Future d20 Collectibles

[Treebore]

pdf hurts the collectability simply because it keeps the content from being rare. So even though a print collector would still pay top dollar for a print and scoff at a pdf, the "collector" who is more interested in the content than the original format won't increase the print market through competing for the limited number of original print versions.

For example, Necromancer games does not have any current plans to reprint Tomb of Abysthor, or to even revise it. They do have it available as a pdf.
So now only a true collector will want the print version, while the person who wants it real bad simply because they want the content to convert themselves and run it won't mind having the easier and cheaper to get pdf.

That is one of the main reasons i want pdf modules. As the game editions change i can go into my electronic document and edit everything to bring it up to date.

 

[Gothmog]

I can only think of one upcoming release that WILL be collectible when it comes out and years down the line: Call of Cthulhu Delta Green BRP/D20 Dual stat. That one will sell like hotcakes, and Pagan isn't known for large print runs. I'm planning on buying AT LEAST two of them.

Others that might meet the high quality/lower print run include: Midnight, Book of the Righteous, Book of Fiends, Skull & Bones, Testament, the Rappun Athuk series, Tomb of Abysthor, Vault of Larin Karr, Tome of Horrors 1 and 2.

 

[alsih2o]

Complain if you want, but I think the BOEF will be collectible.

It was controversial, many were signed,a dn therefore defaced in some collectors eyes.

And I am not convinced they are ever gonna do another book. Their "Saturday previews" quit back in November of last year and I have seen no hint of anyting.

I got the advanced sample magazine-like copy, I may hold onto it...

 

[trancejeremy]

Well, bear in mind, it's not necessarily the rarity of an item that determines the value, but the perception it's rare and value.

Like the D&DG with Elric and Cthulhu. They really aren't rare. Really! There's maybe 10,000-15,000 of them out there. But because they are thought to be rare, people really want them. But at any given time, there's usually half a dozen on ebay.

Conversely, things like the Orange B3 are fairly rare, though in that case, a decent number exist, but they are almost entirely in the hands of one reseller (though to be fair, I'm not sure how many he has. I heard a pallet, but if it's only a box, it's not so bad).

But even then, there is just a big demand. I mean, there might be 300 copies of a super-rare D&D module from the old days. But people really want them, because they want a complete run of old modules. Very few people want a complete set of modern day modules.

 

[trancejeremy]

The sample BOEF will probably be a rarity. But the actual one, I dunno. It's been one of the top sellers at FRPGames since it's been released.

Surely it must have made a good deal of money for the company that released it.

 

[Buttercup]

But I can see things like Bluffside and other books that really can't be taken apart that well getting to this level of collectibility.

You can't have my copy for any amount of money!

But seriously, I'd say that some of the earlier 3E products have a chance at achieving "collectible" status. Bluffside is likely, so is Sunless Citadel. Though many copies of the latter were sold, probably many of them have seen hard use. If one has a pristine copy, it might just be worth something 20 years from now.

 

[Mark]

Fiery Dragon's accidental, limited printing of the anatomically correct Amazon Warrior/Half-Giant Counters comes to mind...

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

But with many of the d20 stuff getting reprinted and reused I imagine it will hurt the resale market.

This isn't going to have any impact to be honest... As a fan, and collector, of comic books I can tell you that the historical nature, aka the importance, and rarity of issue is what makes them worth so much.

Detective Comics 27 has been reprinted numerous times, I would assume nearly 20 times now, but it doesn’t affect the value of the original copy.

In recent years TPB, Trade Paperbacks, and reprints of compete story arcs have be come popular but they haven’t effected the value of comics in the short run… Time will tell on them but there are numerous books that are collected from issue one up to current time and there back issue value hasn’t been affected in the short term so the long term seems safer still.

The more seriousness of the collector the bigger the desire is for an original copy.

 

[teitan]

I just watched a set of thew Witchfire Trilogy go for 80 bucks on EBay, so I would bank on that going into collectible status.

I would bank on early Freeport material, early Necromancer Games modules, Foundation as a mythical can it get any worse product, and maybe some of the Troll Lord Games stuff but outside of that I honestly think there is too much of the rest, especially as D20 companies started proving their quality. I actually don't see a lot of AEG or Bastion stuff getting much in ways of value, that stuff is too common. I also don't see Mongoose's early stuff rating up there because the early material was just churned out and it was only when they saw it was a profitable venture that they started focusing on a good quality product....

I do NOT see Midnight becoming a collectable. As popular as Midnight is, it will continue to see reprints and gaming collectibles do not work like comic book collectibles, they aren't a serialized product, and if a product gets reprinted it WILL hurt the product. Also, Midnight just isn't that hard to find. Now Traps & Treachery I yes, but not Midnight.

Jason

 

[Napftor]

Well, I could see the Bastion's Arms & Armor as being one product of theirs to become collectible. The original is now vanished from Bastion shelves and it was, I believe, a popular and early title.