The DJ is a bit torn at the top edge, the book itself is in good order. This is the only way to get these later stories in hardback in the UK, so this is a worthwhile volume to pick up. Not too sure about the quality of the stories in here, though. It’s been a while since I read any of them, but I seem to remember Cranky Collector being a tad poor and The Kidnapped Whale a tedious piece of nonsense about bad guys training a beached whale to steal sunken treasure. Conventional wisdom appears to be that the only good Three Investigators stories were those written by Robert Arthur and the rest are all (more or less) crap. I would disagree to an extent and say that the best books in the series included those by Robert Arthur and William Arden. And all the rest are (more or less) crap. I’ll need to do a more scientific analysis and see if this theory holds any water. Watch this space, fellow bloggers. Friday, 29 April 2011
The Mystery of the Trail of the Kidnapped Collector
That hardback Marks and Spencer edition has come in the post:
The DJ is a bit torn at the top edge, the book itself is in good order. This is the only way to get these later stories in hardback in the UK, so this is a worthwhile volume to pick up. Not too sure about the quality of the stories in here, though. It’s been a while since I read any of them, but I seem to remember Cranky Collector being a tad poor and The Kidnapped Whale a tedious piece of nonsense about bad guys training a beached whale to steal sunken treasure. Conventional wisdom appears to be that the only good Three Investigators stories were those written by Robert Arthur and the rest are all (more or less) crap. I would disagree to an extent and say that the best books in the series included those by Robert Arthur and William Arden. And all the rest are (more or less) crap. I’ll need to do a more scientific analysis and see if this theory holds any water. Watch this space, fellow bloggers.
The DJ is a bit torn at the top edge, the book itself is in good order. This is the only way to get these later stories in hardback in the UK, so this is a worthwhile volume to pick up. Not too sure about the quality of the stories in here, though. It’s been a while since I read any of them, but I seem to remember Cranky Collector being a tad poor and The Kidnapped Whale a tedious piece of nonsense about bad guys training a beached whale to steal sunken treasure. Conventional wisdom appears to be that the only good Three Investigators stories were those written by Robert Arthur and the rest are all (more or less) crap. I would disagree to an extent and say that the best books in the series included those by Robert Arthur and William Arden. And all the rest are (more or less) crap. I’ll need to do a more scientific analysis and see if this theory holds any water. Watch this space, fellow bloggers. 
Nothing to Moan About
And here’s the other one I got from The Children’s Bookshop in Hay-On-Wye:
I didn’t go there personally, you understand, just checked out their website. Which is something I urge you to do if you want to have fantastic books like this in your collection. Altogether now: “Aaaaaahhhhhh-ooooooooooooo-ooooo-oo!”
This is my all-time favourite Three Investigators story, by my all-time favourite Three Investigators author, in my all-time favourite Three Investigators format with my all-time favourite Three Investigators cover art = my all-time favourite Three Investigators book! Nectar!
I didn’t go there personally, you understand, just checked out their website. Which is something I urge you to do if you want to have fantastic books like this in your collection. Altogether now: “Aaaaaahhhhhh-ooooooooooooo-ooooo-oo!”This is my all-time favourite Three Investigators story, by my all-time favourite Three Investigators author, in my all-time favourite Three Investigators format with my all-time favourite Three Investigators cover art = my all-time favourite Three Investigators book! Nectar!
Now You’re Talking
This is one of two books that I sourced at the Children’s Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye:
A very nice small hardback Talking Skull. Some minor bumping to edges does not detract from what is a really nice cover. The hardback collection is coming together quite nicely.
A very nice small hardback Talking Skull. Some minor bumping to edges does not detract from what is a really nice cover. The hardback collection is coming together quite nicely.
Nice Catch
Have a look at this lovely small hardback Crooked Cat that has just arrived courtesy of an Abebooks dealer who had the decency to answer my query as to whether it was a hardback book or not, correctly:
Very clean pages and nice tight binding = never been read. The spine is a wee bit faded, but not enough to upset me; trust me folks, this is a little cracker.
Very clean pages and nice tight binding = never been read. The spine is a wee bit faded, but not enough to upset me; trust me folks, this is a little cracker.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Rare
How easy is it going to be to complete this collection? I have already stated my general strategy, i.e. concentrate on the hardbacks and let the paperbacks take care of themselves. I don’t think that there is really such a thing as a “rare” paperback Three Investigators book, although certainly some will be more difficult to find than others. From many years experience in buying Three Investigators books, here is my view on the relative difficulty you will find in obtaining the various editions:
Large Hardbacks
These can be split roughly into three groups. Books 1-16 and 18 will be the easiest to find in this edition. Most of these had more than one print run and they should be relatively easy to find. Books 17, 19 -23 are in the second group. Of these, only Phantom Lake and Monster Mountain had more than one printing. My experience is that these show up occasionally, but not as often as the earlier titles. Books numbered 24 to 28 fall into the most difficult to find category. If you manage to find one of these with its dustjacket that is not an ex-library book, you should be kicking your height. Of these titles, I have only seen one Death Trap Mine (and that was in appalling condition), two Dancing Devils (both in poor condition), two Headless Horses (one I bought myself new, the other a poor ex-library copy), One Magic Circle (again a poor ex-lib copy) and one Deadly Double, again a poor ex-lib version.
Small Hardbacks
Books numbered #1-18 should be easy enough to come across, as several of the earlier titles had multiple reprints. Books numbered 19-24 fall into the rare category, as these only had one printing and are generally difficult to find. I would put them on par with some of the later large hardbacks to find, especially Monster Mountain, Haunted Mirror, Invisible Dog and Death Trap Mine. I think I have only ever seen one or two at most of these editions.
Paperback 1
These should all be very easy to find, with the possible exception of the first Vanishing Treasure imprint, which featured the cover with the boy brandishing a knife.
Paperback 2
Again, these are in plentiful supply, even the last one in this set, Shark Reef shows up frequently.
Paperback 3
This is where you will start finding difficulty in obtaining some titles. You may find, as I did, that many of these will be available as ex library copies. The last few titles in this format are not so easy to come by, with Smashing Glass, in my experience, the hardest of the lot to find.
Paperback 4
You may find these among the hardest to find. My old collection included several of these as ex-library books. You will probably find some of the later titles quite difficult to find, particularly Missing Mermaid, Two Toed Pigeon, Creep Show Crooks and Wrecker’s Rock, although none of them are anything like as common as paperback editions 1 and 2.
Paperback 5
Being the last imprint before the series went officially out of print, these books were heavily remaindered in book outlets such as Bargain Books and BookWorld. For some reason, I found many of these titles difficult to track down, but when I did find them, they were generally in very good condition. In fact, back when I was putting my last collection together, you could still find these in bookshops such as Waterstones, and I remember getting a brand new copy of Haunted Mirror in a bookshop in London to complete my set.
Three Investigators Omnibuses
You should not find much difficulty in adding any of these to your collection, beware though, as they are frequently in poor and well read condition. The Diamond editions were heavily remaindered through Bargain Books etc.
Crimebusters
The early titles are fairly plentiful, the later ones slightly less so, however you should not experience much trouble in putting together a complete set quite quickly. The Crimebusters omnibuses are ten a penny. Don’t buy unless it is in mint condition, as there will be a better copy along soon enough. I suppose the true purist will want Mulberry and Diamond imprints in his collection.
Large Hardbacks
These can be split roughly into three groups. Books 1-16 and 18 will be the easiest to find in this edition. Most of these had more than one print run and they should be relatively easy to find. Books 17, 19 -23 are in the second group. Of these, only Phantom Lake and Monster Mountain had more than one printing. My experience is that these show up occasionally, but not as often as the earlier titles. Books numbered 24 to 28 fall into the most difficult to find category. If you manage to find one of these with its dustjacket that is not an ex-library book, you should be kicking your height. Of these titles, I have only seen one Death Trap Mine (and that was in appalling condition), two Dancing Devils (both in poor condition), two Headless Horses (one I bought myself new, the other a poor ex-library copy), One Magic Circle (again a poor ex-lib copy) and one Deadly Double, again a poor ex-lib version.
Small Hardbacks
Books numbered #1-18 should be easy enough to come across, as several of the earlier titles had multiple reprints. Books numbered 19-24 fall into the rare category, as these only had one printing and are generally difficult to find. I would put them on par with some of the later large hardbacks to find, especially Monster Mountain, Haunted Mirror, Invisible Dog and Death Trap Mine. I think I have only ever seen one or two at most of these editions.
Paperback 1
These should all be very easy to find, with the possible exception of the first Vanishing Treasure imprint, which featured the cover with the boy brandishing a knife.
Paperback 2
Again, these are in plentiful supply, even the last one in this set, Shark Reef shows up frequently.
Paperback 3
This is where you will start finding difficulty in obtaining some titles. You may find, as I did, that many of these will be available as ex library copies. The last few titles in this format are not so easy to come by, with Smashing Glass, in my experience, the hardest of the lot to find.
Paperback 4
You may find these among the hardest to find. My old collection included several of these as ex-library books. You will probably find some of the later titles quite difficult to find, particularly Missing Mermaid, Two Toed Pigeon, Creep Show Crooks and Wrecker’s Rock, although none of them are anything like as common as paperback editions 1 and 2.
Paperback 5
Being the last imprint before the series went officially out of print, these books were heavily remaindered in book outlets such as Bargain Books and BookWorld. For some reason, I found many of these titles difficult to track down, but when I did find them, they were generally in very good condition. In fact, back when I was putting my last collection together, you could still find these in bookshops such as Waterstones, and I remember getting a brand new copy of Haunted Mirror in a bookshop in London to complete my set.
Three Investigators Omnibuses
You should not find much difficulty in adding any of these to your collection, beware though, as they are frequently in poor and well read condition. The Diamond editions were heavily remaindered through Bargain Books etc.
Crimebusters
The early titles are fairly plentiful, the later ones slightly less so, however you should not experience much trouble in putting together a complete set quite quickly. The Crimebusters omnibuses are ten a penny. Don’t buy unless it is in mint condition, as there will be a better copy along soon enough. I suppose the true purist will want Mulberry and Diamond imprints in his collection.
Here I Go Again
Going down the only road I’ve ever known. This ebay listing caught my eye:
It doesn’t mention if it is a hardback or paperback, just that it is in VG condition. Now folks, as far as I am aware, the only omnibus edition that features these titles is not a paperback, but the frankly fantastic sumptuous hardback edition that was published by Collins as a store exclusive for Marks and Spencer. An absolutely super book, this, with dustjacket and properly stitched spine. Also, much better paper stock than any of the other books in the series. It is also the only hardback Three Investigators book to be published after the last of the original series, The Deadly Double, a decade earlier. Anyway, I have bought it and am awaiting its arrival. After my recent purchases, fuck knows what will arrive. As ever, fellow bloggers, you will be the first to know!
It doesn’t mention if it is a hardback or paperback, just that it is in VG condition. Now folks, as far as I am aware, the only omnibus edition that features these titles is not a paperback, but the frankly fantastic sumptuous hardback edition that was published by Collins as a store exclusive for Marks and Spencer. An absolutely super book, this, with dustjacket and properly stitched spine. Also, much better paper stock than any of the other books in the series. It is also the only hardback Three Investigators book to be published after the last of the original series, The Deadly Double, a decade earlier. Anyway, I have bought it and am awaiting its arrival. After my recent purchases, fuck knows what will arrive. As ever, fellow bloggers, you will be the first to know!
Glutton for Punishment
I ordered another great hardback from an Amazon seller, described as a “pictorial boards edition, published by Collins” and with this picture in the listing:
An utter bargain at only £2.00. If you have been following the pattern of my recent purchases, you will know what to expect, and sure enough, this is the book that arrived:
Honestly, for fuck sake, what have I got to do? These people are causing me no end of heartache and grief and a huge waste of my time. Has anyone else had the same problem? This phenomenon of totally incorrect descriptions is not limited to the one online outlet. That’s eBay, Abebooks and Amazon dealers that have all pulled the same trick. Come on internet dealers, stop behaving like dicks and get your act together.
An utter bargain at only £2.00. If you have been following the pattern of my recent purchases, you will know what to expect, and sure enough, this is the book that arrived: Honestly, for fuck sake, what have I got to do? These people are causing me no end of heartache and grief and a huge waste of my time. Has anyone else had the same problem? This phenomenon of totally incorrect descriptions is not limited to the one online outlet. That’s eBay, Abebooks and Amazon dealers that have all pulled the same trick. Come on internet dealers, stop behaving like dicks and get your act together.
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