|
|
Nancy Drew® Modern Collectibles & Merchandise
Nancy Drew's® popularity over the last 75 years has led to a new market for modern collectibles and merchandise.
Simon & Schuster has licensed the character and likeness for some great collectible products: Nancy Drew® dust jacket
reproductions from Literarture.
The Tonner Doll Company has created a Nancy Drew® Doll. Loungewear and
accessories from the Gumshoe Girls, reprints of the originals from
Applewood Books, Nancy Drew Graphic Novels
by Papercutz,
reprints of the digest paperbacks and The Nancy Drew Cookbook
in a glossy flashlight format from
Grosset & Dunlap, A mini Nancy Drew® book in an accessory set for
American Girl's Molly doll, calendars from Andrews McMeel and Meadwestvaco, a party game from
Specialty Board Games,
an ornament from American Greetings, greeting cards, address books, journals, notepads, notecards and postcards
from Chronicle Books, a reading card game from
Mattel, and various
Nancy Drew: Girl Detective series collectibles. There are also Nancy Drew computer games, Nintendo DS (
Majesco), etc..--see below.
For more information on the Audio tapes of Nancy Drew® books
and the Her Interactive Computer Games, visit the Nancy Drew®
Library section. If you want the latest news on these collectibles and about the various series, visit the
Drew News section.
Just released is volume 1 of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, featuring the
episode Spring Break Adventure in which "Indy and his girlfriend Nancy Stratemeyer, whose father created the Nancy Drew mystery series,
visit the fascinating laboratory of inventor Thomas Edison." Of course this is fictional, as Edward Stratemeyer didn't have a daughter named Nancy, however with the release
of these Young Indiana DVDs, the filmmakers put together some really nice companion historical documentaries on the various people and places in the episodes.
They put together one on Edward Stratemeyer, "The Mystery of Edward Stratemeyer." Fellow collector and researcher James Keeline and I provided quite a few images for the
documentary and are credited. I recommend the DVD, as this is the first documentary put together on Stratemeyer. Click on the banner at left to view more information and order.
Currently, I am writing a book which focuses on the 75 year history of Nancy Drew®, Nancy Drew Sleuth:
75 Years of Mystery Revealed. A biography on the original "Carolyn Keene," Mildred Wirt Benson, is in the works.
While this website is a good introduction into the world of Nancy Drew®, you will find indepth analysis of all things
Drew in my upcoming book.
|
From The Gumshoe Girls, is a line of exciting and glam Nancy Drew®
clothes and accessories:
Charm bracelets, handbags and bags, fabric, loungepants, and pajamas!
|
Chronicle Books is producing post cards (cover shown above), a journal, and a fold-and-mail set (shown above)
using Nancy Drew® images. Currently available: address book, journal (2 styles), notepads, and
notecards. A fellow collector and I were
pleased to have books in our collections used for the production of these items.
|
|
Her Interactive produces the innovative and thrilling games where Nancy Drew® comes to life--two games produced per year! Visit their
website to order!
|
In 1973,
The Nancy Drew Cookbook: Clues to Good Cooking was published by Grosset
& Dunlap. For the 75th anniversary in 2005, they reprinted it. Also reprinted, are the first
56 volumes in the classic series. Two collectible 3-in-1 volumes were issued featuring six of the classic stories.
The first eight paperbacks, volumes 57-64, that Simon & Schuster published have been reprinted in the glossy flashlight
hardcover style. In 2007, they will reissue The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book and two new collectibles:
Nancy Drew Pocketbook Mysteries and
The Lost Files of Nancy Drew. From the publisher:
"If it's classic Nancy Drew® you're looking for then you're going to love the three books that Grosset & Dunlap is
publishing in May 2007. One is a reissue of an old favorite-The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book-updated and revised with a
beautiful new cover. Another-Nancy Drew Pocketbook Mysteries-is a fashionable repackaging of The Secret of the
Old Clock
and The Hidden Staircase, the two books that started it all. Last but definitely not least, we have The Lost
Files of
Nancy Drew-a behind-the-scenes look at the history and mystery of Nancy Drew® as told by Nancy Drew!®
This beautiful,
keepsake book has an elegant padded cover with embossed foil stamping, lamination, and a lenticular. And there are
ingenious novelty elements throughout the book, such as lift-the-flaps, pull tabs, envelopes and letters, and so much
more. A celebration of the original super sleuth, The Lost Files of Nancy Drew is a must-have for every fan."
|
|
Simon & Schuster has been licensing Nancy Drew to other companies, but has produced some promotional items which
are very collectible:
- Sleuth Set: First four volumes in the series in a boxed set
- Press Kit: Goodie Bag with press packet, T-Shirt, sunglasses, books, Her Interactive Game (shown above)
- Event Kit with Poster, tatoos and mystery invite business cards
- Promotional Postcard (found in Her Interactive Computer Games)
- Blowup Poster of the cover of the first four books, including volume 1, Without a Trace
- Contest Bookmarks in the back of volumes 2-4
- Book display stands
- Nancy Drew® Watch
If you have an interesting collectible not featured on this website, e-mail me about it
here.
|
Papercutz' Nancy Drew Grahpic Novels are perfect for the comic book fan and any Nancy Drew collector! Four issued per year,
winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Graphic Novel.
Shown below is the first book, The Demon of
River Heights.
New from Majesco is a Nancy Drew game for Nintendo DS: The Secret of Olde World Park.
|
|
Specialty Board Games has created a great Nancy Drew® party game based on the Nancy Drew: Girl Detective
series. The first game is titled, One Step Ahead. More games will follow.
|
Applewood Books reprints the original text Nancy Drew® and the Hardy Boys® books. Just as you remember them! These
reprints are great in that you can get a visual of what Nancy looked like back in the early years of the series as well
as get a feel for the quaint style of the writing from that period.
|
|
The American Girl, Molly, has her own little mini Nancy Drew® book, The Quest of the Missing Map, which has the original
art dust jacket from 1942 and even includes some text inside! This mini book comes in a set of nighstand accessories. There
is a retired set that is different from the current set in these ways: old style of lamp, didn't have the trading cards or the clock. Both sets
are very collectible! There is also a little Molly card in the stores that features the set--the slip you take to order.
|
They will be issuing dust jackets for all 56 Nancy Drew® classic books.
What this means for savvy collectors, is that books 39-56 will now have a fun "fantasy" dust jacket. These books came out only
in a yellow spine picture cover. (With the exception of some foreign editions.) What a great collectible--you can order them
at their website. Each month new book dust jackets will be available--keep in mind,
these come in limited edition sets of 200 for each jacket issued, so don't wait too long to purchase, they'll be snapped up quick!
|
Mattel: Tangled Tales Game and Reading Card Deck
Mattel has created a neat electronic reading game called Tangled Tales. The official blurb: "This cool, new hand-held electronic
reading game lets kids determine the outcome of their favorite stories by choosing what path the characters will take. Kids can
make the game different every time they play! Includes a deck of 79 original story cards and a deck of ten Easter egg story cards, one memory card and
instructions." You can get different Tangled Tales Adventure Decks to use with the game. One is a Nancy Drew® game:
Nancy Drew: Mummy's the Word. The synopsis for this game: "Step into the shoes of Nancy Drew, girl detective...
|
Nancy Drew® Calendars
Two calendars were produced by Andrews McMeel for 2003 and 2004. A 2006 wall calendar from
MeadWestvaco will debut this year--front and back shown above.
|
American Greetings
For the 2005 Holiday season, American Greetings has produced a fabulous 3-D Nancy Drew® ornament.
|
Tonner Doll Company
Fall 2007:
Tonner Doll Company: Nancy Drew® Doll. There are several outfits shown here along with a neat
accessory kit--click on the images for larger views. This doll has a contemporary look to her yet a classic clothing style
look too--similar to the Emma Roberts Nancy Drew®
character in the recent Nancy Drew® movie. The company is also working on a classic Nancy Drew® doll!
|
|