew books #17-25 and #30 in Toledo.

 

Of her legacy, she once said, “Now so much later in my life, women still tell me how they identified with Nancy Drew and that Nancy Drew gave them confidence to be whatever they wanted to be. That’s been the most rewarding aspect.” That Nancy Drew has been empowering her fans for over 90 years – is a great legacy indeed!

Nancy Drew Fan Gathering & Collection Dedication - Toledo, OH July 2022

CALLING ALL NANCY DREW FANS! Join your fellow Nancy Drew fans and Sleuths in Toledo, OH in July (14th-16th) for the Nancy Drew Collection & Mystery Activities at the Toledo Public Library (TPL). E-mail sleuths@ndsleuths.com to be on the e-mail list and to RSVP for events! 

Schedule of Nancy Drew Events: 

Thurs. July 14 - Nancy Drew Fans Party at the TPL 6pm-8pm - Dedication of the Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection in the Mystery Room, charcuterie bar and goodies, escape room challenge, photo booth. On display is Jim McNamara's donation of UK art for The Mystery of the Tolling Bell. A special display on loan by collector Michael Gauwitz of the Russell H. Tandy Painting for The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion plus Rudy Nappi paintings of The Message in the Hollow Oak, The Secret of the Wooden Lady and The Haunted Showboat. See the Tandy painting for The Secret at Shadow Ranch in the Mystery Room. And artist Laura Ruby's Nancy Drew series of prints donated to the collection will be on display around the library. You won't want to miss out on seeing this amazing array of books, collectibles and art!

Fri. July 15 - Nancy Drew Mystery Day at the Library - Nancy Drew scavenger hunt for prizes, sleuth kits to the first several hundred, strolling magician, CSI Sleuth activities from Imagination Station, photo booth. Special Nancy Drew art, collecting and history presentations from authors Jennifer Fisher and Julie Rubini and artist Laura Ruby whose prints will be part of the fun scavenger hunt.

Sat. July 16 - free time and scavenger style hunt involving Mildred Wirt Benson locations around Toledo w/ prizes awarded at the Nancy Drew Fans dinner that night.

The library boasts an amazing Children's floor with so many neat interactive elements, a gallery of original children's book cover art, a mystery wall to solve, the Nancy Drew collection in the Mystery Room, items on display throughout the library and in local History/Rare Book Room, a life-size diorama of Nancy Drew from the Tandy Secret of the Old Clock, and so much more! It's a children's book and Nancy Drew nostalgia playground for fans of all ages!

Seeking Nancy Drew Fans...

 

Nancy Drew 1970s TV Show Watch Variant

Another Nancy Drew TV Show Watch Variant? Read on for more clues...

First, a little background information, then variant information. It wasn't until January 2009 when I realized there was a collectible that no one in the collecting circles had ever heard of or mentioned before. A Nancy Drew Watch based on the 1970s TV show starring Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew. The watch I saw on eBay didn't feature the red band pictured above and below, it had this sort of flower girl hippy style band instead pictured right below. At first, I wasn't too sure about the band being original and then saw an equivalent Hardy Boys watch and realized it was likely not original based on the style/color of the Hardy Boys watch. 

So, what did the original look like? Fast forward to 2019 when around March of that year another watch - this one complete with the original box/packaging and warranty slip came up on eBay. I missed it, but a fellow collector, Victoria Broadhurst won it and has shared a couple of photos that are below of the watch with its packaging and a close up. In this 2nd auction, we discovered the original band was red - matches her outfit shown on the watch face. My red band is the same texture/appearance as Vicki's band.

Last year, I stumbled upon an auction (the third known watch to be sold we're aware of) at eBay for the watch itself, no packaging, but the original red band. Mine was always one to upgrade since it didn't have the original band. My original watch was donated with my collection back in 2019 to the Toledo Public Library. I was successful at winning the 3rd auction with the red band and stowed it away. Recently I dug it out to photograph and realized something I hadn't noticed before. The watch hands are all black. I checked the photo I had up at my Nancy Drew Collection Pinterest Boards and noted that the first watch I purchased had gold hands and a red seconds hand. I then checked the image I had pulled from the complete watch/box set auction and noted that Vicki's appeared to be the same. I verified it with her that they are the same as the first one I acquired.

The above image is the 2nd watch I purchased on eBay. 

Below are images Vicki shared with me of hers:

I also noticed that in addition the hands being a different color in the one I recently acquired, the image varies in cropping. If you look at the faces of the 3 pictured here, you'll see that on my first watch, the copyright line of 1977 Universal City Studios is visible under "Swiss Made" which is right under "Nancy Drew."  On Vicki's watch and then my newly acquired one, you can't see the copyright line. Some of the faces have the numbers much closer to the edges and some of the footprints at top are more visible on the left of the "12" number and others not so much, so there was variation in the cropping of the image inside the watch. The image itself is always the same of Nancy holding a magnifying glass looking at footprints. My band is missing the little, small overlay band to tuck the end of the watch band into.

I don't consider the cropping to be a variant, but the color of the hands is very interesting and definitely a variant. Perhaps as they were made if they ran out of one color, they used another. I wonder if there are any other variants with the hands/etc. that will crop up as hopefully more of these watches turn up on the market. Time will tell. What I'd love, is to hear from someone who originally owned one of these watches and learn where you purchased it - was it purchased at Universal in a gift shop or was this possibly available via mail order? If there was any advertising material that shows the watches, I'd love to see it.  Any further clues you might have, e-mail me at nancydrewsleuth@aol.com

Donating to the Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection at Toledo Public Library Part 2

When you visit the main branch of the Toledo Public Library downtown, one exceptional feature is the gallery of original children's book cover art - they have an amazing collection of so many different covers and styles including the original Russell H. Tandy painting for The Secret at Shadow Ranch which now hangs with my Nancy Drew Collection in the mystery room. 

I have been highlighting donations to the library since I donated my Nancy Drew collection and most recently highlighted the donation by my friend Jim McNamara of an original UK cover art painting for The Mystery of the Tolling Bell. 

In this update, I want to showcase talented artist Laura Ruby, whose Nancy Drew Series of prints based on the various classic Nancy Drew books has been enjoyed by Nancy Drew fans throughout the last several decades. She has donated a set of prints of her Nancy Drew Series to Toledo Public Library and you can view these at the library and at our upcoming Nancy Drew celebration in July 2022. You can view the series online at Laura's website here and here.

Ruby notes on her website, "My 'Nancy Drew Series' takes as its primary reference the fictional detective, Nancy Drew, the subject of an extremely popular series of books in American culture. The character Nancy Drew represents the independence and problem-solving intelligence of the detective figure, while also alluding to the independence, creativity and determination of the artist. The first obvious punning relationship is in the name, Drew, but the series employs both playful and serious multiple visual and verbal interactions in its concept and design."

Donating to the Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection at Toledo Public Library

One of the fantastical things about the Toledo Public Library - downtown main library - is the children's library. It's so innovative and creative. It features so many interactive elements that just bring so many of the children's books and beloved characters to life. The mystery room housing my Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection has had one beautiful piece of Nancy Drew original artwork hanging thus far - The Secret at Shadow Ranch - illustrated by Russell H. Tandy. It was one of many original children's book cover art paintings that the library has in their amazing gallery of paintings spanning vintage and modern book art until it was moved into the Nancy Drew collection. 

New to the collection has just arrived this beautiful original art cover for The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, thanks to my good friend and collector Jim McNamara! He is a prolific collector of not only children's series books but also original children's series artwork including many Nancy Drew covers spanning the classic series to modern Nancy Drew spin-off series. His collection is amazing. I was so honored that he wanted to donate one of his paintings to the library and to the collection. This particular cover is a UK cover used on the UK publisher Armada's edition shown below. Tolling Bell was written by original Nancy Drew Ghostwriter, Mildred Wirt Benson, who lived in Toledo and wrote this mystery while living there. You can see Jim's Nancy Drew painting along with all the other neat Nancy Drew books and collectibles at the grand opening celebration at the Nancy Drew Mystery convention in Toledo this July 14-16, 2022.

While my Nancy Drew collection is pretty complete overall, there are still items I do not have in the collection. The whole collector community and Nancy Drew fans can help out if you have an item that isn't currently in the collection - you can contact me or them to donate it and they'd love to have it. Until the collection is fully digitized, you can check out all the various Pinterest boards including the ones that got away at my Nancy Drew Pinterest to see if you have something I do not or you can just follow up with me at nancydrewsleuth@aol.com to see about it. Thanks for your help and interest in the collection!

Nancy Drew Library of Congress Surplus Stamped Hidden Staircase

I spotted this Nancy Drew book - The Hidden Staircase - recently on eBay and noticed the stamp inside on the front right endpaper about it being Library of Congress surplus. I thought that was neat, so I decided to purchase it. It’s a printing from 1942 and also has the “wartime conditions” notice inside, meaning it was printed during the war when they were conserving paper and the stamp reflects that. It has markings inside the back on the back endpapers (both sides) where it appears something was removed from the library and then also a spot on the lower spine where some kind of sticker was removed. I searched online and found several sites or message boards including one at eBay discussing these stamps. The Library of Congress also has a page on their website about surplus books. I have seen several more modern stamps with dates and other notations, but this is more vintage. Someone on the eBay thread notes that two copies are sent to the library to secure copyright. Obviously, this book was not sent to secure copyright for The Hidden Staircase since this printing is from 12 years after it was first published, but I am curious about how it ended up there - that will forever be a mystery.  Eventually the book ended up - perhaps through a surplus sale - in the hands of someone named Robin Alexander whose name is professionally printed on a bookplate inside. Do you have any surplus stamped books in your collection? These do not appear to be scarce stamps - many books have been surplus over the years, but I'm curious how many series books have turned up with these over the years?

Nancy Drew Books: Scary Things Kids (& Adults) Do #133

 The Clue in the Crumbling...book... PS: It's book #22!

Nancy Drew Books: Scary Things Kids (& Adults) Do #132

 Me thinks the twisted candles were a bit sooty...

The Nancy Drew Donation Dilemma - The Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection

As we've all rung in 2022 and are enjoying the new year, I find myself feeling a bit...perplexed. Just like our favorite heroine, Nancy Drew, I've spent the last couple of years finding myself putting on a "wan smile" at times and somehow keeping my chin up, because frankly the alternative is much worse. It's amazing how doing something so very selfless can result in the most selfish and unbecoming behavior in others.

I’ll let that sink in a little… Doing something selfless resulting in selfish behavior. It’s the stuff of Nancy Drew mysteries but in reality, human nature 101 to a degree I suppose. It’s a conundrum that I never ever – EVER – imagined when I agreed to donate my 20-year-old Nancy Drew collection to The Toledo Public Library nearly 3 years ago. What should be and thankfully mostly has been a really nice occasion for the collector community to come together and support such a collection and its value and historical purpose to the collector community, the community of Toledo and beyond, was temporarily tarnished just a little by the actions of hopefully just a few. And for some I know in the community, the radio silence has been deafening. I see you. I hear you. It’s a very deflating and disheartening thing to even speak of and I’ve held off even bringing it up, but it’s time. I’m not going to at times feel abnormally modest or oddly apologetic or out of sorts anymore about having either donated my collection or that I’m still collecting Nancy Drew. Once a collector, always a collector. I have literally done nothing wrong and it’s time I stop feeling, for lack of a better phrase, slightly bullied or shamed into thinking I have. It’s time for the reverse. Magnifying glasses out, roadsters ready!

Like most things in life, grapevines tend to twine back toward the origin. Since I donated most of my collection, behind the scenes theories have percolated about why I was really doing it. Even though I expressly told people why I was doing it. Did I secretly sell it?  As if it was unthinkable to some that someone could actually do something that selfless without expecting something (money/whatever) in return. Or maybe there was a less than acceptable or sad reason behind me doing it. Was it that dastardly villain I was seeing at the time? Could he have been the culprit? Hypers, no! It’s literally just simply a case of Ockham’s Razor. I was asked if I’d be interested in donating it, the library was being renovated right then, and the opportunity arose to donate when the library could carve out a space for what became The Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection, many years before I ever intended to donate it. It was just random timing that occurred in 2019. Nothing secretive or nefarious. Just simply a nice opportunity to do something good and pay it forward. Or so I thought. Most people seem to have understood that, but not everyone unfortunately. I know you’re probably wondering who I may be referring to. Was it Isabel or Ada Topham? Mary Mason? Stumpy Dowd? Mrs. Judson? Bushy Trott? Spike Doty? Someone in ill-fitting clothes? Did I receive a threatening note to stay away from the library or else? A flat tire to prevent me from mailing any more collectibles to them? Probably all of the above. But that’s neither here nor there at this point.

Truly and in all seriousness, I just simply wanted my collection to have a bigger purpose and serve generations of fans and future generations and when the opportunity presented itself, I knew it was the right thing to do. A historical collection to be preserved and to keep inspiring new fans. A collection that people could visit and see some of these Nancy Drew books and collectibles in person, that you can’t see in many other places. Keeping history alive is a wonderful thing and the Toledo Public Library has been so supportive of that goal. 

If the library ever changes their mind and wishes to no longer host it, it reverts back to me or my heirs, so I still have an inherent interest in the collection if that ever happens. However, I don’t see that ever happening as it has a very welcome and tangible home in Toledo. I had the chance too, to help give my input on the space and how the collection would be handled by those visiting which is all set-in stone in my gift agreement and I also had a hand in what we would do in the future with it including plans for digitizing, historical displays, and they plan to have me back from time to time for programs and other promotion. 

Further, it’s been visited by so many who have been so excited to make a road trip to see it, kids enjoy seeing the books and collectibles when they visit the library and there was even a marriage proposal to a Nancy Drew fan in the collection room. It’s inspiring to see such heartwarming responses. These kinds of things do warm my heart and help to lessen the effects of some of the apparent negative behavior that this collection donation has resulted in. It just seems mind boggling that I’m even compelled to write about all this right now, but it's a long time coming and very cathartic to do so.

Am I still collecting? Yes, I do still collect for the collection. Why? Because it’s not a complete collection.  It’s not fully complete and will never be as new merchandise and books are created and published every year – a wonderful thing in itself to see Nancy Drew living on and still relevant. And there are vintage items I’m still seeking – some are even quite scarce or rare – that I might still yet seek out to add to the collection. The library isn’t buying these items, I am, within my budget and you win some, you lose some. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with my wanting to still make it as complete as possible. Some of you may wonder, why? Remember, I donated it rather early in my collecting – rather than down the road when I’m retired and living the senior life when my collection might have been more complete in the future. Therefore, I still collect for it, so that it is as complete as possible for people to see when they visit or make a study of it. Having most everything in one place enhances its value to the library and its usefulness for study and research. And if I add some rare or scarce item to it, it means that many people get to enjoy it, not just a few who might randomly visit my home. 

I still sleuth around in bookstores, antique malls or on the internet at sites like eBay. I was collecting before and I’m still collecting now, so nothing’s really changed, when you put it in perspective, just differing purposes depending on which collection I’m adding to on any given day. I’m not even actively looking every day like the old days, so I know I miss things sometimes. That means it’s all relative. Other ways to enhance and complete the collection that the community can do is that collectors and fans can help by donating items to the collection over time that they may wish to help make it complete and several collectors have done so. It’s all about the collecting and fan community and should be about making this collection extra special and worthy. However, I have learned that for some collectors, they can’t see the bigger picture for they are also collecting for their own personal collections and somehow, even though before when I was collecting privately, it’s now some sort of an abomination to collect for the library. (Sigh.)

The Toledo Public Library – any library for that matter – is a wonderful place! It is a foundation for literacy, especially among those that can’t afford to read otherwise or have the kind of resources to open up the world of reading to them. It’s a place to lose yourself in adventures and learn about so much and grow as a person. It’s a place I loved to read Nancy Drew books as a kid – in my school library. And for some, libraries are a place to visit a collection like this and open up the world of Nancy Drew and her mysterious history. Mildred Wirt Benson, original Carolyn Keene, who wrote 23 of the original Nancy Drew books, wrote about libraries in her last published column before she passed away. She often used the library to research for her books. She spent a lot of time at the Cleveland Public Library researching while writing volume #5, The Secret at Shadow Ranch among others and then later in Toledo at the Toledo Public Library. I love libraries and have such fond affection for them. Every year at our Nancy Drew conventions we donate a full set of Nancy Drew books to the local library for people of all ages to enjoy, especially the new generation of kids. There are collectors in the community who have done this too. It’s so inspiring to me. And it’s inspiring for so many deserving others too. Once upon a time decades ago, and even some rare instances now, some people tried to keep Nancy Drew out of libraries -- so really, let's avoid that kind of dastardly behavior! Libraries are all amazing and worthy of any donation such as my Nancy Drew collection. And that’s one reason why I felt like the Toledo Public Library would be a wonderful home for the collection in addition to Toledo’s historic connections to Nancy Drew.

So, what’s my secondary private collection like? I have mentioned before that I still have items in my collection that did not get donated right away such as very sentimental items including handcrafted items given to me as gifts, signed books and collectibles, childhood books, original cover and internal illustrations and some duplicative collectibles and paper ephemera plus research materials and some historical documents I am still using for research. Eventually down the road, some of these items will be added over time and in doing so, will enhance and expand the collection for the community. Plus, I’m still collecting to build this much smaller secondary private collection of things I want in my writing room and to make my life a little happier and to have on hand for writing and research projects. One of every story written - 675 books and counting - and each cover art for classics and Wanderers/Minstrels. And whatever strikes my fancy. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that either. Though, for some collectors I should just apparently…have hopped in my roadster, tossed my magnifying glass out, and rode out of good old River Heights into the proverbial sunset? Sorry. I’m unapologetically always going to be a Nancy Drew Collector. “Golly Gee Nancy, what a cliffhanger this has been,” lamented Bess. “Can we stop for a stress-relieving snack or two or 100 please?!”

The thing is, no one is more deserving than another to collect something. We all have a right and the freedom to collect Nancy Drew and make our lives a little fuller and happier. And that will never change. We’re all in this individually, but we’re also all in this together too when we have friends among the community. I would never expect another collector to step aside or bow out if the situation were reversed. I’d support and be excited about a donation or a secondary collection, but that’s how I am. I have learned, it’s not how everyone in this community would act, however.  Real life isn’t the fictionalized sappy chummery of Nancy and her best friends being supportive and solving fun mysteries. The cliffhanger of real life does include a darker more mysterious and frankly puzzling side.

Real life does mean that there are some collectors who are very aggressive and who seek things at all costs, friendships or avoidance of stepping on toes be damned. We’ve all run into a few of those people in the community. I’ve never approached collecting like that. In fact, back when you could see who was bidding on something, if it was a friend I wouldn’t bid, out of respect. For a long time now though on eBay it is hard to tell with disguised ids and most people bidding at the last minute, so you just never know what’s going to happen in the final few seconds as an auction closes. Sometimes you bid against someone you know in the last 10 seconds and don’t realize it until the auction is over. A friend and I did that on a Nancy Drew t-shirt once. One of those last-minute bidders is going to get it or some other random last-minute bidder. That’s life. 

For most of us, we accept that and keep on the hunt. Unless something is one-of-a-kind, the hunt is always fun and there’s always more to eventually find even if it takes a few years. So, I try to be positive like that and carry on in that manner. The green-eyed monsters that walk amongst us can put a damper on things for sure, but there’s just no need for that behavior, life’s too short for drama. I realize, though, that not everyone can rationalize it like that and I can’t make people play nice – but I can avoid that drama by letting it go and moving ahead with grace and positivity. It’s the Nancy way!

For those of you out there with collections who are wondering what you’ll do with them someday and face various dilemmas trying to figure it out, I’ve always encouraged people to find a place for it to live on if this issue of what to do with things concerns you. Check with your libraries and other museums, institutions and archives. Your family and heirs may not be interested, so maybe give away special things to other friends that are collectors. Think about the Toledo Public Library and my collection if there’s something you have that’s missing there. And if you get the opportunity to donate it somewhere, sell it, or whatever you do, while you still can be involved in the process and have your wishes fulfilled, I recommend you do it, as hard as it is to part with things. There are so many possibilities, but whatever you choose, be positive and happy in your choice. After some of the temporarily deflating effects of donating this collection, would I still recommend someone do that? Would I still donate it if I had to do it over again? Of course I would! I wouldn’t change a thing. Maybe my situation is unique and there are always those who seek to work against you rather than support you, but in the long run, it is worth so much to so many people in donating and giving it new life. I do miss my collection at times, but I have my secondary personal collection here to keep me happy and occupied. I’m completely happy about my actions and my choice in donating. And most of all I’m very honored that I got the opportunity to make the donation thanks to the Toledo Public Library. 

To wrap up this mystery, I’ll be very pointed in stating that I never in a million years expected anyone to roll out the red carpet and break out the awards ceremony in donating it, that’s not my style at all. However, I would like the collection to be more supported by the community as a whole. It’s such a worthwhile endeavor to preserve the collection in the annals of children’s publishing, Stratemeyer Syndicate and Nancy Drew history. There’s so much advertising and ephemera and historical documents behind the scenes that tell the story from creation to marketing to promotions to the actual book or collectible that I’ve pieced together in collecting for over 20 years which help greatly tell the story. All the puzzle pieces that make the puzzle. There’s so much more than just books and collectibles in the collection and that makes it a little more unique for the library and for those wanting to study it for research and fit all these puzzle pieces together. This is where digitizing will be really wonderful for so many to experience the full story. There are even a few collectors among the community who have donated to it so far like my good friend and collector Jim McNamara, and I’ll be sharing more about that soon. 

I hope that you all get a chance to go see the Nancy Drew Collection in Toledo sometime. We hope to have the grand opening party and corresponding Nancy Drew convention mystery event this July 14-16, 2022, which had to be postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic. For those who cannot visit, when it's digitized, it will make the collection so much more accessible to everyone and I look forward to that next phase! Hope you all have a marvelous 2022. Happy New “Drew” Year to you all and most of all Happy Sleuthing Collectors! Collecting and the hunt are always a good thing! And don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise or make you feel less than for doing so.