When I was a young teenager I began reading my older brother’s Hardy Boys books. They had quite a few and I added the ones that they were missing. I was very proud of my 58 book collection, but as I became an adult it seemed silly to hang onto them. I gave them to my nephew. I really wish that I had hung onto them because I have this great desire to reread them. And so begins my quest! In the late 50’s and throughout the 60’s the company that owned the rights to the series systematically began rewriting all the stories! Some were modernized, while others became a completely different story! It is the original editions that I am after and through the wonders of eBay I am becoming quite successful… and substantially poorer. With the cost of shipping it seems to work out that I buy them in lots, take the ones I need, and sell back the rest. I am going to have some nice sets up on auction soon. Most of the editions I had as a kid had blue pictorial covers. While I am interested in recreating that collection, I am also interested in collecting the really cool, dust-jacketed editions from the 40’s and 50’s. They have a yellow spine and wonderful graphics depicting the boys in one of their capers. If you know of any good used bookstores for me to check or happen to be at a yard sale please keep your eye out for them! Below are a couple of pics from the dust jacketed versions.
