D&D 1E Deities and Demigods AD&D 1e manuscript on auction [UPDATED]

Jim Ward’s original Deities and Demigods manuscript is on auction at eBay. As of the time of writing it’s at $11,000!

! SPECIAL ITEM ! ORIGINAL JAMES WARD TSR DEITIES & DEMIGODS MANUSCRIPT D&D GYGAX | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ! SPECIAL ITEM ! ORIGINAL JAMES WARD TSR DEITIES & DEMIGODS MANUSCRIPT D&D GYGAX at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST HISTORICAL ITEMS YOU CAN BUY FROM JIMS COLLECTION! IT IS THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT FOR THE POPULAR TSR HARDBOUND BOOK "DEITIES AND DEMIGODS, RELEASED IN 1980 BY TSR HOBBIES IN LAKE GENEVA. IT ALSO INCLUDES A LETTER FROM JIM HIMSELF AUTHENTICATING THE MANUSCRIPT AND SHARING A LITTLE BACKSTORY ABOUT IT.

IT IS BEING SOLD AS-FOUND IN THE ORIGINAL CARDBOARD BOX IT WAS STORED IN.

Jim worked at TSR in Lake Geneva for 20+ years. He is also the creator Gamma World, the first role-playing game in the post apocalyptic genre.

UPDATE! The auction has been taken down, as Jim Ward had discovered it is a photocopy not his original manuscript:

“EBAY DEITIES LISTING
So many people asked about the copy issue I took back the manuscript to check it out. I discovered to my horror all the pages were photocopied. Apparently when TSR finished editing the manuscript and I asked for a copy, they sent me back a photocopy and I didn't know it. So in evaluating the worth of the manuscript you have to ask yourself if buying my personnel copy is worth it. I have taken down the ebay listing and will be putting it up again tomorrow with the correction listed in the item.

I'm sorry for the honest mistake. I wasn't trying to trick anyone. I thought it was my original.”

 

[Maxperson]

The listing shows as ended as the manuscript is no longer available. I'm guessing he got a very good buyout offer.

 

[Maxperson]

It's funny you say that! I'm casually acquainted with the guy as a semi-local (he may or may not remember my name) and he immediately sprang to mind as a potential buyer, his famous collection being what it is. (Law school is apparently worth it, kids.) I don't know who else would drop that kind of cash, even with the famous disposable income of hardcore gamers... Jon Peterson, with his historical interest, but I don't know if he'd lay out that kind of money (unless royalties on The Elusive Shift are WAY better than I would guess).

At any rate, glad to see Jim Ward get paid and put a dent in those medical bills. Hopefully the release of the Starship Warden gave him a boost, too.

A buddy of mine has one of the rare 1e DMGs that got recalled due to a portion of the MM being printed in the middle of the book. You look through it and suddenly you run into X, Y and Z(I think it's only those letters) of the MM, and I think they're upside down.

 

[darjr]

Yea! No longer available. I wonder what happened?

 

[Morrus]

Yea! No longer available. I wonder what happened?

He realised it was a photocopy! His quote below —

“EBAY DEITIES LISTING
So many people asked about the copy issue I took back the manuscript to check it out. I discovered to my horror all the pages were photocopied. Apparently when TSR finished editing the manuscript and I asked for a copy, they sent me back a photocopy and I didn't know it. So in evaluating the worth of the manuscript you have to ask yourself if buying my personnel copy is worth it. I have taken down the ebay listing and will be putting it up again tomorrow with the correction listed in the item.

I'm sorry for the honest mistake. I wasn't trying to trick anyone. I thought it was my original.”

 

[darjr]

Well, frankly I don’t think it matters. Not now. I imagine the original is long gone.

 

[Maxperson]

Well, frankly I don’t think it matters. Not now. I imagine the original is long gone.

It will still matter. A copy, even if it's the oldest representation, is still not the original. It will still sell for a lot I would think, but I don't think we will see the same numbers.

 

[RealAlHazred]

No shade on anyone who worked there, but why is it whenever I think my opinion of TSR's treatment of its workers has hit the lowest possible point, I find something out that lowers my opinion just a tad more?

 

[GreyLord]

Well, frankly I don’t think it matters. Not now. I imagine the original is long gone.

Not necessarily.

I'd say it's a gamble. It COULD have been in one of the Archives or boxes of papers Hasbro got when they got WotC who in turn got them from Hasbro...though that would be the archivists that would know whether that is true or not (which means, the current employees of WotC might not even know...or they might..).

OR...it could be filed away in one of the Boxes in the Gygax's (I'd imagine it would be Gail's basement or house at this point) basement. Who knows what all lies within those troves.

 

[GreyLord]

Well, frankly I don’t think it matters. Not now. I imagine the original is long gone.

Double post...

Though, I'll add, it makes one wonder what happened to the original manuscript.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

He realised it was a photocopy! His quote below —

“EBAY DEITIES LISTING
So many people asked about the copy issue I took back the manuscript to check it out. I discovered to my horror all the pages were photocopied. Apparently when TSR finished editing the manuscript and I asked for a copy, they sent me back a photocopy and I didn't know it. So in evaluating the worth of the manuscript you have to ask yourself if buying my personnel copy is worth it. I have taken down the ebay listing and will be putting it up again tomorrow with the correction listed in the item.

I'm sorry for the honest mistake. I wasn't trying to trick anyone. I thought it was my original.”

Standup guy, he totally did the right thing.