Which editions of D&D do you own the core books for?

[Bedrockgames]

Since the point was brought up. To clarify when each edition was in print, I had all the core books for them (excluding 4E for which I only bought the PHB and DMG). However during the 90s, I lost my 1E books. And around 2005 I foolishly tossed my 2E books to save shelving space. Last year or so I went online and restocked my 2E PHB, DMG and Monster Manual (also restocked a ton of modules and setting material). I grabbed the 1E DMG online about four years ago and hope to get the rest of the books soon so I can start another campaign (however I have had a chance to read through the PHB again online). For 3E I still have all the 3.0 and 3.5 core books as well as a bunch of splat material and setting stuff.

In terms of play: I played 1E as a player from about 1986 to 1989 (but I really had no idea how it worked). When 2E came out, we used both systems for a while. I was in the 7th grade at the time and one of our players loved the Monk and Assassin classes from 1E, so we kind of mixed and matched so we could keep the cool stuff from 1E and incorporate the newer stuff from 2E. However once the brown books started coming out (the class handbooks) we used 2E strictly on its own. When 3E came out I did the same thing for about a year, supplementing 3E with 2E material (especially setting stuff). I even ran some 2E games a couple of years in. By 2002 everything was striclty 3E, d20. When 3.5 came out, even though we hated buying all the books, we had a surge of games to learn the new system (it wasn't really a new system but many of the changes took time for us to get used to). When 4E came out I was gaming fairly regular playing 3E and starwars saga. We all bought the 4E books and played maybe 3-4 sessions before voting to go back to 3E (one person in the group wanted to go with 4E, one could go either way, and the rest wanted 3E). Since I still have the 4E books, I have tried to play on occassion at local game stores, but mostly stick to Savage Worlds and my own system in my regular gaming group these days.

 

[Echohawk]

Do you have a complete set of 2e products?

Not quite. I don't have a copy of Dark & Hidden Ways or the miniature reprint version of The Ruins of Undermountain, and I am still missing 7 of the chase rare cards from the 1993 Trading Card series.

But other than those few things, I think I have all the books, magazines and boxed sets printed for 2nd Edition.

 

[MoxieFu]

I am glad that I learned not to sell things before I started playing D&D. I have never sold off any of my D&D books. I like old things I and don't dance at the alter of "Teh New Shiny", and not just in RPG's or books. I especially love books. To me selling off old books to buy new ones just feels wrong, like cannibalism or something.

 

[wingsandsword]

Shame this isn't a open poll - I mean, we can't view the voters. Cause I'm really not buying the fact that people here have as many 1e core sets as 3.5 E core sets.

I'm one of the people who put down both, but I have them for completely different reasons.

I play 3.5 regularly, it's the main version of D&D I run and play.

I bought the 1e hardcovers years ago for reference/archival value and have only played a couple of 1e one-shot games more than a decade ago and will almost certainly never run 1e.

1e sold big, very big. Used copies are only a few dollars on eBay or Amazon, any gamer that wants a 1e PHB, DMG and Monster Manual can get them for cheaper than they could get a 4e PHB. All the dozen (or so) hardcovers could probably be obtained for less than the cost of the core books of 4e. For any dedicated gamer interested in the history of the game, it's a cheap investment in seeing the roots of D&D.

As ENWorld is a community of pretty dedicated, more-or-less hardcore D&D enthusiasts, it makes sense that there would be a lot of 1e rules present, even if the game itself was not played that often. I would not say that ENWorld is typical of the gaming community as a whole, as it skews far to the more dedicated, and more veteran gamer than I see in the real world at local gaming conventions, local gaming club meetings, and hanging around the FLGS's I know.

 

[Voadam]

Do you mean all of them or any from those sets?

I own in physical copy:

Holmes Basic
Moldvay Basic and Cook Expert
Mentzer Companion and Master Sets (not sure if I still have the Immortals set).
AD&D PH, DMG, MM
AD&D 2 PH and Monstrous Manual
3e DMG and MM and 1st basic set (I used to own the PH but it dissappeared at a game).
None of the 3.5 core books in physical copy.
4e PH, DMG, MM
4e Essentials Heroes of the Fallen Lands, Heroes of the Forgotten Empires, and Monster Vault but not rules compendium or DM Kit

For the closest spinoffs I also own in print:
Pathfinder core book
Castles and Crusades PH 4th printing
Conan RPG core book and bestiary
Wheel of Time d20
Everquest RPG PH and Monsters of Norrath
Warcraft RPG Manual of Monsters
Hackmaster 7 of the Hacklopaedias
Palladium RPG 1e
Elric!
Tunnels and Trolls 5th edition
MERP
Ars Magic 3rd and 4th core books
Mage the Sorcerer's Crusade
Exalted 1e

 

[SkidAce]

You think it's ordinary that more people would have a set of books that's been out of print for twenty years than a set of books that's arguably the best selling version of D&D ever and only went out of print a couple of years ago?

I'm thinking there's some serious selection bias going on here.

Could be...but I think it's more like what MerricB said...we have a lot of old timers here and we answered the question...

So selection bias from that fact it was asked here on ENworld maybe?

 

[MerricB]

Could be...but I think it's more like what MerricB said...we have a lot of old timers here and we answered the question...

So selection bias from that fact it was asked here on ENworld maybe?

Absolutely. EN World skews to an older audience more likely to be DMs (and collectors).

Again, I've posted figures from RPG Geek above according to the actual collections of people on that site; they're very interesting to compare.

Cheers!

 

[GreyLord]

I actually own just about the entire list...though my originals are ratty tatty half fallen apart and are taped and stapled back together...I still counted them though...probably have NO resale value these days.

I didn't originally check the black box until you stated that it included the Rules Cyclopedia. I don't have the later D&D basic sets after BECMI, but I do have the RC.

 

[EYEforanEYE]

I netted this on Sunday afternoon for 300.00

The below pics is a portion of my collection:

 

[MerricB]

That's a lot of dungeon tiles there!