If you are over a certain age, (ahem), you probably grew up on the Nancy Drew mystery series. She was an inspiration to many of us, an independent and adventurous young lady in an age where women were expected to be…well, not that. This mystery series, which introduced young girls to the possibility of expanded horizons that were not yet actualized, is something of a cultural icon.
They were first published by Grosset and Dunlap in 1930 and had a publishing run that lasted until 2003, going through several revisions along the way.
Contrary to popular opinion, they were not written by Carolyn Keene, who does not exist. (Sorry, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus.) They, and many other famous children’s series like The Hardy Boys and The Bobbsey Twins, were written by the Edward Stratemeyer Syndicate of ghost writers. Mildred A. Wirt Benson wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancys.
For more information on Nancy Drew I recommend: http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com
Why am I telling you all this? …because The Eclectic Reader has for sale 33 of the first 34 Nancy Drews (missing number 16). We are selling them for $330. Before Christmas they will be ten percent off ($297). These are not firsts, but they certainly have some gorgeous dust jackets, which are not often found on these well-loved titles. 
The Eclectic Reader 