**Special thanks to Eleanor and Lil for their help in creating or amending this faq.

LATEST UPDATES: April 09, 1998...May 12, 1998.

The Unofficial Happy Hollister FAQ

I(1)-----What is a FAQ?
A. Explanation of term

II(2)----What are the Happy Hollisters?
A. General Information on Series

III(3)---Why a FAQ on the Happy Hollisters?
A. Requests
B. Explanation--Collectors
C. Explanation--Personal

IV(4)----Who wrote and illustrated the Happy Hollisters?
A. General information
B. Andrew Svenson information
C. Pseudonym of Jerry West information
D. Additional Information on Jerry West E. Helen S. Hamilton Information

V(5)-----Who published and produced the series?
A. Information--Double Day
B. Garden City
C. Stratemeyer Syndicates

VI(6)----What do the books look like?
A. With dust jacket
B. Without dust jacket
C. Picture Cover
D. Editions, Symbols, etc.
E. Colors In the Illustrations.

VII(7)---Who are the main characters in the books?
A. A listing of the main characters

VIII(8)--What are the books about?
A. A general explanation of plot for series

VIV(9)---Where can I find the books?
A. Conventional methods
B. On the web

X(10)----What should I look for if I start collecting?
A. Which collection of series should I start with?
B. Condition of books
C. Your reasons for collecting this series

XI(11)---Where can I find a listing of the titles?
A. Web Resources
B. Other Resources

XII(12)---How much are the books worth?
A. Disclaimer
B. Price List

XIII(13)-Are there other resources for the Hollisters?
A. Web resources listing

XIV(14)--Are there resources for other collectible series books?
A. Other FAQs--in alphabetical order
B. Other web pages--in alphabetical order
C. Other resources--in alphabetical order

XV(15)---General Tips and Ideas
A. Understanding and Reading Roman Numerals
B. For Love or Money
C. Additional Information
D. Additional Resources
E. Abbreviations used in this FAQ
F. Miscellaneous

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I. What is a FAQ?

A. The letters F. A. Q. are an abbreviation for the term "Frequently Asked Questions". The purpose of a FAQ is to answer questions that are frequently asked about a subject.

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II. What are The Happy Hollisters?

A. The Happy Hollisters are a series of children's books published between 1953 and 1970.

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III. Why is there a FAQ on the Happy Hollisters?

A. I've gotten numerous requests for a FAQ (and page) from those read and responded to an article/tribute I wrote about The Happy Hollisters and their author titled "Oh Jerry!". The article was originally housed on my home page, due to an address change it will take some time until I can get the article up again.
B. The books in the Happy Hollister series are starting to become collectible items. For this reason, both collectors of children's books series and dealers of books are finding them more desirable.
C. Another group of people might be interested in a Happy Hollister FAQ as well. Whether they loved the series as children, received the books as part of a book club or even read one or two of the books and remembered them fondly, these people are interested on a more personal level. Of course, any combination of reasons for collecting or interest is possible as well.

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IV. Who wrote and illustrated The Happy Hollisters?

A. The Happy Hollisters were written by Andrew Svenson, under the pseudonym of Jerry West. The series was illustrated by Helen S. Hamilton.
B. Andrew Svenson lived from 1910-1975. He based the series on his children. A reader was kind enough to send me the additional information below. Thank you so much Chris!

The following obituary for Andrew E. Svenson is quoted from "Something About the Author", Vol. 26.

"Born May 8, 1910 in Belleville, N.J.; died of cancer, August 21, 1975 in Livingston, N.J. Formerly a Newark, N.J. newspaperman, Svenson joined the writers of the Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1948 and became a partner in 1961. The syndicate was founded in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, the originator of the "Nancy Drew" and other adventure series. After his death, the business was carried on and expanded by Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Adams, with whom Svenson worked closely. During his tenure at the syndicate, Svenson published under a number of pseudonyms which he shared with other writers. He contributed titles to the "Hardy Boys" and "Bobbsey Twins" series, and also initiated three major series himself: "The Happy Hollisters," "The Tolliver Family," and "Brett King." In later years, Svenson turned to generating plot outlines used by assistants to create stories, which he would then edit. At the time of Svenson's death, the syndicate had produced over twelve hundred books, averaging a dozen per year. Svenson denied the allegation of certain critics that the syndicate was a "book factory," but openly discussed the element of formula involved in his writing. He insisted that the first page of any story should plunge the reader into danger and excitement, and that each chapter should have a suspenseful ending that would "force the kid to turn the page.""

If you have further information please contact me at happyhollister@geocities.com

C. The pseudonym of Jerry West was a Stratemeyer Syndicate approved pseudonym much like Carolyn Keene was approved for the Nancy Drew series.
D. Andrew Svenson also contributed to many other children's series. In addition to 'The Happy Hollisters' series, 'The Tolliver Family' series and the 'Bret King' series, he contributed to or wrote books in the 'Mel Martin' baseball series, the 'Hardy Boys' series, and the 'Bobbsey Twins' series.
E. Helen S. Hamilton was a young artist who was located near Phildelphia, Pennsylvania. She provided illustrations for the entire Happy Hollister series, and her illustrations appeared in both the Garden City and Doubleday editions of the books. If anyone has further information about Helen S. Hamilton,please contact me at happyhollister@geocities.com

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V. Who published and produced the series?

A. The series was published by Doubleday & Company, Inc. According to information found on the back flap of one of my books: Their first publication list was in 1897. They were among the first general publishers to maintain a juvenile book department with a full time editor and had a list of "Doubleday Books for Young Readers" of which the Hollisters were a part.
B. Occasionally, you'll find books in the series which have the name of Garden City on the spine. Garden City Books was a "sister" company of Doubleday & Company, Inc. In essence, the same company under a different name. Only a small amount of books were published under this name. I will try to get a complete listing as soon as possible for the UHH page.
C. Stratemeyer Syndicates produced the series and are the same company that produced the Nancy Drew series, the Hardy Boy series, etc. I've also found two web sites devoted to Stratemeyer Syndicates.
1. The Stratemeyer FAQ can be found at:
http://members.aol.com/sharonr899/library/StratemeyerFAQ.txt

2. The Stratemeyer Syndicate Information Page can be found at:
http://members.aol.com/biblioholc/syndicate.html

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VI. What do the books look like?

A. The Happy Hollister books published under Doubleday and Garden City had dust jackets. The jackets have a few things in common throughout the series. On the back cover of the dust jacket (DJ) you will find: "Meet the Happy Hollisters" in a script-like font, the name of the characters highlighted in red, a description of the main characters (and pets) and a black and white picture of each of the characters (and pets) that are mentioned. On the spine of the DJ you'll find: the name of the book, "Jerry West", a long oval (containing a color picture of a house, tree, 5 children, a dog & cat and a fence), and the name of the publisher. On the front cover of the DJ, you'll find: the title of the book, a color picture of 5 children (at least--depends on the book), "Jerry West" and "Illustrated by Helen S. Hamilton". Only those books which were published by Grosset & Dunlap after Andrew Svenson's death had no dust jackets. The front covers were pictoral covers and illustrated by someone other than Helen S. Hamilton, though her illustrations do appear throughout the books. The pictoral covers are of a pea green color and have entirely different graphics than those published by Doubleday and Garden City.
B. If you find a Garden City or Doubleday book without a dust jacket, you can recognize it by a number of distinguishing features. The color of the books (most of them--see #VI, section C) are a dark brick red. If you look closely, you'll notice that it has a textured look to it as well. On the front cover you'll find in black print a semi-circle of 5 children holding hands. On the spine you'll find the title (printed sideways), "Jerry West", seven black lines and then the name or the symbol & name of the publisher. There are no distinguishing features on the back of a HH book without a DJ.
C. An exception to the description above is the few books that were printed with a color picture rather than with the dark red background. I call these pictoral covers. There are two seperate classifications to be made when speaking of pictoral covers in the series. The first was published by Doubleday (and possibly Garden City, but I haven't been able to verify this yet) and the picture that you will find on the cover is the same on a dust jacket with the same title. All of these pictoral covers were illustrated by Helen S. Hamilton. The second is titles published by Grosset & Dunlap. The pictoral cover on these includes a pea green background. The number and title appears at the top of the book, but the Grosset & Dunlap titles were published out of sequence, and you will only find four of them. They were published in this order: #1: The Happy Hollisters, #2: The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip, #3: The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach and #4: The Happy Hollisters and the Ice Carnival Mystery. Below the title and number, you will find a illustration encased in an arch type graphic. I can't read the illistrator's name, and can only guess at the actual name of this illustrator. My guesses: Rudy or Randy, Dayni, Daynis or Wayni. If anyone has further information, I would appreciate any help you could offer.
D. The Happy Hollister books can also be recognized by the publisher symbols, editions, etc. For a Doubleday Books for Young Readers edition (both book club and regular) look for a symbol in the shape of an anchor. Two whales will be in the middle of the symbol, and the name Doubleday (in caps) will curve around the bottom of the anchor. This symbol will be found on the spine of the DJ, bottom of spine on a book without DJ, and on the inside back flap (with DJ). As stated above, they came in both book club editions and regular editions. As far as I know, you can only tell the difference if you have a book with a DJ. For a book club edition, you will find the words "Book Club Edition" on the bottom right-hand corner of the inside flap. To tell if you have a regular edition, you can look for a price on the top right-hand corner of the front flap. Garden City editions have the name "Garden City" in caps printed on the bottom of the spine (without DJ). Unfortunately, I don't have a Garden City eition with a DJ, but will provide the information as soon as I aquire one. Finally, there is indeed a publisher edition with a plain (text) Doubleday mark. You'll find the word Doubleday in caps on the bottom spine of a book without a dust jacket. On Grosset & Dunlap titles, you will find at the bottom of the spine, a plain (text) edition which has the words "GROSSET & DUNLAP". Below that is a set of numbers which I have yet to figure out.
E. I've often been asked whether the colors used in the illustrations are of any signifigance. Depending on the book, you will find red, green or blue in addition to the black and white illustrations throughout the books and on the endpapers. I have only come across one book with no endpapers whatsoever, and believe it to be a misprint, but in the majority of cases, on the endpapers you will find one of these colors on the picnic basket, Mrs. Hollister's sweater, the fire and the cooler that Mr. Hollister carries. Each book only contains one of the three colors. I have no idea yet whether the colors signify anything of importance though I will continue to research this. As always, any theories or help with this would be appreciated.
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VII. Who are the main characters in the books?

A. Mr. (John) Hollister-the father, Mrs. (Elaine) Hollister-the mother, Pete-the oldest brother and fun loving, Pam-the next to oldest and kind, Ricky-the mischevious one, Holly-the tomboy, Sue-the baby of the family, Zip-their faithful collie, White Nose and her kittens-the family of cats that the Hollisters found in their new home.

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VIII. What are the books about?

A. When the Hollister children move into their new home on Pine Lake in Shoreham--adventures begin to come their way. The children solve a new mystery in each book. The books are very educational (Shhh! Don't tell your kids!) and the Hollisters visit many different destinations and locales in their quest to solve mysteries. The age levels of the Hollister children range from (in the first book) 4-12, and the books are appropriate for most readers in these age levels, though you're welcome to read and enjoy them at any age. Adventure, culture, mystery and intrigue--what more could you ask for?

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VIV. Where can I find these books?

A. If you don't want to shop on the net, you can still find these books in a number of places. A few places to look are: used book stores, yard sales, thrift shops, auctions and library sales.
B. After much consideration, I've decided to put only those sources in which I've bought Hollister books from as I can vouch for their honesty. For each seller I've dealt with, I'll rate them on a A++ to F-- scale. This listing will grow with time. If you are a bookseller and would like to be a part of this list, please e-mail me with both a title and price listing at happyhollister@geocities.com
I have bought a number of books from Ebay's AuctionWeb. I'll list the sellers I've dealt with, but please remember that these people aren't nescessarily dealers and may have only had one or two copies to sell. Ebay is located at:
http://www.ebay.com

I have bought Hollister books succesfully from these members:
***leavitt2@juno.com. Book was as described--in "Great" shape (NM), DJ was less than perfect and this was noted, but I should have asked exactly how big that "small spot missing off the bottom seam" was as it turned out to be an inch long (approx.) and covered the bottom spine portion of the dust jacket. Also a spot torn off front cover and part of DJ spine (wasn't mentioned) approx. 3/4" by 1/4" as well as moderate bending marks on bottom of on bottom of front cover. However, this was partially my fault for not asking...and I have learned my lesson. Always ask! I am expecting another book from her in my mailbox and am hoping that it lives up to her description. If so, I will reflect that here. Rating of B, because much of this was my own fault for not asking. Second book was better than described and her rating jumps to a B+

***jimaly@flash.net. Lynette was a great seller. Her descriptions were honest and she mentioned every (tiny) defect. She was pleasant and there was good communication throughout the transaction. I was pleased to find that both books were in NM condition when they arrived, though she had described them as VG. A rating of A++

Another source that I have used for buying the Happy Hollister books is the Advanced Book exchange at:
http://www.abebooks.com/

I have had succesful transactions with these book dealers/sellers:

*84 Charing Cross Eh?. Book was EXACTLY as described. The nicest thing about these folks is that provide a removable mylar plastic cover (taped) with the books that they sell--which means even more protection for your collectible book. Very helpful with all questions that I asked of them. A very prompt response. I can't say enough about these sellers. The deserve the highest possible rating and I give them an A++ True professionals, they can be found at: 84char@up.net

I've also bought books from individual sellers and dealers

nerman@escape.ca

Nerman's Books and Collectibles
410-63 Albert St
Winnipeg MB Canada R3B 1G4
Phone:204-255-2196 order line
204-475-1050 store line
Fax:204-947-0753

Gary Nerman of Nerman's Books is a professional of the highest caliber. Not only did he check my wish list to see if he had any of the books I needed in stock, but he also promised to be on the look-out for additional titles that were listed. He is located in Canada, but both prices and shipping and handling were very reasonable, even more so than many of the other sellers I've dealt with in the US. I was thrilled to find that he accepts US$, and shipment of books was prompt. Well packaged items and very friendly. Books were better than described and two of the three I bought are now the best in my collection. I would reccomend this seller without hesitation! Deserves the best possible rating of A++

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X. What should I look for if I start collecting?

A. The collection of series that is both complete and the easiest to find is the Doubleday Books for Young Readers set, Book Club Edition. I'd suggest that beginner's start by collecting these. The next step would be the Doubleday Books for Young Readers set in the Regular edition. These are only slightly harder to find, but the entire set can be found in these as well. Equally hard to find, though not impossible are the incomplete set of Garden City books and the set of Doubleday (without the symbol). Finally, the hardest to find in my opinion are those with the picture (pictorial) covers. The only exception being the last book (Midnight Trolls), it is actually easier to find this book with a pictoral cover than with a dust jacket. I'm not sure if the complete set can be found in these or not, but I doubt it.
B. Another factor you should consider when starting to collect books is the condition of those books. Here's a listing of condition from one of my favorite used books stores, Secondhand Rows:

*Like New(LN)-As close to new as possible. No defects that are visible to the naked eye. No signs of aging, no rips, no tears, no bending, no stamps or previous owner signatures, no stains, no marks on any of the pages, no bending or rips on any of the pages, no seperation of pages from binding or from other pages. Books in this condition are in better condition than some new books--a book with this rating should look as if it were hermetically sealed directly after leaving the publisher's presses. Museum quality. This book will also cost you an arm and a leg--and perhaps a few toes!

*Near Mint/Fine(NM/F)-A book in this condition may have very slight defects, but only the very slightest. The book must be sound/tight with no seperation of pages/binding or covers. Slight scuffing of edges, spine and corners is acceptable. No scratches should mar the surface whatsoever. A previous owner signature or stamp is okay as long as it doesn't detract from the book, but needs to be mentioned in a description as this is dependant on buyer preference. Bending, tears, writing or coloring (except sig/stamp) are not acceptable with books in this condition. Minor signs of aging are fine as long as they are noted.

*Very Good(VG)-A book in this condition shows minor to moderate wear on corners, edges and spine. Should show not more than 1/4" of tears in any given spot. Pages should not be ripped, binding/covers and individual pages should not show seperation. As long as binding and covers are tight and book is in above condition or better, paper (front inside cover and back inside cover) may show seperation, but webbing or binding material must be tight with no chance of seperation. Very minor bending of a few pages is acceptable. Bookstore stamps and signatures are fine as long as they are mentioned. Signs of aging are fine as long as they are mentioned.

*Good(G)-A book in this condition may show moderate wear on binding, edges and corners. Should not have rips or tears that are more than 1". Slight seperation of covers, spine, pages is okay, but needs to be mentioned. Can show moderate signs of aging as long as it's mentioned. Webbing and/or binding should not be seperated, but may show signs of seperation. Pages and spine may show moderate tears (no more than 1"). Minor pencil and crayon marks are acceptable as long as it's mentioned. Signature of previous owner or bookstore stamps are perfectly acceptable if mentioned. Bending of pages is acceptable. Minor scratches on the surface okay, but should be mentioned.

*Near Good(NG)-A book in this condition can show seperation of binding/webbing as long as the seperation is not complete. Book should be seperated no more than one-third from both back & front covers and spine. Marks on surface are fine as are moderate tears on some of the pages as long as these are noted, and do not detract from the readability of the book. Crayon and pencil marks are fine as long as they don't detract from readibility of book. All defects should be mentioned.

*Fair(FR)-A book in this condition should not be seperated more than halfway from back & front covers and spine. May show major scuffing marks on surface of book as well as moderate scratches. Dust jacket may be torn, scuffed or have marks where stickers were torn off. May have areas that are "fixed" with tape such as half of the spine, dust jacket or a page in the book. May be torn (or missing) pages that do not affect the readibility of the book. May show major bending such as a few pages bent in the middle or lengthwise. Mention all defects.

*Poor/Reading Copy(P/RC)-A book in this condition may have most of binding seperated from book, but should not be seperated more than 3/4 from back & front covers and spine. May have large tears on cover or spine. May have large tears and/or bends on pages as long as readibility is not affected. May have large scratches (gouges) on covers as long as readibility of book is not affected. May be fixed extensively with tape, glue, etc. Pages can not stick together though--and there can be no defects that affects the readibility of the book. One should mention all defects.

*Very Poor(VP)-Book is seperated from covers, no covers, only a spine or missing one cover. Half of cover is missing, half of binding is missing, etc. Pages are missing, but readability is not affected. For example--title pages, chapter pages, end papers may be missing. Pages are covered in crayon, or pencil marks, but are still readable. Book is beyond fixing, but is still readable (perhaps barely).

*Don't Bother (DB)-Book is not readable and looks as if it has been mangled by a pack of wild dogs or thrown into the ocean and retrieved by a shark. It may be the only title you don't have, but do yourself a favor and don't bother.

*Library Copy(LC)-also called an ex-library copy(X-LC). This should be mentioned in addition to the condition.

*Edition (Ed.)-This should always be mentioned whenever possible/known, whether it's a 1st edition, book club edition or 10th edition. This also applies to printing. Whether a 5th printing, etc. both edition and printing information should be mentioned in addition to the condition of the book.

*Publisher(Pub.)-publisher information as well as any publisher symbols, should also be mentioned in addition to the condition of book.

*Copyright-always mention the copyright in addition to the condition of the book.

C. Collecting books has more to do with the reasons you collect than anything else. If you're collecting for purely aesthetic reasons, you'll want the best book in the best condition possible. If collecting for sentimental reasons, you'll want a book that's readable and looks "decent". I provided the above information for all collectors (as well as sellers) so that they have the information handy when needed. If you're a seller, always mention any defects or items that deviate from a book in Like New condition, and if you're a buyer always ask about condition--even if you have to get nit-picky. I can't take full credit for the list, but my (favorite!) bookstore tells me I can mention their name once as they can't handle a flood of calls if I mention them on the internet. They are a very small book store in a tiny town, and are now under new ownership. As this is the most complete listing I've ever seen regarding condition of books, I can only give them full credit and hope that some of you will recognize the name. I can tell you that I'M located in Pennsylvania though. *grin*

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XI. Where can I find a listing of titles?

A. There are three pages on the web that I'm aware of that list the titles in the Happy Hollister series.

The first is the Unofficial Happy Hollister (UHH) titles page at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1945/ztitle.html

The second is The Booklover's Den Hollister page at:
http://members.aol.com/biblioholc/Hollisters.html

The third is from The Series Book Network and can be found at:
http://www.rscs.net/~cs2461/happy.htm

B. The only other source of finding out which titles are in the series is by finding a copy of a book which has the listings on the page before the title page. Until I have a chance to collect all of the books from the series, I can only list the few that I know to have the listings. Numbers 3 and 4 were provided by a reader. Thank you Joanne!

1. Garden City edition, © 1953, "The Happy Hollisters"-has partial listing

2. Doubleday (no symbol) edition, © 1955, "The Happy Hollisters at Circus Island"-has partial listing

3. Garden City edition, "The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure"-has partial listing

4. Garden City edition, "The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery at Missile Town"-has partial listing

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XII. How much are the books worth?

A. First a disclaimer: These books, as with anything are worth what you as a customer are willing to pay for them. Depending upon your reasons for collecting, your finances and how serious you are about collecting these books, the prices you pay may be more or less than those I would pay. This is only a general price guide and is compiled as a combination of two things: prices I have recently paid for these books as well as average prices that I have seen the books sold for. This is not meant to be a definative guide and should not be viewed as such. The Hollister books can generally be bought for under $10.00 (including shipping and handling charges), but certain books in the series will always command a higher price, especially if in great condition. A few of these titles are: Little Mermaid, Golden Witch, Monster Mystery and Midnight Trolls. The book worth the least amount of money is The Haunted House Mystery as 15 million books were printed and it is the easiest to find.
B. This guide is just starting out and will contain more information as time passes. Each price will be rounded to the nearest quarter. I will list title, price and features of each individual book.

1. "Happy Hollisters and the Haunted House Mystery" with DJ-book in NM cond., DJ in VG cond., Anchor Symbol, Book club edition: price I paid - $7.00 (includes S&H)

2. "Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Little Mermaid" with DJ-book in NM cond., DJ in G cond., Anchor Symbol, Book club edition, © 1960: price I paid - $11.50 (includes S&H)

3. "Happy Hollisters and the Punch and Judy Mystery" with DJ-book in NM cond., DJ in VG cond. with mylar cover, Anchor Symbol, regular edition, © 1964, : price I paid - $10.00 (includes S&H)

4. "Happy Hollisters at Circus Island" no DJ-book in VG cond., Doubleday (no symbol), book listing, © 1955: price I paid - $6.00 (includes S&H)

5. "Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure" no DJ-book in VG cond., Anchor symbol, © 1953, price I paid - $3.00 (includes 6. "Happy Hollisters and the Merry-Go-Round Mystery" w/DJ in VG and book in NM cond. Anchor symbol, book club ed., © 1955: price I paid - $7.25 (includes S&H)

7. "Happy Hollisters and the Scarecrow Mystery" w/DJ in VG and book in NM cond. Anchor symbol, book club ed., © 1957: price I paid - $ 7.25 (includes S&H)

8. "Happy Hollisters and the Cuckoo Clock Mystery" w/DJ and book in NM cond.. Anchor symbol, book club ed., © 1963: price I paid - $7.50 (includes S&H)

S&H)

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XIII. Are there other resources for the Happy Hollisters?

A. There are only four web pages that I'm aware of that have information on The Happy Hollisters. I haven't yet found any information by conventional means, but will re-list those web resources that I have listed throughout this FAQ.

1.The Unofficial Happy Hollister (UHH) home page at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1945/

2.The Booklover's Den Hollister page at:
http://members.aol.com/biblioholc/Hollisters.html

3. Happy Hollister Article-has main character descriptions at:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/2250/index.html

4. The Series Book Network Hollister page at:
http://www.rscs.net/~cs2461/happy.htm

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XIV. Are there resources for other collectible book series?

A. Other FAQs

1. The RABC (rec.arts.books.childrens) FAQ at:
http://www.cherryvalleybooks.com/RABC.htm

2. The Trixie Belden FAQ at:
ftp://members.aol.com/sharonr899/library/TrixieBeldenFAQ.txt

3. The Wizard of OZ FAQ at: http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/main.html

B. Other web pages

1. The Betsy-Tacy Homepage at:
http://virtuflex.com/homepages/navaho/Betsy-Tacy/

2. The Cherry Ames Page at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/3777/

3. The Hardyboy's Home Page at:
http://members.aol.com/Hardyboy01/index.html

4. The Homepage of Anne of Green Gables at:
http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~frosty/anne.html

5. The Little House on the Prairie/Laura Ingalls Homepage at:
http://www.vvv.com/~jenslegg/

6. The Nancy Drew: Girl Sleuth, Girl Wonder Page at:
http://sunsite.unc.edu/cheryb/nancy.drew/ktitle.html

7. The Story of the Bobbsey Twins Page at:
http://pw2.netcom.com/~drmike99/aboutbobbsey.html

8. The Trixie Belden Page at:
http://members.aol.com/biblioholc/Belden.html

9. The Wondeful Wizard of OZ Page at:
http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/

C. Other resources--coming soon
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XV. General Tips and Ideas

A. It's a good idea to know how to read and understand roman numerals if you're interested in collecting these books. Most of the books in this series (as well as most of the books in other series) are dated using roman numerals. I'll include a small tutorial on roman numerals as well as a 1953-1970 listing in this section.

First an interesting piece of history. When used by the Romans, Roman numerals were only added and never subtracted. Subtraction of Roman numerals was introduced during the medeival period of history. For example instead of 1997 being written MCMXCVII as it commonly is today...it would have been written instead as MDCCCCLXXXXVII. Quite a difference!

In order to understand Roman Numerals, you need to know what they represent. Below you'll find a listing of what each Roman Numeral represents. I'm listing both the number and the name so that those of you with fonts that look similiar have an easier time reading it.

I = 1 (one)

V = 5 (five)

X = 10 (ten)

L = 50 (fifty)

C = 100 (one hundred)

D = 500 (five hundred)

M = 1000 (one thousand)

In order to read modern dates comprised of Roman Numerals, you need to remember three main things. The first is that when you see two of the same values next to each other, you should add those values. For example, when you see I and I next to each other (II) you should add them I+I (or one plus one)=II or in other words, two. The second thing to remember is that if a greater value is followed by a smaller value, you should add the numbers. For example when a V is followed by an I, the two values should be added V+I (or five plus one)=VI or six. Finally, if a smaller value is followed by a greater value, you should subtract the smaller value from the larger. An example of this is when you see an I followed by a V, the smaller value is subtracted from the larger...meaning that V-I (five minus one)=IV or four.

Now for some modern Roman Numeral oddities. When used recently (1900's and above), a Roman Numeral's value is only used three times in succession which is why III = 3 (three), but IV = 4 (four). However, you will sometimes find IIII (four) used in place of IV on clocks..and can sometimes find it in dating with older (pre 1800's usually) books. The next oddity is that in some books your will find an I and a backwards "C". This generally occured from between the 1500's and 1600's and represents a D.

Now for that listing I promised you:

MCMLIII = 1953 (Nineteen fifty three)

MCMLIV = 1954 (Nineteen fifty four)

MCMLV = 1955 (Nineteen fifty five)

MCMLVI = 1956 (Nineteen fifty six)

MCMLVII = 1957 (Nineteen fifty seven)

MCMLVIII = 1958 (Nineteen fifty eight)

MCMLIX = 1959 (Ninteen fifty nine)

MCMLX = 1960 (Nineteen sixty)

MCMLXI = 1961 (Nineteen sixty one)

MCMLXII = 1962 (Nineteen sixty two)

MCMLXIII = 1963 (Nineteen sixty three)

MCMLXIV = 1964 (Nineteen sixty four)

MCMLXV = 1965 (Nineteen sixty five)

MCMLXVI = 1966 (Nineteen sixty six)

MCMLXVII = 1967 (Nineteen sixty seven)

MCMLXVIII = 1968 (Nineteen sixty eight)

MCMLXIX = 1969 (Nineteen sixty nine)

MCMLXX = 1970 (Ninteen seventy)

Finally, I did not check these numbers against The Happy Hollister books...and these dates are based on the most commonly used ones of the time period.

B. There are just as many reasons for collecting books as there are types of collectors. Some books are turned into collectibles simply because they are loved. The type of collector who collects books for love may have many reasons for doing so. Perhaps they remember the books fondly or want to share them with other people. Perhaps they were deeply affected by messages that the book brought into their lives or even were inspired when reading the books. Sometimes books from your childhood are with you when you become an adult and you'd like to complete a set. There are also collector's who collect books in the hopes that they will someday bring a return on their investment. Perhaps they collect the books because the book is asthetically pleasing to the eye or is unusual. Perhaps they collect because the book is highly collectible and should bring a high price if they keep it long enough. Sometimes books are collected because they will be passed down to the collector's child or children someday. Despite the different reasons that books are collected, all book collectors have something in common...they are all book LOVERS. The reason you collect doesn't matter as long as, in some manner, you find the books that you collect pleasing. It's all a matter of personal preference and personal taste. Should you run across someone who collects for different reasons than you remember that it is a love of books that drives both of you to collect them.
C. This section will eventually contain web resources that didn't fit into any of the categories already in the FAQ.
D. Here's a listing of abbreviations I have used in the Unofficial Happy Hollister FAQ or The UHH page:

1st = First Edition
DD = Doubleday
DD-NS = Doubleday with no symbol
ed. = Edition
edit. = Edition
DJ = Dust Jacket
FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions
GC = Garden City
HH = Happy Hollister
UHH = Unofficial Happy Hollister
w/ = with

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***Author's note - Please contact me at happyhollister@geocities.com if you find any errors, mistakes or have information about those areas I don't. Since this is my first attempt at a FAQ, I appreciate any feedback of any kind. Thanks and I hope that this FAQ has given you a new understanding of both the Happy Hollisters and of areas related to collecting them.***

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Started on 2/13/97

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