Ravenloft TSR sales numbers

[Voadam]

but my understanding is that what will become evident is that ,in general, each new setting sold less than the new setting before it,

Forgotten Realms is the exception it out sold the previous settings, even Greyhawk which was the only setting in it's heyday.

Looking at the numbers Dark Sun (1991 over 100,000 sold) is another exception, outselling Spelljammer (1989 under 100,000 sold).

We also don't have numbers for Lankhmar (yet?) with 1e and 2e campaign setting books, but I would be surprised if it had anywhere near Dragonlance's numbers.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Looking at the numbers Dark Sun (1991 over 100,000 sold) is another exception, outselling Spelljammer (1989 under 100,000 sold).

We also don't have numbers for Lankhmar (yet?) with 1e and 2e campaign setting books, but I would be surprised if it had anywhere near Dragonlance's numbers.

The player base was also pretty small in the 90s. Not sure the exact numbers but 100,000 might have been pretty good given the number of potential customers (wasn’t like it is today)

 

[Mannahnin]

Forgotten Realms is the exception it out sold the previous settings, even Greyhawk which was the only setting in it's heyday.

I remind folks once again that Ben's numbers for Greyhawk are completely missing the original 1980 Greyhawk folio, with those all-time-classic Darlene maps. The first comprehensive campaign supplement TSR ever released, in 1980, during the first full year of the D&D fad.

The little blue line on his graph is lingering sales from the 1975 Greyhawk expansion for OD&D!

I suspect that if the folio set were included, the Greyhawk books might actually pass FR. It'd at least be much closer.

 

[darjr]

I remind folks once again that Ben's numbers for Greyhawk are completely missing the original 1980 Greyhawk folio, with those all-time-classic Darlene maps. The first comprehensive campaign supplement TSR ever released, in 1980, during the first full year of the D&D fad.

The little blue line on his graph is lingering sales from the 1975 Greyhawk expansion for OD&D!

I suspect that if the folio set were included, the Greyhawk books might actually pass FR. It'd at least be much closer.

I sure hope those numbers are found

 

[Parmandur]

I remind folks once again that Ben's numbers for Greyhawk are completely missing the original 1980 Greyhawk folio, with those all-time-classic Darlene maps. The first comprehensive campaign supplement TSR ever released, in 1980, during the first full year of the D&D fad.

The little blue line on his graph is lingering sales from the 1975 Greyhawk expansion for OD&D!

I suspect that if the folio set were included, the Greyhawk books might actually pass FR. It'd at least be much closer.

On the other hand, the FR Module series probably swings that pendulum right back to the FR.

 

[Mannahnin]

On the other hand, the FR Module series probably swings that pendulum right back to the FR.

Modules definitely add a lot, especially to Dragonlance. But Greyhawk had some big ones from the fad days- Temple of Elemental Evil, the Saltmarsh series, The Village of Hommlet & ToEE, Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, L1 and L2, the A series... Even leaving aside the G series and D series, I think at least 15 of the top 39 modules from this sales figure list from 1983 are set in Greyhawk, and they total up to over a million sold in that calendar year alone.

 

[Parmandur]

Modules definitely add a lot, especially to Dragonlance. But Greyhawk had some big ones from the fad days- Temple of Elemental Evil, the Saltmarsh series, The Village of Hommlet & ToEE, Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth... Even leaving aside the G series and D series, I think at least 15 of the top 39 modules from this sales figure list from 1983 are set in Greyhawk, and they total up to over a million sold in that calendar year alone.

I don't mean Adventure modules, I mean the Setting Gazateer modules. FR had a lot, and suspects thst they sold well, since WotC kept thst line up through 2020 at least.

 

[Mannahnin]

I don't mean Adventure modules, I mean the Setting Gazateer modules. FR had a lot, and suspects thst they sold well, since WotC kept thst line up through 2020 at least.

Oh, ok. I've rarely heard those referred to as modules. Usually "setting books" or something. Or Gazetteers, of course, for the BECM setting sourcebooks, as they were actually titled that.

 

[Parmandur]

Oh, ok. I've rarely heard those referred to as modules. Usually "setting books" or something. Or Gazetteers, of course, for the BECM setting sourcebooks, as they were actually titled that.

Technically, in the TSR catalog they were the FR Modules.

 

[vecna00]

Modules definitely add a lot, especially to Dragonlance. But Greyhawk had some big ones from the fad days- Temple of Elemental Evil, the Saltmarsh series, The Village of Hommlet & ToEE, Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, L1 and L2, the A series... Even leaving aside the G series and D series, I think at least 15 of the top 39 modules from this sales figure list from 1983 are set in Greyhawk, and they total up to over a million sold in that calendar year alone.

Are those numbers in units or in dollars? I assume units, but I've known companies to use dollar amounts instead.