31 Days of Nancy Drew Topic #22 Nancy Drew Basic Collecting & Selling Tips

31 Days of Nancy Drew Topic #22

Nancy Drew Basic Collecting & Selling Tips

Now that I've covered what I've chosen to cover in my posts here so far during the 31 days of Nancy Drew, and we've focused on the books and various collectibles, I want to go over today - briefly ;) - some general collecting and selling tips for those of you who are collecting and/or may be selling some of your books at some point. The are basic tips and are being provided to give you a well-rounded bit of information. To go into every nuance or book in great detail would take - a guide - and we don't have the space for that ;) These are taken from a section I have in the collecting/formats area of my website - http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/collect.html

I got on eBay originally over 20 years ago to collect but also would book hunt and find extras or other books that I wasn't interested and would sell those on eBay  to sort of fund and support my habit ;-) HA! I haven't sold books on eBay in quite a few years - the fees and rules and DSRs and other things were just too off putting to make it worth my while and I wasn't a full time seller, more of a full time collector. I do sell books on my website in The Sleuth Shop and have a few listed in the vintage/girls' and boys' series sections currently. http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/thesleuthshop.html

Collecting Tips

The following two lists of collecting tips are good rules of thumb to collect by:

Get A Clue - 5 Fast Facts Before You Collect:

1. Nancy Drew books have been in print from 1930 until present day, so there are a lot of formats the books have gone through over the years. Check out the Collecting Nancy Drew-Formats section at my website http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/anatomy.html - to view the various formats from the dust jackets to book covers to endpapers to internal illustrations--will give you some perspective on when these were available and what books came in these formats. I've also covered this in my first of the 31 days postings here and at my Nancy Drew blog.

2. Beware of the Copyright Red Herring. Just because the book has a 1930 copyright, doesn't mean it's a printing from 1930. Some sellers do not realize this. One way to help you figure out the general date of the book as a general rule, is to check book lists either on dust jackets or internal listings of books. Whatever Nancy Drew book is listed last, check to see when it was published. If your copy of The Secret of the Old Clock book lists to The Clue of the Velvet Mask (#30), it is likely a printing circa 1953 for example.

3. How to determine an original from a revised? Rule of thumb number one is that only the first 34 books were revised. Number two is that an original will have 25 chapters, a revised only 20. And you can also look at the copyright date - book #34 came out in 1956 so 1930-1956 copyright dates mean it's an original text.

4. Only the first 38 books came out with dust jackets, books 39 to 56 all came out as yellow spine picture covers. Of course, eventually books 1-38 were produced in the YSPC format. You cannot get an OT in the YSPC format for books 1-4 and 6, these books were revised before the YSPC format debuted.

5. Is it RARE?! Probably not. Beware of listings that shout from the rooftops that the book is rare. There aren't too many rarities in the Nancy Drew collecting world--most are just scarce items.

 

10 Nancy Drew Format Tips In A Nutshell:

#1: How to tell an original text (OT) from a revised text (RT):

1) Only the first 34 books were revised. 2) An original text of 1-34 will have 25 chapters. Revisions have 20!

#2: What does a format #1 Nancy Drew book look like?

A: These format #1 books were out beginning in 1930 through early 1932. Only the first 7 books came out in this format. The format does not have the familiar orange silhouette on the cover--just orange lettering. The endpapers are blank a.k.a creamy white in color--no orange silhouettes.

#3: How can I tell if a book is a first printing?

A: Generally, a first printing will list to itself, however this is not a fail-safe rule. Some books listed to a previous volume, and some lists were not updated for a few printings. It helps to have a guide to identify these.

#4: Q': I want to get vintage Nancy Drew books with glossy internal illustrations, how many volumes came like this?

A: Only the first 13 books did through printings from 1930 to 1936. Because the books continued to look similar in board style after 1936 for a time and they still had a glossy frontispiece, be sure to double check with a seller to see if a book does in fact have 3 internal glossy illustrations. Many sellers don't realize they exist and miss them if they haven't gone through the book very closely. And be sure to check that the illustrations are attached properly.

#5. If you want a vintage set of all white spine Nancy Drew dust jackets, only the first 22 books came in this format.

#6. Beware of the Copyright Date Red Herring. Some sellers think that because a Nancy Drew book carries a copyright of 1930, it's a printing from 1930. Keep in mind, the copyright date did not change overtime, unless a book was revised, or some other necessary information was added to the copyright page!

#7. Beware the prices of glossy flashlight edition yellow spine picture covers. You can still purchase these in bookstores today as they're still printing them. Don't pay more for them when you can get them brand new. Bid wisely at online auctions--you can get great deals on these at eBay sometimes.

#8. Yellow spine Nancy Drew picture covers (YSPCs) were not produced until the 1960s--in the matte style--and were published in this style through the mid-80s.

#9. If you're looking for a uniform set of blue boards, the only style of blue boards that you can get for a full run of volumes of 1-38, are the blue tweed boards.

#10. There were no more blue boards with dust jackets after volume #38, the yellow spine picture cover format debuted with volume #39.

Where Can I buy Nancy Drew Books & Collectibles?

Some online Sources:

The Sleuth Shop

Book Search of Databases like ABE/etc.: AddAll.com

eBay

Etsy

There are more places too, share in the comments if you have a favorite place to hunt I haven't listed.

Locally:

Used book stores

Antique shops and malls

Garage, estate and tag sales

Flea markets

Antiquarian Book Fairs

Place a "want to buy" ad in the paper

Craig's List or Facebook Marketplace/etc. (place a want to buy ad or search the ads for sales)

 

Selling Tips:

If you're a seller or interested in selling your books or extras, here's some tips I have for selling.

Your average eBay seller of vintage children's books doesn't always do their homework and does not realize what they have and that's OK. If you're here reading these selling tips, then you're halfway to solving the mystery of the vintage Nancy Drew books. You may think you've stumbled upon a very valuable and even a rare Nancy Drew book. Chances are it's a very common and much later printing that you suspect and worth less than $50.00 to $100.00--maybe even as little as $5.00. At the end of the day it will probably be worth what people are willing to pay. You can always search market value - see what it's sold for at eBay recently and that can give you a good idea of how to value/price your items.

I've seen sellers list a yellow spine picture cover for $99.00 thinking it's extra special when it's worth about $5.00. I've seen some sellers at eBay trying to sell Nancy Drew books in the hundreds that aren't even valued for half what is being asked. And then I've seen sellers listing a first printing The Secret of the Old Clock book for a buy it now of $100.00 when it's worth in the thousands with the original dust jacket. Being realistic about what you have by doing some research and understanding values is key.

Beware of the copyright red herring - do not be fooled by the copyright date! It was not changed from printing to printing unless the text was revised. It is not reflective of what printing you are actually holding in your hands! With the exception of a couple of printings for picture covers that actually noted a printing date, 99 percent do not have this information. You have to look to other factors about the book to determine the actual printing date such as what the book lists to inside in front/back or what the dust jacket lists on the flaps or on back.

PLEASE NOTE: When you list at auction sites like eBay, you need to keep 2 things in mind. The first, is that if you are selling something that's worth quite a bit or a first printing or one of those early blank-endpaper Nancy Drew books, there is a small minority of unscrupulous sellers/collectors/? out there who have taken advantage of unknowing sellers by making them offers to sell outright and end auctions. In one case a seller sold a 1st printing of #3 The Bungalow Mystery with a dust jacket for $300.00 when it would have likely brought upwards of several thousand had it run its course at auction. The buyer knew what they were doing and the seller was unaware. So not the best Nancy-like etiquette, but at the same time, sellers should do their homework and be aware of what they are selling. So it goes both ways and both are at fault in this scenario. It's very easy to do a Google search and look for information. There are several sites including mine that offer this kind of information about Nancy Drew books and the various formats. It's also against eBay rules to take a transaction off site like that and make deals to end auctions.

The second thing to keep in mind, is that for most auctions, collectors will typically bid in the last few seconds of an auction--called SNIPING--that is when the price will really jump if you have something of value and something collectors desire. So if your item has few or no bids up until the last few seconds, this may be because collectors prefer to snipe--it's cheaper than getting into bidding wars during the main duration of an auction. I've seen auctions jump from $50.00 to $4,000.00 plus in the last 7 seconds of an auction due to sniping for a desirable books and especially first printings of the first several Nancy Drew books.

So to recap--be sure not to sell too low and also be aware that most collectors will snipe in the last few seconds of an auction. If you want to protect a value or investment, use a reasonable reserve on the auction if you're worried about waiting to the last few seconds to see how much it will sell for.

Important Clues About Describing Your Nancy Drew Books to Buyers...

This is my chance to influence some sellers or future sellers with some simple advice. Especially if you are selling your books at auction, Take the time to be detailed! It will result in less e-mails from buyers asking for the details. And please post photos showing the front/spine/back of books and if there's any major damage, please show photos of that.

Give your potential buyer/bidder the following information for books with dust jackets:

The Series and total number listed for that series on the front inner flap of the dj

The Series and total number listed for that series on the back inner flap of the dj

The Series and total number listed for that series on the back cover of the dj

 

Give your potential buyer/bidder the following information for the books themselves:

The Series and total number listed for that series on an inside listing of books--if there is an inside listing--either pre or post text--these lists will be on their own pages, not on the copyright page, if present. ****PLEASE NOTE: Inside lists on a copyright page, are not really indicative of what printing a book is, as those tended to be more random lists and not updated frequently.****

If there is no list of books or pages of advertising either front or back, then note that.

Give your potential buyer/bidder the following information for books that are picture covers--the last listed book on the back cover of the book. If the last listed book for example re: Nancy Drew books, is the Cookbook, then also list the next to last book. And if there are any pre or post text lists - also give that information as well - last listed title. If it's an order form, note that when revealing the last listed title. Those inner lists help too!

The reason for this information, which may seem a bother to some sellers at taking the time to note it, is to be able to distinguish between common and 1st printings/formats, rarities, etc.. I cannot count the number of e-mails I send to sellers asking for this information. If you're selling at eBay you can add the question/answer to the listing via the contact form--I suggest you do that or update your listing descriptions with the info so you'll not get asked repeat questions.

Where Should You Sell Your Books?

You can get instant gratification by selling your books locally to used and antiquarian bookstores or even at antique malls. You won't get much at Half Price Books and maybe even just store credit at the other establishments. If you'd like to make more money on your books, consider selling at the following sites online:

eBay
Etsy
Facebook Group: Sleuthing for Vintage Children's Series Books
Facebook Group: Series Book Swap & Sell

I put together 95% of my extensive collection using eBay in the late 1990s onward. The last few years have really declined in the variety of listings and the amount of unique or scarce collectibles. With all the new rules, regulations, and fees, eBay pretty much drove away the mom and pop sellers who were selling items from grandma's attic--the really good finds! Now you have a mix of lots of modern books from wholesale sellers and just a little bit of vintage items. It can be very hit and miss. You also have resellers who buy in the same market, driving up some prices, when they try to resell these items which has driven away some collectors and sellers as well. I'm not referring to collectors who buy bulk lots and then resell extras. It would be nice to see more mom and pop sellers with these vintage books and collectibles give eBay a chance again. Try it, and see how you like it. If you have quite a variety of series books and/or other items, consider renting a booth at a local antique mall or flea market. These can be great places to sell and collectors are always on the look out at these types of establishments. The Facebook groups for selling are great and quite a few collectors will post their wants or what they're selling or willing to trade there, so it's a good place to show what you have for sale. And, the Facebook groups are free!

In the comments here's what I'd like to hear - share your favorite places to shop for books or collectibles - both locally and online. What has been your best find over the years that you've been collecting?   

31 Days of Nancy Drew Topic #2 - Original vs. Revised Text Nancy Drews

31 Days of Nancy Drew Topic #2 - Original vs. Revised Text Nancy Drews.

This is something that pops up a lot among new collectors and even more seasoned collectors, so there is something to learn here for everyone. At my website I have a section in the books/formats area on the texts and also I wrote for the 75th anniversary an article about the revisions - and I compare Old Clock original and revised and show you all the changes and discuss those, so you will find these links helpful too.

Referring to the classic Nancy Drew books - 1-56 published from 1930 to 1979 and what's still in print today, remember, only the first 34 books were revised. Books 35-56 only have one text version. 

How do I know what I have? Look at the copyright date - if it's from 1930-1956, it's original. But easier, is to just check the chapter count too - if it has 25 chapters, it's the original version. If 20 chapters, it's the revised version. Some books, you can tell by the cover art what's in there too if you know when a book was revised and when the art was changed to a later version, but that knowledge comes with time and research. So, a quick easy way is just to check the chapter count or copyright date.

Why were the books revised? Financial reasons - and this is all accounted for in the Stratemeyer Syndicate archives at the New York Public Library. It was cheaper to produce a 180-page or so book than one over 200 pages like the originals were. This was the main reason the books were revised--that and the switch to a different type of printing plate also led the charge to change--as plates were wearing out they were replaced with the new style--one reason some of the books were not revised completely in order of 1-34. As a consequence of the revisions process, ethnic and racial stereotypes and prejudices were removed and the texts were modernized with outdated language and slang being removed. It was felt that new generations of “TV watchers” had less of an attention span than previous generations of readers, so the pace of the books was quickened too in the revising process - so lots of descriptive passages from originals were removed to make action sequences faster and things like that.

What's the deal with exploding oranges in Moss-Covered Mansion, this isn't in the original?! A big example of a drastic change from original to revised - some of the stories got all new plots or plots were changed up quite a bit from the original. These are Hidden Staircase, Lilac Inn, Shadow Ranch, Broken Locket, Hollow Oak, Whispering Statue, Brass-Bound Trunk, and Moss-Covered Mansion.

How substantial were the revisions? Past Moss-Covered Mansion, vast  parts of these books were kept, not changed, just stuff cut out when revised.  For books 1-18 it varies, for the ones that were not all new plots for the most part or all new stories - if you read them side by side or OT and then RT, you'll see that a lot of the original story--complete paragraphs, whole sentences and things like that are still in the revised versions, so the bulk of the revision is still from the original. I began a project to highlight inside the revised version of an original all words/phrases/paragraphs/etc. that appear in the original and it's quite a bit when you do this kind of analysis.

What's currently in print? Penguin still reprints the classic 1-56 and they only reprint the revised versions of books 1-34. Applewood Books used to do reprints of the originals, but they no longer do, but you can find copies. If you want to read an original version, you can source them via local used book stores, antique malls, online sites like eBay and Etsy or even at Facebook where people sell their books or in selling groups, you can find inexpensive reading copies if you just want to read the text and do not care about printings or whether it's got a dust jacket/etc.

Can I get a full set of originals in the yellow spine picture cover format? No, this format didn't come out until 1961/1962, and the books began to be revised in 1959, so these books cannot be found in the original version in the YSPC format - Old Clock, Hidden Staircase, Bungalow Mystery, Lilac Inn, & Red Gate Farm. The only format where you can get a full set of all original text books is the blue tweed books if you want a uniform set.

Which is better, original or revised? Most fans tend to prefer the original once they read and compare the versions - the originals were often better written or the flow of events and dialogue mixed with descriptions of the setting and events going on, made for a much better cohesive read. They are more timeless. I grew up on the revised versions so they are nostalgic to me as well. So, I like them all but prefer the originals as to overall quality. I have found where some revised versions where there were huge changes in plot - I like the story better or feel the plot was more interesting overall - like Lilac Inn or Shadow Ranch for instance.

In the comments, let us know what you prefer better - original or revised? And of those stories revised with very new or mostly new plots, which do you prefer - the original or the revised new plot?

31 Days of Nancy Drew #1 - Collecting the Books & Formats 101

31 DAYS OF NANCY DREW #1 - A brief overview of What is it, what's it worth? Nancy Drew Book Formats 101. 

I have a section on my Nancy Drew website which breaks down the formats, art, and texts of the various Nancy Drew books over the decades - the classic Nancy Drew books 1-56 - between 1930 and 1979. I've got a few screen captures here to also highlight these. And a couple of the charts/checklists from the website. As you can see there are a lot of styles and formats these books went through from the boards to the dust jackets to the endpapers (images inside the covers). There were cover art changes, illustration changes inside, text changes (for the first 34 but that's a topic for another post!) These images will help you gauge what decade your book is from for the most part which will help you date it. If you have dust jackets - the last listed Nancy Drew title and other series titles as a general rule will give you an idea of what year approx. give or take, it may have been printed. If your book has lists pre-text (not copyright page lists--don't go by those) or post-text ads - as a general rule you can narrow down close to a printing year but there are exceptions to that. What's it worth? What you're willing to pay. Collecting has changed over time. You can search sites like eBay to see how things are selling and get an idea of value as to market value. But I think a lot of seasoned collectors will tell you, that it's worth what you're willing to pay, as a general rule. A first printing is going to be worth more than a later printing, but condition is also a factor--terrible condition doesn't equate to high value, it devalues. Even for scarce books. But the scarcity may make one be willing to sacrifice to acquire it and pay more. Every collector is unique and everyone has an idea of what they want and are willing to pay - so your collections will always be unique to you and that makes them special. Here are images to get you started but check out my website for more in-depth information on formats and collecting!