Is 3.5 experience a sales renaissance?

[Garnfellow]

Well, I've been buying pretty much everything that's even remotely interesting for 3.5, on the theory it won't be around much longer.

I'm in the same boat. My theory is that the pricing on 3.5 books will follow a valley-like curve -- falling and then rising as OOP material starts becoming harder and harder to find. I'm trying to buy in the trough as much as possible, and GR's various blowout sales have been a big help in that regard. I bought a lot of things that fell into the "sounds pretty neat, but aren't quite must-have" category.

If Necromancer did something similar, I would probably go on a spending spree -- they have several titles that I would pick up at discount.

 

[Napftor]

Tricky Owlbear's pdf sales are up from November but I suspect that's from our new association with Kobold Quarterly. However, sales of the print version of Behind the Spells: Compendium haven't had a ping for awhile although the pdf version is doing fine (especially at Paizo).

 

[scruffygrognard]

Lots of people continue their campaigns and are gearing up to run long-planned campaigns in the future. If i had had the time to prep my RHoD campaign already, i would buy Magic Item Compendium etc. and gear up to run 3.5 for the next year or so. Now i´m converting it.
3.5 is a damn good game, and it is going to vanish slowly from the market. Its Pathfinder that will decide if it has staying power.

Very true. My Saturday group is continuing our 3.5 Scarred Lands campaign. My Sunday group is about to start up a 3.5 Eberron or Forgotten Realms game and a Castles & Crusades game.

For us 3.5/OGL gaming is the only option!

I REALLY have high hopes for Pathfinder but, so far, have not been wowed by the Beta ruleset.

 

[Wicht]

i've easily spent as much on 3e this past year as any other previous year. Various sales, especially Green Ronin's have helped me fill out my library. And the fact I haven't spent a dime on 4e means that I have that much more money for 3rd party publishers. I don't see any changes to this next year either. Until 5e comes out 3e has my financial support. Publishers that continue to support 3e or Pathfinder will get my business.

 

[Greg K]

I had been taking advantage of online sales at Green Ronin, Paizo, and RPGNow including buying several books for holiday gifts. I had also found a few good deals on ebay.

Between my main job going on hiatus from December 18-Feb and hours being cut for the holidays at my secondary job, I have halted buying anything more until late February or early March (unless I find another job between now and then).

However, in March, I plan start buying again. The following are on my planned list of products ( print and/or pdfs) to purchase (Note: * means I already own the pdf):

Adamant (print):
- Corsairs*
- Hot Pursuit*
- Hot Pursuit: On Foot*

Alderac (print)
- Magic
- Mercenaries
- Secrets
- Toolbox
- Wild

Atlas (print):
-Crime and Punishment
-Dynasties and Demogogues
- Love and War

Avalanche (print):
- Celtic Age
- Little People

Bards and Sages:
- Sharks!
- Spiders!
- Snakes!

Bastion/Dragonwing (print):
- Airships
- Faieries
- Into the Black
- Into the Blue
- Into the Green
- Torn Asunder

Betabunny:
- Book of Familiars
- Predators

Blackdyrge
- the entire Master at Arms series

Blue Devil (Print)
- Poisoncraft*

Dark Quest:
- Dweomercraft: Enchanters
- Dweomercraft: Liches
- Dweomercraft: Vampires
- Gnomes: Master of Illusions
- In the Saddle
- Moon Elves

Eldersign (print)
- Agility and Athleticism

EN Publishing (Print):
- Elements of Magic: Revised*

Expeditious Retreat (Print):
- Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe,
- Magical Society: Silk Road

Fantasy Flight Games (print)
- Portals and Planes
- Seafarers Handbook
- Sorcery and Steam

Fifth Element
- Silver Codex
- Expert Codex

Goodman (print)
- Demonhunters Handbook

Green Ronin (Print):
- Medieval Players Manual
- Noble's Handook
- Skull and Bones

Human Head (print):
- Redhurst Academy

Malhavoc (Print):
- Beyond Countless Doorways
- Book of Iron Might*
- Book of Roguish Luck

Monkeygod (print):
- From Stone to Steel

Mystic Eye Games (print):
- Artificer's Handbook*

Silverthorne:
- All Hazards
- Minor Magicks
- Template Trove Series

Second World
- Masters of Arms (print)
- Skill Focus: Talking

Skirmisher (Print)
- Experts 3.5

ST Cooley
- Arcane Arsenal: Buildup Spells
- Arcane Arsenal: Jet Spells,

Trickey Owlbear (print):
- Behind the Spells Compendium

Wizards of the Coast (print)
- Fiendish Codex I
- Heroes of Horror
- Lords of Madness
- Stormwrack

 

[Primal]

I don't know if I'd call it a renaissance, but I do think that very specific lines (Pathfinder) continue to do well, defying expectations. I've read mixed responses to the 3rd Era announcement, so it will be interesting to see if they can recapture their previous market share, or if Paizo is the only one that is immune to 4E.

But if it were a renaissance, I'd think it would be a good time for new 3pp to jump into the fray. I can't imagine recommending that to someone, but what the heck do I know.

Like the OP, no one I know continues to play 3.5+. We're all 4E+.

I'm running a Pathfinder Beta playtest campaign, and I'm still buying 3.0/3.5 stuff on a regular basis. Come to think of it, all DMs (10 or so) I personally know are still running (and buying) 3E or PF. There's a single 4E group that I know of in my local area, so, if I wanted to try 4E, there's only one group to choose from, and the players in that particular group are not very much into 4E, so they might yet return to 3E or PF soon.