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Picture Covers & Paperbacks
Starting with the original Collins picture covers in 1971, a new numbering system was brought to the Nancy Drew series in the U.K. The picture covers and the paperbacks utilize the same numbers consistently.
British #
Title
British #
Title
1
Shadow Ranch
40
Forgotten City
2
99 Steps
41
Message in Parchment
3
Ski Jump
42
Crocodile Island
4
Spider Sapphire
43
Red Gate Farm
5
Crossword Cipher
44
Wooden Lady
6
Missing Map
45
Hidden Window
7
Old Stagecoach
46
Whistling Bagpipes
8
Broken Locket
47
Mysterious Mannequin
9
Hollow Oak
48
Crooked Bannister
10
Invisible Intruder
49
Sky Phantom
11
Blackwood Hall
50
Thirteenth Pearl
12
Larkspur Lane
51
Triple Hoax
13
Bungalow Mystery
52
Flying Saucer
14
Whispering Statue
53
Old Lace
15
Haunted Showboat
54
Greek Symbol
16
Dancing Puppet
55
Swami's Ring
17
Tapping Heels
56
Kachina Doll
18
Crumbling Wall
5
Twin Dilemma
19
Tolling Bell
58
Captive Witness
20
Black Keys
59
Winged Lion
21
Leaning Chimney
60
Race Against Time
22
Scarlet Slipper
61
Sinister Omen
23
Golden Pavilion
62
Elusive Heiress
24
Old Attic
63
Ancient Disguise
25
Ringmaster's Secret
64
Broken Anchor
26
Mysterious Letter
65
Silver Cobweb
27
Pine Hill
66
Haunted Carousel
28
Fire Dragon
67
Enemy Match
29
Moss-Covered Mansion
68
Mysterious Image
30
Hidden Staircase
69
Emerald-Eyed Cat
31
Ivory Charm
70
Eskimo's Secret
32
Brass Bound Trunk
71
Bluebeard Room
33
Velvet Mask
72
Phantom of Venice
34
Old Album
73
Old Clock
35
Witch Tree Symbol
74
Lilac Inn
36
Moonstone Castle
75
Clue in Diary
37
Mirror Bay
76
Twisted Candles
38
Double Jinx
77
Haunted Bridge
39
Glowing Eye
78
Jewel Box
COLLINS PICTURE COVERS
The
Collins picture covers were originally issued
with bright new covers, whose background color
wrapped around the spine, where there would
also appear an icon of sorts representing
Nancy's particular adventure in this story. At
the top of the spine would be a colored span
of 1" with the words "The NANCY DREW Series"
in white letters. On the backs of the books
were lists featuring 12, 24, 36, 42 or 50
titles. Books
#43-50 only came in a matte yellow-spine
format which exactly imitated the Grosset
& Dunlap PC available in the States - the
only real difference being the "Collins" at
the base of the spine, and the revised list of
titles on the back cover. The innards are
literally G&D pages, and often have the
incorrect next page notice as a result. There
was one 2-in-1 hardback issued by Collins
around 1974, which included Moss-Covered
Mansion and Hidden Staircase. Digest
size hardback - matte finish: 7 3/8" H x 4
7/8" W. The
third format for the Collins PCs was a thinner
version with a glossy finish; the spine was
all in yellow. There is no volume number
indicated anywhere on these books. The illustrations
are the same as those from the matte finish
books. Instead of producing the last 10 books
from the series (as the Hardy Boys
counterparts do), a few of the earlier titles
were also selected for reprint. This probably
reflected what was low in stock at the time.
These were available during the 1980s and were
printed in Italy by Imago/Sagdos. Digest
size hardback - glossy finish: 7 1/4" H x 5"
W.
Collins created their own line drawings for the
frontispiece and internal illustrations.
Most are based on the same scenes as the US
editions
At the top of the spine
would be a plum colored span of 1" with the
words "The NANCY DREW Series" in white letters.
Books numbers #1-6 (maybe more?) were also
issued with this section in a variety of colors,
with black letters. I believe the ones with the
black letters are the earlier editions.
This illustration of Nancy
was the logo used by Collins and appears on the
backs of all the matte finish books.
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COLLINS PICTURE COVERS |
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Multicolor Spines |
Vols 1-42 |
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Matte Yellow Spines |
Vols 43-50 |
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Glossy Yellow Spines |
16, 18, 25, 34-42 |
© 1999 Lea Shangraw Fox