Life Goal: Collecting Every Nancy Drew EVER
So here’s the deal, you guys. I have ALWAYS dreamed of owning every Nancy Drew book (same goes for the Babysitter’s Club and Hardy Boys books, but man, that’s a goal for another day), EVER. I love Nancy Drew and mysteries and books. But, you know, there’s a billion of them.
But, today I realized – I don’t need to buy them all at once on ebay – not that I haven’t tried looking for such an auction – I can do it one book at a time! Slowly. VERY SLOWLY. Find one or two at a used bookstore, steal some from a friend, find a great deal on ebay, etc.
So I made a spreadsheet. Cause I’m a spreadsheet addict. And I will be marking off EVERY SINGLE BOOK as I buy them and read them (in order duh but not buy them in order cause that’s complicated).
Tell me – do you think I’m crazy? Perhaps you should view the spreadsheet before making that decision. But I just can’t help myself! Is there a particular character or series that you love so much you want to read every book ever?
Also, do YOU read Nancy Drew books? Have you read them? Which ones are your favourites?
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oh my, Nancy Drew used to be my JAM! I still have some and a couple of Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys one too. I remember when they revamped the series to make Nancy 17 instead 18 and being like WHAT? over it. Good luck on your quest!!
elena recently posted..in which i am very excited for books! in a vlog!
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I think it’s great that you’re collecting all of the books! I LOVE Nancy Drew so I’m excited to see how this goes!
Kailia Sage recently posted..Book Haul (63)
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Oh man! My older sister used to collect the Nancy Drew mystery books when she was a little girl. She was a senior in high school by the time I was born, so she has some old ones. A lot of them! My mom had kept them, and I read through them once I was old enough. I’m not sure where they are now, though. They might be in my mom’s attic. I’m totally going to have to check! I don’t even remember which ones she had, just that it was a lot of them and that when I was reading them they took up every inch of space at the top of my closet.
Jenny recently posted..Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller
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I am so in love with this idea haha – not crazy! Nancy Drew was one of the original kickass girl characters, there’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t love that! Funnily enough, I’m in the middle of cleaning out an old bookcase and ran across a whole bunch that I was just about to get rid of. Do you need them to be the yellow hardcovers, or any version? I have a bunch of old paperback Nancy Drews, as well as a few British versions since I lived there when I was younger. I’ll go through your list and crosscheck it with my collection and email you about it; though I’m gone on family business and then ALA until Monday so it’ll probably be sometime next week. Hope that’s ok!
PS. I was kinda in love with Ned when I was younger.
Ashley @ Ashley Loves Books recently posted..Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller (ARC)
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This post makes me smile. I have a TON of Nancy Drew and Baby Sitters Club and have been thinking about rereading them. The Haunted Bridge is my favorite! Also… LOVE the Nancy Drew Graphic Novels. Well… I’ve only read one, but it made me laugh.
I’ll see if I have any duplicates and e-mail you if I do. You are welcome to all my duplicates.
fakesteph recently posted..Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
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Collecting all the Nancy Drew books was once my dream, too, but back in middle school before the series got more boring for me. It’s been a couple of years since I last read a Nancy Drew book…
I have 40 Nancy Drew books, which includes some of the ’30s and ’40s originals, ’60s rewrites, modern republishings of ’60s rewrites, and various paperback continuations. Have you heard of the Dana Girls series yet? They were written under the same pseudonym from the 1930s to the ’70s or ’80s; they’re a bit harder to find, and I think I have about 8 of them.
Susanna P recently posted..Classic Lit: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
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Wow, Tara! That is quite the goal (498 books… you better have your own personal library, haha!). I loved Nancy Drew books and still do. I’m actually just getting rid of a few, as I’m only keeping my favourites (The Haunted Bridge and Witch Tree Symbol for example). Too bad I live in Canada :( But good luck on your quest! Do you have a site like kijiji or craigslist? You may find some on there…
OH, and have you ever played the Nancy Drew computer games? They are AMAZING and so much fun. I’ve been playing them for more than 10 years, and have almost all of them (except for the 2 most recent games). Seriously, if you love Nancy Drew this much and haven’t played them, you NEED TO! Hit me up on Twitter (@BookishComforts) if you need some recommendations for which games are best :)
Ahh, now you are making me want to read the books, play the video game, and read the entire Nancy Drew wiki page!!!!
Rachelia (Bookish Comforts) recently posted..::Required Reading:: 06.17.12
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I’ve never read Nancy Drew (I know, I’m missing out) but I totally feel you on wanting to own the entire series because you love it! I did the same with the Narnia books a while ago. Granted there’s only 7 of them compared to the 400+ Nancy Drew, but I feel the sentiments are the same! I totally commend you on this and think you can do it! If I see any while I’m out, I’ll snag them for you! We’ve got some dirt cheap used bookstores around here that I’m sure will have some! :)
Candice recently posted..Recommend A… Book that made you emotional
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I LOVE the Nancy Drew books. It’s one of my favorite series from my childhood up until today. Your goal is admirable, considering there’s a ton, but I’m certain you can do it!
My favorites are all from the Nancy Drew Mystery stories – The Clue in the Jewel Box, The Clue in the Crumbling Wall and The Spider Sapphire mystery. Good luck collecting them all! I’ll keep an eye out for you if I can find any :)
Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books recently posted..Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
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I was going to say definitely not crazy… and then I looked at the spreadsheet. So, now I’m going with maybe a little crazy but still a fabulous idea! I think that’s such a fun life goal. Will you just be any of them as you find them OR prioritize by series? For example, focusing on getting all the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories first. Just wondered! It might be a little more manageable (and feel like you’ve accomplished something) if you focus on getting all of a certain kind while still keeping an eye out for others. Either way – SO excited to see how you progress!
Hannah recently posted..Under the Summer Sun
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I cannot believe there are THAT many Nancy Drew books. Now I’m even more embarrassed for having never read one.
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Wow, I really had no clue that there were so many Nancy Drew books – your spreadsheet is amazing!!! I have only read a few when I was a kid.
I am hoping to start collecting classics, primarily my favorite fairy-tales, which is all of them, lol!
Good luck to you! and happy reading :)
margie c {the bumble girl} recently posted..The Beehive Book News #8: The Noisy Bird Edition
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I think it’s a great idea. Do you have a favorite edition or era? I’d assume you don’t want to have a really mixed up set when you’re done.
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Definitely not crazy at all! I’ve recently made it my goal to own every book by Eileen Cook, Sarah Dessen, Kody Keplinger, and Jenny Han. I know that, even combined, there’s not nearly as many as the Nancy Drew books, but that is still my goal!
Gabbi Calabrese recently posted..Crush Tournament nominations.
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I love Nancy Drew so I think this is a great goal. My Aunt was actually doing this for me when I was a kid, she was buying them gradually for me. I loved devouring those books. I still do. :]
Ash recently posted..Review of My Soul to Take
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I must say that is an awesome goal! I wouldn’t mind doing that one day too! :) I’ve probably read about 20, and truly enjoyed every single one of them! I used to even still read them in high school during the summer! I remember my first ever nancy Drew was “Mystery of the Fire Dragon”! :)
Mandy @The Romance Bookie recently posted..Interview with Zeinab Alayan
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I don’t think you are crazy at all! As a child I had a book in which I wrote each Nancy Drew I read. I also started making a list of them. I buy each Nancy Drew I see at second hand shops, but I don’t have many :(
Maybe I need to start my list up again :)
The Muggle recently posted..Review: The Pull
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I LOVE this! And no, you are not crazy! I was a Nancy Drew fanatic as a teen and still am! I loved the tv show and watched the Hardy Boys series too. I don’t blame you for slowly collecting the entire series. I am personally too scared to look at the spreadsheet. SImply because I know there are hundreds of Nancy Drew books, then there are the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys double books, the series when Nancy went off to college (cant remember the name) and I believe there was a series done when she was a child. It sounds like a fun quest and you will ahve a blast re reading everything from the begining! Garage sales and resale shops will be your bestie. They have these books aplenty! At least the ones by me do. And on the bright side, now that everyone knows you are looking for these, I am sure you will get them in the mail in mass qauntity from your readers. hehe Goodluck! And may the odds be ever in your favor! :P
Cristina @ The Princess Of Storyland recently posted..Nail Your Books (4)
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My sister and I were each given a new Nancy Drew for b’days, at the start of every summer vacation, and so on. By the time we were in jr high, we had the whole set. It got split up over time but I remember loving to see the whole collection on the bookshelf #’s 1 to… Now I collect first editions of Noel Streatfeild’s books (she wrote Ballet Shoes, etc.). LOVE book collecting. One by one is much more satisfying than just chucking money at Ebay, too. Have fun!
Stasia recently posted..Bookanistas: SURRENDER by Elana Johnson
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This is a hella awesomeo goal. I approve.
Cat @ Beyond Books recently posted..In My Mailbox #58
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Don’t forget the old and new SuperMystery series with the Hardy Boys, the Be A Detective set of 6, the New graphic novels (there’s only 3), The new Diaries are coming in 2013, spin off series called River Heights, and of course there are many reprints and versions of the series. Original white spine, wraparound spine, yellow flashlight, S&S pbs and hbs from 79 -175, not to mention the Hardy Boys books that mention Nancy.
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I never could get into the Nancy Drew books (except the *Notebooks* series where she’s a child). I was always more of a Trixie Belden girl myself.
But, I admire you for going after what you want. As for your other goal…. I,too, would love to read all the BSC books. I also have a goal to read all the *Sweet Valley High* books…the normal ones….and, there were 183 of those overall, but they can never be found all together.
As for your *Nancy Drew* book collecting adventure, are you collecting all the ND books of every ND series, or just the ones of the the main *ND Files/Mysteries* series. It could get hard if you also wanted all of the *ND On Campus*, *ND Notebooks*, *ND & HB: Super Mysteries*, *ND and the Clue Crew*, and the graphic novels.
But, if you get a chance, DO pick up the spin-off series, *River Heights*. I read those years ago, and loved them.
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it is not at all crazy! that’s a good life goal, or for your sake, one of your life goals. :) and the spreadsheet idea is a neat one! but omg, I didn’t realize there were so many in the series! well, considering the many years it existed. anyway! i loved reading them too as a kid. and I have the Baby sitters club series collection too! I tried to collect them all, but failed, but I have a lot of them,:) good luck to your goal!
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Goodness! I had no idea that there were so many Nancy Drew books. I really like your spreadsheet as I am a spreadsheet addict too. I had a goal of collecting everything by Jayne Anne Krentz under all her names and just have a few of her very early books to find. I know the excitement of finding a book that helps reach your goal. Happy reading!
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What a great idea!!!! I LOVE Nancy Drew books. And Hardy Boys, as a matter of fact. The crazy thing though, is that they’re still releasing new Nancy Drew books, I think.
GOOD LUCK!
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I didn’t realize that there were THAT many Nancy Drew books! I totally love this idea and I might actually do this too! I haven’t read Nancy Drew in FOREVER!
xo!
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Tara can you pls email me the spreadsheet so I can use it? I think I’ll try and collect them myself. Very upset that I did not just keep my originals :(
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Oh my. I can’t believe there are so many! I loved Nancy Drew!
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Oh God, this is my life goal too! As well as Babysitter’s Club and Hardy Boys. I’m addicted to these when I was young!
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Oh my gosh! That is an amazing list! I used to read Nancy Drew when I was younger and I did not know there were THAT MANY!! Now I kinda want to read more of them :) happy reading!
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That’s awesome! I have a similar but smaller goal with Wishbone books! It was my favorite show as a kid and I had 3 Wishbone books to begin with, now I have 19…I’m getting there, but they are super hard to find.
Good luck with you goal!
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I have some really really old ones that were my cousins…I love them…someone told me they were worth tons of money!
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I love Nancy Drew! I love that you’re collecting all the books! Good luck!
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When I was in 3rd grade, I was OBSESSED with Nancy Drew. I borrowed, got from the library, and bought EVERY SINGLE BOOK. I read EVERY SINGLE BOOK. I still think of that as my greatest accomplishment. I’m just mad that I didn’t keep them all. :P
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