Series Book Resources

Listed here are some of the main resources for series book collectors.  Most of the books and sites listed here have been heavily used by me for research purposes.

All About Collecting Girls' Series Books: Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton, Cherry Ames, Penny Parker, Kay Tracey, Beverly Gray, Connie Blair, Vicki Barr, Dana Girls & Others

All About Collecting Boys' Series Books: Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Tom Swift, Jr., Chip Hilton, Ted Scott, Mark Tidd, Tom Slade & Others

John Axe is a series book collector who has compiled books showcasing the most popular girls' and boys' series books.  Axe's books include information about each series, a general guideline to prices, formats, and pictures of the dust jackets.  Axe's books are readily available on eBay and Amazon or at any popular chain bookstore.

Bobbsey Twins Formats

Sometimes I have been asked for information about the Bobbsey Twins series and its formats.  Unfortunately, the Bobbsey Twins series is outside of my area of interest, so I will not be building a page about the Bobbsey Twins.  However, James Keeline has already put together an excellent page which shows all of the different Bobbsey Twins formats.

Bobbsey Twins Formats Page

Clarke's Guide to the Judy Bolton Series by Laurie Clarke

Clarke's Guide provides first edition points for all 38 books in the Judy Bolton series.  It also provides information on the different formats.  It is a great resource, but unfortunately it is out of print and just about impossible to find.  The guide does occasionally show up on used book sites on the web.

Farah's Guide to the Nancy Drew series by David Farah

Farah's Guide lists every printing of every Nancy Drew book from #1-56.  Farah's Guide has everything that a serious Nancy Drew collector needs to know about identifying first printings and other collectible printings.  Farah's Guide is available from David Farah at www.FarahsGuide.com or on eBay.  If you find the 12th edition to be too pricey, older editions do sometimes come up for sale at lower prices.  The 10th and 11th editions have nearly everything that the 12th edition has.

Girls' Series Companion

The updated Girls' Series Companion has finally been published.  This book was compiled by the Society of Phantom Friends and lists nearly all girls' series books published from 1890 through 2005.  The book can be purchased from SynSine Press.

Series Book Checklists on the Web

There are several different sites on the web that feature exhaustive lists of series books.  The two best ones are:

Girls' Series Books Checklist 1840-1991
Mary Crosson's No Frills Series Book List

Sources for Buying Books

I am sometimes asked where one can acquire books in a certain series.  Aside from checking your local used bookstores and antique shops, there are many online sources.  You enter your search terms on the site of your choice, and you will find a list of books for sale.  For some of the harder to find books, you may have search daily for several months or even longer.  In most cases, the books are not going to simply fall into your lap.  Remember that half of the fun is in the search!

eBay
The Advanced Book Exchange
The Book Safari
The Prince and the Pauper Books

The above four sites are just a few of the many sites on the web from which books can be purchased.

Yahoo! Collector Groups

There are several collector groups on Yahoo! Groups which have been around for quite a few years.  These groups are a wealth of information about the different series books.  For instance, searching the archives of the Girls' Series Group about a series such as the Blythe Girls will bring up all of the past messages with information about that series.  These groups will also bring you into close contact with other collectors of series books.

Girls Series Books
Judy Bolton Fans
Nancy Drew Sleuths
Vintage Series Books

Yellowback Library

This fan magazine has been in print since 1981 and is one of the best sources for series book information.  Back issues frequently show up on eBay.