Ad for the introductory pack of the reprint Collectors Club (circa 1998-2000)
The Baby-sitters Collectors Club was a subscription service fans could sign up for during the height of the series' popularity. Unlike the BSC Fan Club, in which subscribers were only sent newsletters and gifts, the collectors club enabled the subscriber to easily collect all the books in the series, in addition to receiving newsletters and gifts.
The Collectors club went through two iterations:
- Volume 1-3, Circa 1990-1994 - The Collectors Club sent subscribers the books in their original published format. Volume 1 ended in 1994 with Claudia and Crazy Peaches as the last numbered book sent out.
- Volume 4-6, Circa 1997-2000 - The Collectors Club sent subscribers the books in their reprint form, and started in 1995 or later. The first book to be printed in the new design was book #89 Kristy and the Dirty Diapers, published in September 1995. After that date, all future BSC books would have the redesigned covers, and all earlier books would be reprinted with the new design. Scholastic School Market Editions of some later books (around #118-#128) included a color advertising insert for the Collectors Club.
Original Collectors Club (Volume 1)[]
Volume 1 Introductory Pack[]
- Books #1-3
- The Baby-Sitters Club Notebook
- super door knob hanger
- special poster of all the girls
- stickers from BSC Calendars
- exclusive wipe-off memo board
Books and Newsletters sent each month[]
Volume 1 and 2 sent 3 books per month plus a newsletter. Volume 3 sent 4 books per month, plus a newsletter.
For Volume 1, Newsletters 1-26 had a B&W and shades of blue color scheme, with a dot pattern at the top. Starting with Newsletter 27, the color scheme was either green, dark blue, purple, or pink, with a flower silhouette at the top. Volume 2 also followed the later style and color scheme, starting with Volume 2 Newsletter 1.
Volume 1 and 2 Books and Newsletter sent each month
| Month | Books | Features (front) | Features (back) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,2,3 | Meet Ann M. Martin, How to Start Your Own Baby-sitters Club | Baby-sitting Playtime, Word Search, Helpful Hints about Baby-sitting |
| 2 | 4,5,6 | Meet Kristy Thomas, Rainy Day Corner (Macaroni Jewelry, Ants on a Log) | What Are Fans Asking Ann M. Martin?, Puzzle Fun |
| 3 | 7,8,9 | Meet Claudia Kishi, Fun 'n' Games | Adventures in Baby-sitting, Who's Who in Stoneybrook? |
| 4 | 10,11,12 | Meet Stacey McGill, Rainy Day Corner (Thummies, Peanut Butter Roll-Ups) | Ann M. Martin Knockout Novelist, Puzzle Time |
| 5 | 13,14,15 | Meet Mary Anne Spier, Ready, Set, Draw! | The Birth of a Baby-sitters Club Book, Test Your Puzzle Power! |
| 6 | 16,17,18 | Meet Dawn Schafer, Rainy Day Corner (Frozen Fun Pops, Creative Collages) | Did You Know Ann M. Martin...?, Baby-sitters Trivia |
| 7 | 19,20,21 | Meet Mallory Pike, Make it Yourself- Great Birthday Gifts | Get Fit While You Sit!, "Who Said That?" |
| 8 | 22,23,24 | Meet Jessi Ramsey, Make it Yourself - Gift Ideas for Mom | Baby-sitters Save the Earth, Puzzle Fun: Stoneybrook Streets Word Search |
| 9 | 25,26,27 | Meet Logan Bruno, Have a Spectacular Sleepover | Pet Peeves - Some Pretty "Hairy" Situations, Puzzle Fun - Help Mary Anne Find Tigger! |
| 10 | 28,29,30 | The BSC Love to Read to their Charges!, Rainy Day Corner (Create a Story, Fun with Food) | Keeping a Diary is Fun!, Picture Puzzle |
| 11 | 31,32,33 | ||
| 12 | 34,35,36 | Stoneybrook Charges | |
| 13 | 37,38,39 | ||
| 14 | 40,41,42 | ||
| 15 | 43,44,45 | ||
| 16 | 46,47,48 | ||
| 17 | 49,50,51 | ||
| 18 | 52,53,54 | ||
| 19 | 55,56,57 | ||
| 20 | 58,59,60 | ||
| 21 | 61,62,63 | ||
| 22 | SS#1, SS#2, 64 | ||
| 23 | SS#3, SS#4, 65 | ||
| 24 | SS#5, SS#6, 66 | ||
| 25 | SS#7, SS#8, 67 | ||
| 26 | SS#9, SS#10, 68 | ||
| 27 | 69, M#1, M#2 | BSC Mysteries, Mallory | |
| 28 | 70, M#3, M#4 | Stacey | |
| 29 | 71, M#5, M#6 | Claudia | |
| 30 | 72, M#7,M#8 | Dawn | |
| 31 | 73, M#9, M#10 | Mary Anne | |
| 32 | 74, M#11, M#12 | Kristy | |
| 33 | 75, M#13, M#14 | ||
| 34 | 76, M#15, M#16 | Logan | |
| 35 | 77, SS#11, | ||
| 36 | 78, Logan’s Story, Shannon’s Story, | Shannon |
Different Intro Packs[]
Each newsletter was labelled with 'Volume _ No. _' and while the different Volumes of the same number had the same general content, the color and styling and small details might differ. The Collectors Club went through at least six volumes over the several years it was in operation, with slightly different intro pack items every few years. The very first issue, No. 1, detailed the items in the intro pack each time on the top left of the front page, and this info differed for each Volume published.
- Volume 1 - Books #1-3, BSC Notebook (original orange cover), poster ("America's Favorite Girls"), Door Knob Hanger, 1990 BSC Calendar stickers, blue and white wipe-off board
- Volume 2 - Books #1-3, BSC Notebook, poster, "mark the date" stickers (which mostly likely are the same stickers as the 1990 calendar stickers, but printed on two 8.5"x11" single sheets, rather than 2 calendar-size attached sheets of stickers), wipe-off memo board
- Volume 3 - Books #1-4, bookends (white with colored shapes), pink wipe-off board, "Mark the Date" stickers
Starting with Volume 4, reprint rather than original-style BSC books were sent out, and Ann M. Martin's photo on the newsletter changed from the one used in the previous three newsletter to the photo seen in all the reprint BSC books.
- Volume 4 - Books #1-3, BSC Notebook (white reprint cover), bookends (pink and blue with reprint book style), poster with Sea City cover art. While not mentioned on the newsletter, most likely starting with Volume 4 the rest of the items advertised to be in the intro pack of the Reprint Collectors Club were sent as well.
- Volume 5 - Books #1-4, BSC Notebook (white reprint cover), bookends (pink and blue with reprint book style)
- Volume 6 - Books #1-4, camera, photo album, address book, two friendship ring necklaces. Presumably the first three items were the same as those sent around that time in the BSC Fan Club.
Reprint Collectors Club[]
Introductory Pack (reprints)[]
Ad for the Collectors Club with a deadline of December 31, 1998, from book #119
The introductory pack circa 1998-1999 included:
- The first four books
- a newsletter
- Poster (in 1998 the included poster had the cover image of Super Special #10 Sea City, Here We Come!; in 1999 the poster had the cover image of The Complete Guide to the Baby-Sitters Club, which included new member Abby).
- notepad
- Collectors Club membership card
- Wipe-off Message Board
- The Baby-Sitters Club Notebook
- Bookends
Books and Newsletters sent each month (Volume 3)[]
Starting with Volume 3, four books were sent each month rather than three. This allowed the collector to collect the series faster, and allowed for reuse of newsletter content without running out of previously used content. For instance, in Volume 1 Newsletter 23 corresponded to main series books #65, while for Volume 3 Newsletter 23 corresponded to main series books #87 and #88. However, Volume 1 No. 23 has the same general content as Volume 3 No. 23, although the color/style might be different. Since Volume 1 had 36 newsletters total, Volume 3 likely wouldn't run out of already created newsletter content because four books were sent monthly instead of three.
| Month/Newsletter number | Books |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1,2,3,4 |
| 2 | 4,5,6,8 |
| 3 | 9,10,11,12 |
| 4 | 13,14,15,16 |
| 5 | 17,18,19,20, |
| 6 | 21,22,23,24 |
| 7 | 25,26,27,28 |
| 8 | 29,30,31,32 |
| 22 | 85,86,SS#1,SS#2 |
| 23 | 87,88,SS#3,SS#4 |
| 24 | 89,90,SS#5,SS#6 |
Merchandise[]
Advertising[]
The Collector's Club was advertised via inserts in books labelled "school market editions" on the back cover.
Subsequent monthly packs included the next four books in the series plus the Club newsletter.