D&D General All Basic, B/X and BECMI and Rules Cyclopedia set sales, from Ben Riggs.

[Parmandur]

1987 saw the completion of the CM line of modules, which might have stirred market interest in the Companion Rules boxed set. There are some excellent adventures in that product line.

That would make sense.

 

[dave2008]

You'll pry my Rules Cyclopedia out of my cold dead hands.

You can always print out a new one legally: Rules Cyclopedia

 

[Nikosandros]

That's such a massive bump, I would suspect either funny bookkeeping, or in 1987 the box was released in a new market for the first time.

Yes, the first one looks likely.

 

[CleverNickName]

You can always print out a new one legally: Rules Cyclopedia

Or buy one already printed, in hardcover, for $28 USD + shipping.

 

[dave2008]

Or buy one already printed, in hardcover, for $28 USD + shipping.

That is the same thing as my post (just a different location on their website).

 

[CleverNickName]

That is the same thing as my post (just a different location on their website).

Woops!

I bought the POD hardcover to be the "table copy" for my BECM games, since my original was taking such a beating.

 

[darjr]

Speaking of the RC!

Behold! Sales of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia!

The Rules Cyclopedia may be the best bang for the buck single volume ever produced for the game. Consolidating the rules from the D&D boxed sets, it contains all the rules needed to play the game, character creation, monsters, and magic items!

Next we’ll take a look at total BECMI sales by year, and then do a final tally of D&D vs. AD&D sales, including all D&D boxed sets and the Cyclopedia, and all monster products for AD&D.

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

 

[Parmandur]

Speaking of the RC!

Behold! Sales of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia!

The Rules Cyclopedia may be the best bang for the buck single volume ever produced for the game. Consolidating the rules from the D&D boxed sets, it contains all the rules needed to play the game, character creation, monsters, and magic items!

Next we’ll take a look at total BECMI sales by year, and then do a final tally of D&D vs. AD&D sales, including all D&D boxed sets and the Cyclopedia, and all monster products for AD&D.

View attachment 255973

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

I remember seeing ads for the Rules Cyclopedia in video game magazine while in grade school and thinking thst it looked awesome.

 

[overgeeked]

Speaking of the RC!

Behold! Sales of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia!

The Rules Cyclopedia may be the best bang for the buck single volume ever produced for the game. Consolidating the rules from the D&D boxed sets, it contains all the rules needed to play the game, character creation, monsters, and magic items!

Next we’ll take a look at total BECMI sales by year, and then do a final tally of D&D vs. AD&D sales, including all D&D boxed sets and the Cyclopedia, and all monster products for AD&D.

View attachment 255973

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

Weird how this all works, if the numbers are accurate. Most old-school Basic players swear by the RC. But its sales are not great. B/X is usually regarded as the lesser of B/X and BECMI...yet B/X stomped BECMI.

 

[darjr]

I was gifted B/X and played the crap out of the Basic set before moving in to AD&D to run stuff out of the Expert set.

I dint remember anyone having BECMI or the RC until years and years later.