What makes a "Rare Misprint"?

Posts: 44 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 3:18 pm

My "James Bond RPG" rule book is 30 pages thicker than it should be.

It goes all the way up to page 96, but then the next page is 65!

There are no missing pages, just an extra 65-96.

Posts: 4543 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 4:13 pm

Mouse Police wrote:

My "James Bond RPG" rule book is 30 pages thicker than it should be.

It goes all the way up to page 96, but then the next page is 65!

There are no missing pages, just an extra 65-96.

Misprints for game systems no one plays aren't viewed as too valuable Wink

About the only "valuable" one I can think of is the 1st edition DMG with the Monster Manual pages bound inside.

Mike B.

Posts: 2938 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 4:55 pm

An upside-down bound D&DG just sold for over $100 IIRC....

Posts: 44 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 6:30 pm

Badmike wrote:

Misprints for game systems no one plays aren't viewed as too valuable Wink

About the only "valuable" one I can think of is the 1st edition DMG with the Monster Manual pages bound inside.

Mike B.

Badmike:

But... but... if no one plays it, that means it's REALLY, REALLY RARE! Right?

Yeah, I know...

"If a game is misprinted in a forest, and nobody plays that game..."

Posts: 2338 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 8:41 pm

I think most misprints are rare. In the scheme of things, they happen but are relatively uncommon so therefore rare. There have been a number noted here along the way, such as items with duplicated pages, missing pages, pages bound upside down or out of order, double covers, etc.

For the most part, unless it is a very desirable product, the misprint doesn't add much value and in some cases does detract from it.

Posts: 161 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 9:05 pm

I think 1-off misprints are rarely valued highly. This is basically true in coins and stamps as well. It's only when there is a print run of misprints that value seems to be climb on them.

A single misprint is a factory B product that got through QC. A misprint print run is a collectible that many people can have. debate about, assign a comparative value to, etc. Usually they are very small print runs because someone catches the misprint, or some number of them are recalled and destroyed etc.

Collectors looking to complete a collection would like to have one of each print. 1-offs don't qualify for that. Imagine trying to collect one of every 1st ed. DMG that had any sort of print error at all. You would have to collect dozens and dozens of them.

Posts: 2338 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 9:11 pm

Busman wrote:

I think 1-off misprints are rarely valued highly. This is basically true in coins and stamps as well. It's only when there is a print run of misprints that value seems to be climb on them.

In the case of stamps and coins, if it is a documented misprint (even if it is a one off), then this makes the item extremely collectible. Collectors in those fields are willing to pay a premium for them.

For RPGs and comics too (I think), most collectors just don't seem to care about misprints and in most cases believe that this actually detracts from the item and they are worth less than the going rate.

Posts: 1464 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 9:52 pm

Dag Hammarskjöld excepting? Wink

Agreed in general: in an "normal" sale misprints (with a few notable exceptions) don't generally attract any premium, although if it's a popular item those can be hyped via the boards to higher prices more readily since there are a sufficiently large number of people willing to drop a "reasonable" premium in order to acquire something different.
Depends on the nature of the misprint, of course... A totally blank text block on a late print Monster Manual would be rather fun to use, albeit that ain't going to happen!

Posts: 313 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 9:56 pm

Quote:

You would have to collect dozens and dozens of them.

Posts: 2635 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 10:02 pm

chromaticknight wrote:

Sorted chrono left to right, too. Nice. Very Happy

...
Hey you! Seventh from the left! Are you a 4th print?

Posts: 313 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 10:06 pm

Quote:

Hey you! Seventh from the left! Are you a 4th print?

Why yes he is.

Posts: 313 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 10:07 pm

You dont want to disect him do ya????

Posts: 2635 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 10:12 pm

chromaticknight wrote:

You dont want to disect him do ya????

What a silly question. Very Happy

Posts: 1464 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 10:52 pm

Oh yes, it definitely takes all sorts! (Thanks for the big smile, y'both).

Posts: 1291 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 11:11 pm

chromaticknight wrote:

if you have 30 DMGs - doing the maths, a ratio of 4 players to one DM would mean your group would need 120 PHs!!! (you might need at least 1 MM as well Very Happy

)

Posts: 2938 · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 11:55 pm

I'll have to count, but I may have ck beat Embarassed

Posts: 1291 · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 1:28 am

grodog wrote:

I'll have to count, but I may have ck beat Embarassed

you may have more than 30 DMGs?! Shocked

I think you would be wise NOT to count - madness lies down that road!!! Laughing

Posts: 1346 · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 6:39 am

I have great likeness for my misprinted Call of Cthulhu. Its upside-down and backwards. When I asked Chaosium if it was done on purpose, to make me lose SAN, they laughed at me and offered to buy it back for ten times what I paid for it. I said no.

Posts: 161 · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 12:01 pm

Mars wrote:

In the case of stamps and coins, if it is a documented misprint (even if it is a one off), then this makes the item extremely collectible. Collectors in those fields are willing to pay a premium for them.

For RPGs and comics too (I think), most collectors just don't seem to care about misprints and in most cases believe that this actually detracts from the item and they are worth less than the going rate.

Hmm, that hasn't been my experience. Well, that's not 100% true. I was speaking in generalities. In general it's the sheet of misprints in stamps or the small release of double stamps or off stamps, etc. that bring good value. A simple misstamped coin is of no real value, has been my experience. Same with simple misprintings of stamps, that I've seen. It usually takes a series of the same misprint before it becomes actually of significant value.

Posts: 2616 · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 12:20 pm

Misprints are misprints. Almost without exception, in every collectible field I'm familiar with, they have no intrinsic extra value. There are exceptions, of course, even some famous ones. But they are very much the exception.