It’s Nancy Drew’s 80th Anniversary! Instead of growing older, she’s grown younger. As publishers continue to introducer her to new audiences (with hopes of creating continued followship), she can be seen in graphic novels, computer games, and spin-off series that range from Nancy’s elementary to college years.
This week, I participated in a wonderful Nancy Drew Web Conference. Kudos to Jennifer Fisher, the Nancy Drew fanatic who put together this amazingly diverse Web Conference (which also featured the Hardy Boys). Each day, three guest speakers shared essays and photos on various topics, which ranged from cover artwork to collector tips.
5 Things I learned from the Nancy Drew Web Conference:
- She’s Been Busy the Last 80 Years!: Nancy Drew has solved over 500 cases–but she never solved a murder until 1980.
- What’s Hot in Collecting: Collectors tend to focus on books from the era when they grew up reading Nancy Drew. As the oldest books see less circulation—the hot commodity is now the yellow-covered books from the 60s and 70s. (That’s what I grew up on!)
- Writing Clue #11: Penny Warner, author of The Nancy Drew Handbook, suggested that writers “Make the situation hopeless…[then, like Nancy] she must find the courage to go on, make another decision, and get herself out of this devastating trouble.”
- Nancy’s Secrets are Archived: Many records from the Stratemeyer Syndication (the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boy, etc., original creator) are on file at the New York Public Library in the Manuscript and Archives Division. For any of you New Yorkers looking for volunteer work—much of it still needs to be inventoried (wish I lived closer).
- Nancy Shows Brief Romanticism: In the 1980s books, The Phantom of Venice and The Bluebeard Room, the usually-aloof Nancy Drew falls victim to a hunky news reporter and a rock star. Quite different from her platonic relationship with boyfriend, Ned Nickerson
It’s not too late to read join the Web Conference, which is archived at http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/2010webcon.html. You can register ($20) at anytime to access all 24 articles. It was delightful–I highly recommend it.
Check out my next blog posting, which will be 5 More Things I learned from the Nancy Drew Web Conference!
AmyDeeStephens: On Writing 
I was ten when my cousin, a year younger than my mother, passed her copies of Nancy Drew on to me, four of the original blue cloth-covered cardboard covers. I also have several of the yellow colored covers.
Wonder how much the original copies would bring?
Hi,
It was actually me, Jennifer Fisher, (www.nancydrewsleuth) who did the Web Con, not Jennifer White (www.series-books.com) and I’m also doing the 365 Days of Nancy Drew Blog.
Jenn:)
How lucky to have them! Jennifer White has more information on buying and selling at http://www.series-books.com/nancydrew/pc1-56.html. She uses Bonanzle instead of ebay.
I’m just about ready to start collecting–but I’ll probably do the yellow-spined ones. I have a very healthy collection of Trixie Belden’s, which has been my focus for the last ten years.
Amy Dee Stephens
“Words carry time and culture.”
It’s a bit confusing, but there are actually 2 Jennifers who are rabid Nancy Drew fans and who participated in the Web conference. Jennifer *Fisher* is the presidents of the Nancy Drew Sleuths and is the one who put together the conference. Jennifer *White* is a member of the Sleuths who submitted some of the material and runs the web site mentioned above
Oh Gracious! My apologies to both Jennifers, and my compliments, as well. The conference was just wonderful, professional, fun and informative. I learned so much from each article, and it made me want to reread the books, as well as collect. Thank you for the correction, and I’ll edit my post.
Amy Dee Stephens
“Words carry time and culture.”