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Up for sale is a collection lot of 7 vintage Nancy Drew Mystery Stories hardcovers published by Grosset & Dunlap. This set features an exceptional mix of highly sought-after 1940s dark blue cloth editions with original paper dust jackets, collectible transitional printing variants, and classic 1950s/1960s blue tweed bindings.Breakdown:
The Whispering Statue (#14) – Definitive 1946 Printing: Centerpiece of the lot! Features the iconic 1940s silhouette graphic back cover dust jacket listing to The Mystery of the Tolling Bell. Dark blue cloth hardcover format inside with a pristine original glossy paper frontispiece illustrated by Russell H. Tandy. Jacket is in overall Good vintage condition.
The Message in the Hollow Oak (#12) – Definitive 1949 Printing: Includes the original 1940s dust jacket listing to The Clue of the Leaning Chimney protecting an early dark blue cloth hardcover. Jacket shows a large horizontal tear across the front; an excellent vintage placeholder copy.
The Haunted Bridge (#15) – Definitive 1952 Printing: Original 1950s dust jacket listing to The Mystery at the Ski Jump with the classic two-tone forest profile art on the reverse side. Overall Good condition.
The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (#25) – Definitive 1953 Printing: Original 1950s dust jacket listing to The Clue of the Velvet Mask. Jacket shows a distinct diagonal tear on the bottom-right front cover illustration.
Nancy\'s Mysterious Letter (#8) – 1960 Printing (Rare Factory Leftover Variant): A fascinating production anomaly for variant collectors! Internal ad pages list sequentially to The Clue in the Old Stagecoach (1960), but it was bound at the factory using leftover 1940s multi-scene collage endpapers instead of the standard digging man style. Features a previous owner\'s name neatly written in ink on the blank flyleaf page.
The Clue in the Crumbling Wall (#22) – 1954–1956 Printing: Blue tweed cover with a blank back board, original 25-line unrevised text format, and Rudy Nappi \"digging man\" endpapers. Front board shows a dark liquid stain along the top edge.
The Haunted Showboat (#35) ( 2 copies)
– 1962+ Printing: Blue tweed cover featuring the early 1960s plain-paper frontispiece layout. One copy has a front cover that shows a large crescent-shaped patch of surface color loss from historical sticker removal.⚠️ Detailed Condition Report (Please Read Carefully)This lot is graded overall as Acceptable to Good / Reader Copies. These books have been loved and read, showing typical vintage wear that is fully detailed below and shown in the photos.
Covers & Jackets: one copy of The Haunted Showboat has a distinct patch of surface color loss/peel on the front cover from historical sticker removal. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall shows a stain running along the top edge of the front board. The 4 paper dust jackets are complete but show typical vintage edge chipping, small tears, and spine wear as pictured (most notably on #12 and #25).
Bindings & Interiors: Hinges are generally stable and square. Nancy\'s Mysterious Letter has light paper splitting starting down the center inner gutter seam (internal mesh is intact, binding remains secure). Pages are otherwise clean, complete, and free of scribbling, with text fully legible.
