3e / OGL All Three 3.5 D&D Books in the Amazon Top 25!

AnthonyRoberson · 23rd April 2009, 08:08 PM

I was surfing the Amazon Gaming Bestseller list today and I noticed that all three Core 3.5 D&D books are in the Top 25! What an interesting trend...

Kask · 23rd April 2009, 08:17 PM

How can that be with only used books available and 4.0 doing to "well"?

hong · 23rd April 2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kask

How can that be with only used books available and 4.0 doing to "well"?

Because 11 of the top 12 are 4E books, and so are 13 of the top 22.

(The others in the top 20 are videogame books, Talisman, and D&D minis accessories.)

Kask · 23rd April 2009, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hong

Because 11 of the top 12 are 4E books, and so are 13 of the top 22.

(The others in the top 20 are videogame books, Talisman, and D&D minis accessories.)

Doesn't explain at all. Imagine if they were still printing & promoting 3.x...

hong · 23rd April 2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kask

Doesn't explain at all.

Of course it does. The current edition always outsells the previous one.

Quote:

Imagine if they were still printing & promoting 3.x...

Then 3.x would be at 1, 2 and 3, because 4E would not exist.

AnthonyRoberson · 23rd April 2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hong

Of course it does...

I would agree except for the fact that this is the first time in months (at least) that all three 3.5 core rulebooks have been in the top 25. They have been creeping up steadily over the past several weeks. Pure coincidence?

Kask · 23rd April 2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hong

Then 3.x would be at 1, 2 and 3, because 4E would not exist.

No. That is not Ipso Facto

hong · 23rd April 2009, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kask

No. That is not Ipso Facto

It certainly is, as evidenced by Scott Rouse's comments in the other thread.

Aberzanzorax · 23rd April 2009, 08:55 PM

Want to see something really illuminating?

Search ebay's completed listings for "player's handbook".
(to do this you need to be logged in to an account)

the 3.5 phb, 4e phb and both phb II's come up.

Check out the prices at which they have sold. Looks like the 3.5 phb is selling higher than the 4e phb or 4e phbII.

Course, draw from that what you will. Ebay is its own beast, and this may mean little in the overall picture of sales.

Still....interesting.

WalterKovacs · 23rd April 2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kask

How can that be with only used books available and 4.0 doing to "well"?

Core books sell well. The 3.0 PHB is in the top 100 as well. The other books in the top 100 include some other 3x books like complete mage and complete adventurer, etc.

Then again, there are also tons of books for 4e that are preorder only that are outselling stuff.

An interesting analysis:

Arcane Power, Martial Power and even the Divine Power pre-orders are outselling the 3.5, but the Eberon and Forgotten Realm Player's Guide are under the core three for 3.5. The actual setting books are way down the list.

There is some analysis to be made of the list, but snarkily making an edition war thread out of it isn't it.

Obryn · 23rd April 2009, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aberzanzorax

Course, draw from that what you will. Ebay is its own beast, and this may mean little in the overall picture of sales.

Still....interesting.

I don't find it at all surprising that out-of-print materials fetch a higher price on eBay than still-in-print materials.

-O

Puggins · 23rd April 2009, 09:08 PM

You're seriously trying to call attention to the fact that PHB 3.5 beat out Valkyria Chronicles: The Official Strategy Guide?

Remathilis · 23rd April 2009, 09:12 PM

You mean this list, right? If not, I'd like a link.

Because I see (of the top 25), 17 are 4e books, 1 is 3.5, 1 is Exalted, 1 is SW Saga, 3 are video game guides, 1 is DDM, and 1 is (oddly) the Gothic & Lolita Bible (.5).

3.5 PHB is 13th on the, but the next highest is MIC at 30.

Imaro · 23rd April 2009, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remathilis

You mean this list, right? If not, I'd like a link.

Because I see (of the top 25), 17 are 4e books, 1 is 3.5, 1 is Exalted, 1 is SW Saga, 3 are video game guides, 1 is DDM, and 1 is (oddly) the Gothic & Lolita Bible (.5).

3.5 PHB is 13th on the, but the next highest is MIC at 30.

Uhm...here... Amazon.com Books Bestsellers: The most popular items in Role Playing & Fantasy. Updated hourly.

I'm seeing 3.5 PHB as # 15, 3.5 MM as #16 and 3.5 DMG as #20.

Jack99 · 23rd April 2009, 09:37 PM

This thread delivers hypocrisy in spades. Thanks for making my day.

Aberzanzorax · 23rd April 2009, 09:39 PM

Obyrn, that's absolutely true. OOP does usually drive up the price if it is still in demand. However, while it is not a precise measure, it still has some level of accuracy in that the 3.5 phb is selling for more than the 2nd edition phbs as well.

So, overall, I agree with you. It's all about the whole supply and demand-the greater supply of the new 4e stuff (I expect it is in greater supply right now than the available 3.5 phbs) certainly lowers its price even if demand is equal or even greater than that of 3rd ed.

The one issue with that, though is the new PHBII. It supposedly sold out its print run. You'd think that would drive up the costs for now. However, the prices I see listed that they were sold for were:

$10.75, $11.50, $12.50, $13.00, $11.50, $12.00, $11.50, $19.99, $16.01, $23.99, $24.99, $10.10, $14.00, $11.31, $11.50, $11.50, $27.95

Average price sold for: $14.95

It failed to sell at $23.99, $24.99, $29.99, $23.99, $24.99, $34.99

Average price too high to sell for: $27.16

Amazon sells it for: $23.07

It doesn't seem as though its limited availability is causing much of a price spike at all...

EDIT: ..or that selling out its print run resulted in limited availability (on further reflection).

Aberzanzorax · 23rd April 2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack99

This thread delivers hypocrisy in spades. Thanks for making my day.

Hypocrisy?

Obryn · 23rd April 2009, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imaro

Uhm...here... Amazon.com Books Bestsellers: The most popular items in Role Playing & Fantasy. Updated hourly.

I'm seeing 3.5 PHB as # 15, 3.5 MM as #16 and 3.5 DMG as #20.

I'd hazard a guess that the hourly sales of any RPG product are hardly stellar.

Also, I'd guess that, when you're looking at below 10th place or so on an RPG-specific list, we're not exactly looking at huge numbers. So, two or three guys buying PHBs could sway the balance.

I have no evidence for this, mind you. But even more than with the bestseller lists, this tells us very little. I'd expect a sharp precipice right below the top sellers.

I will, however, note that this reinforces the idea that D&D is the RPG industry. There's D&D, and maybe SWSE, and then nothing's really in second place.

I will also predict ahead of time that Pathfinder will hit #1 on this particular listing, at least for the days immediately surrounding its release date, and it will continue to do well on this listing. Probably not staying at #1, but almost certainly in the top 3.

-O

Maggan · 23rd April 2009, 09:49 PM

If I were producing RPGs and weren't WotC holding the D&D license, I would weep at this.

D&D outsells everything. Even an older version of D&D outsells everything except the latest version of D&D. Well, almost everything, at any rate.

Must be kinda frustrating for everyone else.

/M

Jack99 · 23rd April 2009, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aberzanzorax

Hypocrisy?

Try reading the many other threads regarding the success of 4e, where we have been told over and over again that these rankings have no meaning nor significance.