D&D General TSR D&D sales numbers compiled by Benjamin Riggs

D&D historian Ben Riggs--author of the upcoming Slaying the Dragon, which is a history of TSR-era (not that TSR, the real one) D&D--compiled some sales figures of AD&D 1st Edition's Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide from 1979-1990.

Behold! Some actual D&D sales numbers!

While working on my book #SlayingtheDragon I got a ton of primary source documents containing sales data for D&D. With the book coming out, I've been looking for a way to get that data out into the wide world. I'm going to start making charts, and simply posting them. If people want the raw data, I can post that too, but obviously, charts are prettier.

I'm starting with AD&D 1st ed Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide. You'll notice a crash in the mid-80s, and then the sales peter out with the release of 2nd edition.

The sales point to a fact that I believe hasn't been given enough play in our hobby. Namely, TSR was in a tight spot when Lorraine Williams took over the company from Gary Gygax. If it weren't for Lorraine, D&D may have died in the mid-80s.

Just an idea for your consideration...

Oh, and if you haven't preordered my book on D&D history yet, I'll put a link in the comments.

Go get his book! It’s going to be interesting!

Slaying the Dragon - Macmillan

The secret and untold story of how TSR, the company that created Dungeons & Dragons, was driven into ruin by disastrous management decisions, then ...

read.macmillan.com

 

[vecna00]

No idea. But Basic blew up in Japan etc where as 5E has not, I think?

I mean, the art alone was damn fantastic!

Japanese Versions of Original Dungeons & Dragons Guides Had Some Amazing Artwork

The Japanese versions of several classic Dungeons & Dragons boxed set featured some impressive [...]

comicbook.com

And

Japanese D&D Rules Cyclopedia | Atlas of Mystara

3 volumes, anime-style D&D art, reads from right to left, top to bottom — the Japanese version of the Rules Cyclopedia is quite the fascinating experience!

mystara.thorfmaps.com

 

[Andvari]

I recall the libraries here in Denmark having the Basic D&D set translated to Danish, which may be a testament to how popular they were. I don’t know if they have 5E books today, but to my knowledge, 5E is the only edition since B/X that has had translated content. (The 5E starter set has a Danish version)

https://www.tsrarchive.com/in/dn/dn-box1.jpg

 

[EthanSental]

Sorry if it’s already posted but when was the satanic panic and if that was mid 80s, was that part of the sales drop off? I can t remember when that hit the dnd community back then.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I mean, the art alone was damn fantastic!

Japanese Versions of Original Dungeons & Dragons Guides Had Some Amazing Artwork

The Japanese versions of several classic Dungeons & Dragons boxed set featured some impressive [...]

comicbook.com

And

Japanese D&D Rules Cyclopedia | Atlas of Mystara

3 volumes, anime-style D&D art, reads from right to left, top to bottom — the Japanese version of the Rules Cyclopedia is quite the fascinating experience!

mystara.thorfmaps.com

You can def see where the inspiration for some of the Lodoss characters came from.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Sorry if it’s already posted but when was the satanic panic and if that was mid 80s, was that part of the sales drop off? I can t remember when that hit the dnd community back then.

That was free advertising and boosted sales, I think I read once a while ago.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

never mid this is just edition war bait...I;m not taking it

 

[Ath-kethin]

Yeah.

Moldvay and ESPECIALLY the Red Box were everywhere. Not just in the US, either, but internationally as well.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Sorry if it’s already posted but when was the satanic panic and if that was mid 80s, was that part of the sales drop off? I can t remember when that hit the dnd community back then.

I mean ... it's complicated. But probably not.

The reasons D&D became popular (a real fad) was because of the Satanic panic; specifically, the first real boom that catapulted D&D from niche adult/college hobby to widespread national play occurred because of the Egbert disappearance and the (honestly) trollish behavior of William Dear. That was the basis of the later book & TV movie Mazes & Monsters.

And the rise of Patricia Pulling and release of Mazes & Monsters also happened during the second boom of D&D- the '81-'83 explosion.

Now, I think it is also the case that as the 80s went on, this had adverse affects. There were communities were D&D was no longer acceptable, and schools were pressured into not allowing it to be played during school time. But overall, while the Satanic Panic was bad for the people who suffered due to it, it was inextricably linked to the popularity of D&D in the early years.

IMO, YMMV, etc.

 

[Sacrosanct]

These are Ryan Dancy's numbers, though I am looking for a better source (was it ENWorld?)



I was checking this, as 3.0 was supposed to be huge at its launch, and supposed to be catching the 1e PHB. But obviously did not catch it. The roughly 1.5 million is closish to the data here.

I wonder how much of 2e's smaller sales were due to 2e being backwards compatible with 1e (thus not creating the need to buy it), and it being a reaction to the Satanic panic to be more family friendly by removing demons, devils, half-orcs, and assassins (which upset a lot of players)?

 

[Sacrosanct]

That was free advertising and boosted sales, I think I read once a while ago.

Tim Kask did an interview years ago saying pretty much this. How it increased sales as people wanted to see what the big deal was