PDA

View Full Version : Value of Entire AD&D Collection?



Lycan 01
2010-10-13, 12:20 AM
So my friend has come into possession of an entire Advanced Dungeons and Dragons collection, plus a myriad of other books and suppliments. I don't have the entire list, but here's what he texted me:

-Monster Manual 4th Edition August 1979
-Dungeon Masters Guide 1979
-Advanced DnD Players Handbook 1978
-Another Monster Manual, 1978 or 1979
-10 or so dungeon/adventure modules
-Two DnD basic set voxes, one Basic 1979, one Expert 1980
-Players Handbook 1989
-DnD Gods, Demigods, and Heroes Guide (? year and ? edition)
-Another 1978 Players Handbook
-Another Dungeon Masters Guide 1979
-Monster and Treasure Assortment
-Oriental Adventures Guide
-Another Monster Manual and two more (?) handbooks
-Dungeoneers Survival Guide 1986
-And some 90's stuff


Its his mom who wants to sell it, but he's got it right now. She wants 300 dollars for the whole enchillada. Unfortunately, that is waaaay outside my price range. Alas, the woes of being an unemployed college student...


At any rate, I'm just curious about how much the collection is actually worth. Is 300 dollars a fair deal, or is it way too high or low? I checked Amazon and Ebay, and I know I can get a lot of the 1979 AD&D stuff for 3-10 dollars per book, so... I think 300 dollars is a bit excessive. But I could be wrong. If they were to try and sell them, how should they go about doing so? Piecemeal, or just in one big package?


And, if I were to try and scrounge up the money for some of those books, would it be a good investment, or is AD&D not all that fun? I've heard mixed opinions and stuff over the years, but never gotten any solid feedback about it.

Thoughts, advice, comments? :smallconfused:

Roland St. Jude
2010-10-13, 12:33 AM
You'll need more information to make an informed assessment. For decent pricing information on older stuff try Acaeum (http://www.acaeum.com/index.html) or see what things are selling for on eBay (which I see you did) or Noble Knights Games, etc.

The mystery here is probably in the exact printing of the Deities and Demigods (the earlier ones with the Cthulu mythos tends to fetch more) and which 10 dungeon adventures they are. Odds are they are common ones, but you never know. If he picked one up at a convention, got one from a UK friend, or lucked into some other rare one, those can be worth a lot.

The early print DMGs could be worth more than a few bucks, especially if it's an early second printing from '79 with some MM pages wrongly bound into it.

Also, the boxed sets, depending on condition, are probably worth more like $15+ each maybe more depending on which printing.

$300? Definitely in the realm of possibility, but you'd want to spec out the stuff yourself with specific titles, years, and printings, or resign yourself to a bit of a gamble.

If you don't have an AD&D collection and want one, this might be a good deal. Look it over carefully, see what you want to keep and what might be valuable and resell the rest.

I thought AD&D was tremendously fun to play. Of course, there are retroclones now that provide a similar game play. But for nostalgia and a piece of history, nothing beats the real thing.

BobVosh
2010-10-13, 12:33 AM
300 seems a bit high, but you didn't list all of it. So it is probably fair.

Try bartering though, it is hard to move a collection of that size.

nyjastul69
2010-10-13, 12:56 AM
I will second checking out the Acaeum site. I have found it to be an excellent resource for 1st ed. and earlier versions of D&D. It's difficult to say with the given information, as said, the modules could be common or extremely rare. Another thing to take into consideration is completeness and condition. Many older products lack maps, player handouts, etc.. 300 sounds a bit high if everything is common, but it could be far too low if there are a few gems in there. I hope you find out more and post the products.

Lycan 01
2010-10-13, 01:03 AM
He said he'll sneak me a few of the books, then sell the rest if possible. I might let him keep them to sell, though, because he really needs the money... as much as I'd love to have some AD&D books. Darn my Lawful Goodness. :smallsigh:


Thanks for your wisdom, Roland. Though I'll admit, I was a bit scared when I saw you'd posted first. :smalltongue: I couldn't get the site you linked to work, but I did peruse Amazon for more info on some of the items. A few of the books were selling for decent prices, around 20 or so bucks depending on their condition. I'll see if I can get a few of the best quality ones, and try to sell them online for him.

Oh, he texted me the adventures. Here's the list:

-(For characters 4-10) "Quagmire" by Merle M. Ragmussen.
-"Tomb of Horrors" by Gary Gygax (levels 10-14)
-"Descent into the Depths of the Earth."
-"The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth" Books 1 and 2
-"The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jari"
-"Curse of Xanathon"
-"Where Chaos Reigns"
-"Earthshaker"
-"The Veiled Society"



Ummmm... Tomb of Horros is good, right? :smalleek:

sambo.
2010-10-13, 01:15 AM
iirc: about the only 1ed book with true collectors value is the original Deities and Demigods (the one with the stats for Elric and Stormbringer in it).

teh then TSR had to discontinue that edition because of copyright disputes. i've heard that mint examples of that one book can be worth a bit.

outside that lone example, i doubt that any 1ed book will have much in the way of collectors value, so $300 the lot sounds very, very expensive to me.

BobVosh
2010-10-13, 01:18 AM
I liked the glacial rift, if it is the one I'm thinking of.

Jolly Steve
2010-10-13, 02:16 AM
It depends what you mean by 'worth'. For example you can get OSRIC and Labyrinth Lord as pdfs for free, so for some people there's no reason to get AD&D or Basic. Other people want to have a physical copy of the real thing. Some people say that extras like the Wilderness Survival Guide make the game less fun, so for them they have a negative value. Working out what it would cost you to get the same items on eBay doesn't take into account your labour and the time it would take to do that. Some people are very sensitive to condition, some people don't care - and so on.

nyjastul69
2010-10-13, 03:36 AM
He said he'll sneak me a few of the books, then sell the rest if possible. I might let him keep them to sell, though, because he really needs the money... as much as I'd love to have some AD&D books. Darn my Lawful Goodness. :smallsigh:


Thanks for your wisdom, Roland. Though I'll admit, I was a bit scared when I saw you'd posted first. :smalltongue: I couldn't get the site you linked to work, but I did peruse Amazon for more info on some of the items. A few of the books were selling for decent prices, around 20 or so bucks depending on their condition. I'll see if I can get a few of the best quality ones, and try to sell them online for him.

Oh, he texted me the adventures. Here's the list:

-(For characters 4-10) "Quagmire" by Merle M. Ragmussen.
-"Tomb of Horrors" by Gary Gygax (levels 10-14)
-"Descent into the Depths of the Earth."
-"The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth" Books 1 and 2
-"The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jari"
-"Curse of Xanathon"
-"Where Chaos Reigns"
-"Earthshaker"
-"The Veiled Society"



Ummmm... Tomb of Horros is good, right? :smalleek:

ToH, while classic, isn't particularly rare. The monochrome version is slightly more valuable.

The most valuable products you listed are Monster & Treasure Assortment (which set #?, which printing?) and Gods Demi-Gods & Heroes (which printing?) Outside of those, I don't see anything listed as selling for moe $2-10 each. They are all pretty common. Of course, lots don't sell for the sum of the parts generally. I don't see this selling, as a lot, for $300. I have seen e-bayers get into silly bidding wars and over-paying many times though.

Good luck to you and your friend.

Edit: The internet ate my first response. This site ate my second due to the back-up. You'd think I'd learn. :smallmad: Everything I've said is condition depent though.

dsmiles
2010-10-13, 04:59 AM
If I didn't already own most of that, I'd be more than happy to pay $300 for it. Hell, I paid $100 for a first-run Deities and Demigods with the Cthulhu and Melnibonen mythos in it.

hamlet
2010-10-13, 07:28 AM
Caverns of Tsojcanth are not unvaluable. Probably could get about $25-50 if it's in good condition and an earlier printing.

nyjastul69
2010-10-13, 07:52 AM
Caverns of Tsojcanth are not unvaluable. Probably could get about $25-50 if it's in good condition and an earlier printing.

e-bay disagrees...

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=lost+caverns+tsojcanth&_sacat=&_ex_kw=tournament&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_sop=12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=

There is only one version of this that is rare. Notice the difference in spelling. It's also incomplete.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=lost+caverns+tsojconth&_sacat=&_ex_kw=s4&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=100&_udhi=&_sop=12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=


Edit for completion:

Monster Manual:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_kw=ad%26d&_kw=monster&_kw=manual

DMG:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=1979+ad%26d&LH_PrefLoc=2

PH:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=2&_kw=ad%26d&_kw=players&_kw=handbook

Basic set

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=D%26D+basic+set&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=D%26D+basic&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313:

Expert set:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=d%26d+expert+set+rules&LH_PrefLoc=2

Gods, Demi-gods & Heroes:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=supplement+IV+gods+demi-gods+%26+heroes&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=d%26d+expert+set+rules&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

Monster & Treasure Assortment:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=2&_kw=monster&_kw=treasure&_kw=assortment

Oriental Adventures:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=2&_kw=oriental&_kw=adventures

Dungeoneers Survival Guide:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=2&_kw=ad%26d&_kw=survival&_kw=guide

X6 Quamire:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=D%26D+X6+quagmire&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=D%26D+quagmire&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

S1 Tomb of Horrors:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=S%21+tomb+of+horrors+AD%26D&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=S%21+tomb+of+horrors&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

D1 or D1-2 your info is unclear:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=D-1+descent+into+the+depths+of+the+earth+AD%26D&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=D1+descent+into+the+depths+of+the+earth+AD%2 6D&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

G2 Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=G2+glacial+rift+of+the+frost+giant+jar l+AD%26D&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=D-1+descent+into+the+depths+of+the+earth+AD%26D&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

X3 Curse of Xanathon:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=x3+curse+of+xanathon&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=G2+glacial+rift+of+the+frost+giant+jarl+AD%2 6D&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

CM 6 Where Chaos Reigns:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=cm+6+where+chaos+reigns&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=where+chaos+reigns&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

CM 4 Earthshaker:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=CM+4+D%26D+Earthshaker&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=CM+4D%26D+Earthshaker&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

B6 The Veiled Society:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=b-6+the+veiled+society&_sacat=0&LH_PrefLoc=2&_odkw=b-6+veiled+society&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

Please realize this was a very quick and crude search. BINs tend to range well above standard price on e-bay. Big-time resellers can afford to relist them for months or years before being sold.

The lot as a whole might get $300, condition notwithstanding. pieced out you might do a bit better. Please don't take this as any sort of financial advice, it's just my opinion as a long time collector. I just posted what came up quickly, but those BIN's will take some time to sell, if they do at all for those prices.

hamlet
2010-10-13, 09:03 AM
e-bay disagrees...

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=lost+caverns+tsojcanth&_sacat=&_ex_kw=tournament&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_sop=12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=

There is only one version of this that is rare. Notice the difference in spelling. It's also incomplete.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=lost+caverns+tsojconth&_sacat=&_ex_kw=s4&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=100&_udhi=&_sop=12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=

E-Bay is free to disagree with me.

Fair (i.e., worn and shabby) copies are selling for about $15 over at NobleKnight. To be fair, they generally are a little expensive, but they generally have a higher quality than many other places.

However, you'll note that copies of the module from Wintercon clock in at over $900 and up to almost $2000.

http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetail.asp_Q_ProductID_E_2147387164_A_Inven toryID_E_2147716430_A_ProductLineID_E_2_A_Manufact urerID_E_1_A_CategoryID_E_12_A_GenreID_E_

My point remains that, in good condition, without apparant damage, with all parts included, the module can sell for over $25.

Besides, ebay is not really the best measuring stick here. All those auctions have days, even weeks, left on them and typically the cost jumps significantly at the end of e-bay auctions.

nyjastul69
2010-10-13, 09:22 AM
E-Bay is free to disagree with me.

Fair (i.e., worn and shabby) copies are selling for about $15 over at NobleKnight. To be fair, they generally are a little expensive, but they generally have a higher quality than many other places.

However, you'll note that copies of the module from Wintercon clock in at over $900 and up to almost $2000.

http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetail.asp_Q_ProductID_E_2147387164_A_Inven toryID_E_2147716430_A_ProductLineID_E_2_A_Manufact urerID_E_1_A_CategoryID_E_12_A_GenreID_E_

My point remains that, in good condition, without apparant damage, with all parts included, the module can sell for over $25.

Besides, ebay is not really the best measuring stick here. All those auctions have days, even weeks, left on them and typically the cost jumps significantly at the end of e-bay auctions.

Nobleknight is a notoriously overpriced reseller. They have excellent customer service and their grading conventions are solid. One could do worse than buying from them. They're not a good bench mark though. e-bay (BINs), Amazon, Troll and Toad, etc. aren't good bench marks either.

The best way to buy D&D collectibles is to save searches on e-bay and have patience.

Edit: The product you linked isn't S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. The one you linked is the tournament monochrome version; Lost Caverns of Tsojconth. That's Jade Hare or Lost Tomoachan in rarity level. I doubt it's that one. It's more likely S4.

Edit 2:
Originally Posted by hamlet
E-Bay is free to disagree with me.

I didn't mean to come across as belligerent. I apologize for sounding like that. Personally, I just don't see a reason for paying $25+ for a copy of S4. I have bought several in Vg-Ex condition for less. $10 -15 seems a reasonable price to me. I wouldn't pay $25+ unless it was in shrink-wrap. But I don't buy SW copies. I'm just trying to give someone who asked for an opinion my own personal one.

Jack Zander
2010-10-13, 10:26 AM
Everything is worth what it's purchaser will pay for it.

hamlet
2010-10-13, 10:33 AM
I didn't mean to come across as belligerent. I apologize for sounding like that. Personally, I just don't see a reason for paying $25+ for a copy of S4. I have bought several in Vg-Ex condition for less. $10 -15 seems a reasonable price to me. I wouldn't pay $25+ unless it was in shrink-wrap. But I don't buy SW copies. I'm just trying to give someone who asked for an opinion my own personal one.

You didn't come across as belligerent. I was merely attempting a bit of snark. Suppose the interwebs make us all paranoid and defensive.

You're absolutely right, though. NobleKnight is frequently, if not mostly, overpriced when compared to everything else on the internet. HOWEVER . . . I find that NobleKnight generally has better quality merchandise and is more upfront about the quality of it. For me, that makes it more worthwhile to shop there than to hunt through E-Bay. That, and because I LOATHE PayPal and adamantly refuse to use it.

You're also right in that you (the general you) shouldn't be paying $25-50 for a copy of that particular module unless you're a hardcore completist collector looking for mint or near mint quality. There are a couple of modules out there that I'd be willing to pay $50 for, but not many.

Best thing to do if you're bargain hunting is to run a Yahoo or Google search for the name of the module and just trawl around for a few hours. You'll be amazed at what deals you can locate. I'd also recommend DragonTrove, though he can have prices that are a little out of whack, too.

In the end, a good yardstick for what the module is worth is, really, what people have been willing to pay for it in the past, and are willing to pay for it now. Check just closed e-bay auctions and such and see what they went for. That's generally a decent sanity check. Aceum is a good resource, too.

As for the OP: No, the collection is probably not worth $300, and your friend is highly unlikely to get that much for it either as a lot or parcelled out unless they're all in mint condition in their original shrink wrap. A better price to aim for might be $125, and even that's kinda pushing it. Most of the core books you mentioned can be had for a couple of dollars each in decent condition and the modules aren't that rare or fascinating.

dsmiles
2010-10-13, 10:34 AM
Everything is worth what it's purchaser will pay for it.

Valid point. I'm a little older, and like my nostalgia.

nyjastul69
2010-10-13, 11:23 AM
Everything is worth what it's purchaser will pay for it.

Truer words have never been spoken. You win the thread. I usually point this fact out in this sort of discussion. I missed making the point in trying to give what I believe to be an informed opinion. Thanks.

Jolly Steve
2010-10-13, 03:49 PM
By the way, don't confuse Gods, Demi-Gods and Heroes:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/KuntzJamesSupplementIVCover.png

with Deities and Demigods:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/78/Dietiesanddemigodscover.jpg/200px-Dietiesanddemigodscover.jpg

Deities and Demigods is a bigger size and has a hard cover and higher production values. Although it might not have a higher collectibility value.

dsmiles
2010-10-13, 05:14 PM
Deities and Demigods is a bigger size and has a hard cover and higher production values. Although it might not have a higher collectibility value.

If you get a first-run copy, the collection value is GINORMOUS!

First-run had the Elric of Melnibone and Call of Cthulhu mythos, which were forced out for the subsequent runs due to legality issues.

Lycan 01
2010-10-13, 07:20 PM
For clarification, he has the 1979 Edition of Gods, Demi-Gods, and Heroes. NOT the Cthulhu-y one, unfortunately. In fact, I can't even find that year on Amazon, though the '78 edition is about 33 bucks, while the '76 edition is selling for 65.

I'm gonna ask around for him, but I'll be sure to let him know 200 is probably the most he can realistically get. Though the Basic AD&D Set and Expert AD&D Set were 38 and 24 dollars on Amazon, respectively. The DMG was 17 dollars, and a few the adventure modules might net between 10 and 20 bucks, if they sold. So, hopefully he can sell a few things on there...

But I still need to see their condition, and that may take a few weeks before we get a chance for that... :smallsigh:

dsmiles
2010-10-13, 07:23 PM
For clarification, he has the 1979 Edition of Gods, Demi-Gods, and Heroes. NOT the Cthulhu-y one, unfortunately. In fact, I can't even find that year on Amazon, though the '78 edition is about 33 bucks, while the '76 edition is selling for 65.

I'm gonna ask around for him, but I'll be sure to let him know 200 is probably the most he can realistically get. Though the Basic AD&D Set and Expert AD&D Set were 38 and 24 dollars on Amazon, respectively. The DMG was 17 dollars, and a few the adventure modules might net between 10 and 20 bucks, if they sold. So, hopefully he can sell a few things on there...

But I still need to see their condition, and that may take a few weeks before we get a chance for that... :smallsigh:

I was referencing the early 80s Deities and Demigods first-run. (Which I bought for $100. Totally worth it, though.)

jmbrown
2010-10-13, 07:57 PM
Coming from a collector and someone who moves thousands of dollars over eBay yearly, you should use it as a price guide and not a website like NKG. You might see the product on sale at NKG but the question is "Is it actually selling?" NKG has had the same versions of OD&D on sale for the past 5 years and I haven't seen a single copy moved.

First off, understand that the more products you sell together, the less they're worth. I call this the "Wholesale Effect" because it's how department stores function. Break the books down into something with a high value coupled with a few items of low value; PHB + 2 modules + accessory or something like that.

If you have the pre-publication AD&D PHB then it's worth about $50. This has white lettering near the bottom unlike all other publications which have a yellow band in the upper left corner.

The basic set boxes depend on the version as well. You have Holmes' original (blue box), Moldvay's revision (magenta box), and Mentzer's revision (red box). All versions are worth probably $20 max depending on the quality but also understand that the box's content varied dramatically based on the printing. Same came with varying editions of The Keep on the Borderlands, some came with dice chips, some came with actual dice and a dice crayon, some didn't come with anything at all!

Gods, Demi-Gods, and Heroes is the OD&D booklet and isn't in high demand. By itself it commands $5-$10.

As mentioned before, go to the Acaeum to determine the edition and if you're missing anything important. As a whole lot, you might be able to fetch $300 but I doubt it. I've seen (and purchased) better lots for less value. I've also seen poorer lots sell for higher value. It all depends on the whims of the buyer and how informed (or not) he is. Selling collectible junk can be a gamble sometimes.