It’s August and that means that the annual #RPGaDAY ‘question a day’ is here to celebrate “everything cool, memorable and amazing about our hobby.” This year we’ve decided to join in the fun and will be canvassing answers from the ENWorld crew, columnists and friends in the industry to bring you some of our answers. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too… So, without further ado, here’s Day 20 of #RPGaDAY 2017!
#RPGaDAY Question 20: What is the best source for out-of-print RPGs?
Morrus: I have rebuilt much my collection of 1980s RPGs though eBay - old AD&D stuff, boxed sets, FASA games, WEG stuff like the Ghostbusters RPG, the original Judge Dredd RPG boxed set, old Warhammer stuff... tons of it. eBay is pretty addictive when searching for out of print games.
Darryl Mott: Local used bookstores. While I tend to use eBay or online specialty stores like Noble Knight a lot, local used book stores and thrift stores are much better for finding bargains and surprises. Online sellers tend to know what a product is worth and auctions will tend to rise to the level of the current value. But most book stores don’t focus on the gaming market, so they don’t know if a game book is rare and expensive or something that had two dozen print runs. So you can find stuff worth hundreds for just a few bucks.
Michael J Tresca: Noble Knight Games for life! After that, Amazon and DriveThruRPG, depending on if I need a print or electronic copy.
Angus Abranson: Ebay, convention Bring & Buy stands or digital copies through the OBS sites. Sadly most shops in Britain don’t have a second hand section which is a shame as I’ve made some great finds in some the Paris game stores which seem to set aside a unit or two of shelving for older out of print/second hand titles.
Hans Cummings (ENnie Awards; VFF Publishing): If there's an out-of-print RPG I'm looking for, my go-to place to look is Noble Knight Games in Janesville, Wisconsin. I've never actually been to their store, though, I use their website. They're also my go-to place if I'm looking to sell RPG books, incidentally. They have an excellent selection, I've always found their prices fair, and their customer service is top-notch. Their domestic shipping rates are reasonable and they pay shipping for items they purchase. I like them better than my FLGS; they have a better selection and better service.
If I can't find something I want at Noble Knight (or I want to try to pay less money), I'll go to eBay. The auction market is pretty volatile, though, and often I don't wait that long and risk a bid sniper winning the auction out from under me at the last minute (inevitably while I'm commuting or sleeping).
Kevin Watson (Dark Naga Adventures): For wide range of materials, Noble Knight or Wayne’s Books. For the rarer collectible, any Auction run by an Acaeum member, like Frank Mentzer.
Laura Hoffman (Black Book Editions; Polaris RPG): eBay, conventions and most importantly - the veteran gamers around me.
T.R. Knight (Freelance Editor): Big shout out to Noble Knight Games. When I get the urge to play something from my past that I don’t have on my own shelves, I check there first. I am amazed at what games they have in stock at any moment. And if they don’t have a game, it is not uncommon for them to find it for you soon after you request it.
Ken Spencer (Rocket Age; Why Not Games): When I go looking for out of print RPGs I usually go to Noble Knight Games. They are simply the most reliable, convenient, and best priced source I have found. The best source, the one that fills me with the most joy, is the random used bookstore find. You are just walking along, browsing novels, and there, right there, is a game you either have never purchased, but wanted to, one that you used to own, but lost, or the best of all, one you have never heard of and simply have to have. There is no vendor to source this amazing find, it just happens when the dice gods smile upon you.
Mike Lafferty (BAMF Podcast; Fainting Goat Games): Pretty much everything I’d want to play is now available either in its original form on OBS or has been rebooted/tweaked thanks to the OSR movement.
Richard August (Conan, Codex Infernus): As a fanatical bibliophile, only possessing RPGs in ebook format isn't an option, so, I go via Shop on the Borderland. An excellent, friendly service, quick delivery and (for the most part) pretty reasonable prices.
Federico Sohns (Nibiru RPG): E-Bay and Amazon continue to be unrivalled in my opinion, as well as publications in several popular facebook groups (there are lots of folks that sell valuable material through Facebook!).
Garry Harper (Modiphius Entertainment; The Role Play Haven): DriveThruRPG.
Stephanie McAlea (Stygian Fox Publishing, The Things We Leave Behind): Amazon or Keep on the Borderlands.
Martin Greening (Azure Keep, Ruma: Dawn of Empire): For physical books Noble Knight Games often has a decent selection of out-of-print RPGs. Sometimes Ebay, although availability is sporadic.
Uli Lindner (Space: 1889; Clockwork Publishing): In Germany you have to go to ebay, since there are not that many specialized vedors of out-of-print products.
Jonathan Thompson (Battlefield Press): I don’t have a single source, but other than Noble Knight Games and Half Price Books, I tend to make the majority of my purchases from other gamers.
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Originally created by Dave Chapman (Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space; Conspiracy X) #RPGaDAY os now being caretakered by the crew over at RPGBrigade. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too!
#RPGaDAY Question 20: What is the best source for out-of-print RPGs?
Morrus: I have rebuilt much my collection of 1980s RPGs though eBay - old AD&D stuff, boxed sets, FASA games, WEG stuff like the Ghostbusters RPG, the original Judge Dredd RPG boxed set, old Warhammer stuff... tons of it. eBay is pretty addictive when searching for out of print games.
Darryl Mott: Local used bookstores. While I tend to use eBay or online specialty stores like Noble Knight a lot, local used book stores and thrift stores are much better for finding bargains and surprises. Online sellers tend to know what a product is worth and auctions will tend to rise to the level of the current value. But most book stores don’t focus on the gaming market, so they don’t know if a game book is rare and expensive or something that had two dozen print runs. So you can find stuff worth hundreds for just a few bucks.
Michael J Tresca: Noble Knight Games for life! After that, Amazon and DriveThruRPG, depending on if I need a print or electronic copy.
Angus Abranson: Ebay, convention Bring & Buy stands or digital copies through the OBS sites. Sadly most shops in Britain don’t have a second hand section which is a shame as I’ve made some great finds in some the Paris game stores which seem to set aside a unit or two of shelving for older out of print/second hand titles.
Hans Cummings (ENnie Awards; VFF Publishing): If there's an out-of-print RPG I'm looking for, my go-to place to look is Noble Knight Games in Janesville, Wisconsin. I've never actually been to their store, though, I use their website. They're also my go-to place if I'm looking to sell RPG books, incidentally. They have an excellent selection, I've always found their prices fair, and their customer service is top-notch. Their domestic shipping rates are reasonable and they pay shipping for items they purchase. I like them better than my FLGS; they have a better selection and better service.
If I can't find something I want at Noble Knight (or I want to try to pay less money), I'll go to eBay. The auction market is pretty volatile, though, and often I don't wait that long and risk a bid sniper winning the auction out from under me at the last minute (inevitably while I'm commuting or sleeping).
Kevin Watson (Dark Naga Adventures): For wide range of materials, Noble Knight or Wayne’s Books. For the rarer collectible, any Auction run by an Acaeum member, like Frank Mentzer.
Laura Hoffman (Black Book Editions; Polaris RPG): eBay, conventions and most importantly - the veteran gamers around me.
T.R. Knight (Freelance Editor): Big shout out to Noble Knight Games. When I get the urge to play something from my past that I don’t have on my own shelves, I check there first. I am amazed at what games they have in stock at any moment. And if they don’t have a game, it is not uncommon for them to find it for you soon after you request it.
Ken Spencer (Rocket Age; Why Not Games): When I go looking for out of print RPGs I usually go to Noble Knight Games. They are simply the most reliable, convenient, and best priced source I have found. The best source, the one that fills me with the most joy, is the random used bookstore find. You are just walking along, browsing novels, and there, right there, is a game you either have never purchased, but wanted to, one that you used to own, but lost, or the best of all, one you have never heard of and simply have to have. There is no vendor to source this amazing find, it just happens when the dice gods smile upon you.
Mike Lafferty (BAMF Podcast; Fainting Goat Games): Pretty much everything I’d want to play is now available either in its original form on OBS or has been rebooted/tweaked thanks to the OSR movement.
Richard August (Conan, Codex Infernus): As a fanatical bibliophile, only possessing RPGs in ebook format isn't an option, so, I go via Shop on the Borderland. An excellent, friendly service, quick delivery and (for the most part) pretty reasonable prices.
Federico Sohns (Nibiru RPG): E-Bay and Amazon continue to be unrivalled in my opinion, as well as publications in several popular facebook groups (there are lots of folks that sell valuable material through Facebook!).
Garry Harper (Modiphius Entertainment; The Role Play Haven): DriveThruRPG.
Stephanie McAlea (Stygian Fox Publishing, The Things We Leave Behind): Amazon or Keep on the Borderlands.
Martin Greening (Azure Keep, Ruma: Dawn of Empire): For physical books Noble Knight Games often has a decent selection of out-of-print RPGs. Sometimes Ebay, although availability is sporadic.
Uli Lindner (Space: 1889; Clockwork Publishing): In Germany you have to go to ebay, since there are not that many specialized vedors of out-of-print products.
Jonathan Thompson (Battlefield Press): I don’t have a single source, but other than Noble Knight Games and Half Price Books, I tend to make the majority of my purchases from other gamers.
****
Originally created by Dave Chapman (Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space; Conspiracy X) #RPGaDAY os now being caretakered by the crew over at RPGBrigade. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too!
