This is an interesting question — and a tough one to answer without a crystal ball. I come down on the "no" side, though, for three main reasons:

1. d20 is not "new" stuff: By which I mean that the classic mid- and late-70s D&D (and you're right, some of it was crap-tastic) was, in fact, a new thing. Gygax, Arneson, and other contributors created FRP (as most of us would define it). The original 3e/d20 products from 2000 have roughly 26 years of tradition behind them — they're not exactly groundbreaking material.

2. The nostalgia factor: Why, more than any other reason, is there an Acaeum? Nostalgia. [side note: I'm cool with those who would answer "research"; let's call it a tie]. With possibly some very rare exceptions, I can't envision there being a lot of nostalgia for the average d20 product.

3. The crap factor: You said it yourself — the vast majority of 3e releases have been without redeeming value. The following words all come to mind when I hear "d20" or "3e": unoriginal, uninspiring, conformist, derivative, unedited, and ... well ... lame.

That's just my 3 cents; YMMV. God knows I've been wrong before ...  

beyondthebreach wrote:One possibility is that one of these "fly-by-night" companies will actually linger around until some day everything changes. . . and they become larger and larger and more popular.  They once made several little known modules and as they grew and became more popular their older more "obscure" titles still were relatively worthless.  Perhaps someday, 20 years from now, WOTC sells out their rights to D&D and this "growing" company is around to purchase it.  

D&D 10th edition is now released by this new company, and while the younger generation buys it, the 30 something crowd remembers their own youthful playing days.  These obscure titles by the now wildly popular "new company" are remembered and the older (wealthier) crowd buys them with increasing frequency.  Maybe not like a Tsojconth, but maybe with the appeal of our current H1-4 series.

Or maybe an author (like this Wolfgang Baur) becomes famous in his own right - perhaps as an author or perhaps pioneering a new RPG company.  In any case, his old modules could garner collector interest based on his having written them.

This is kind of along the lines of what I was thinking, only more along the "Gotta have everything" completist who is hunting down that obscure title from Eden Games or another defunct company as he waxes nostalgic about 3rd edition, the first edition HE ever played 20 years before.   You have to remember there is going to be an entire "gaming" generation out there that has no common reference points with anything 1st or 2nd edition, their starting point was WOTC 3rd edition rulebooks with the kewl characters who had studded and spiked armor, tats, facial hair and BAAAAAD ass weaponry.  They might find it intriguing to collect everything 3rd edition, much as you or I find it necessary to search for stuff like Midkemia products or independent one shots from the 80's or a complete run of Role Aids products or whatever obsession we pursue this year.

Then again, this is assuming in 20 years we aren't just all plugging into the vid-com for "live action virtual reality online" RPG gaming and no one could care a flip about old paper and dice games anyways...

But if we aren't will there be that now 35 year old guy who wants all the booklet style mini-adventures that were released almost simultaneously with 3rd edition?  Will he do as I've done on occasion (and don't lie, some of you out there have done this also!) and search through old gaming mags for titles and pictures of obscure gaming modules that were released in the early aughts?

Right now their are seven copies of Gryphon's Legacy being auctioned on ebay, ranging from a buck to ten bucks.  There 3 copies of Akrasia Thief of Time, etc.  Maybe there are just too many copies of some of this defunct stuff out there to matter.  Then again, what is commonplace now may be gone again some day, speculation is fun but I suppose know one really knows.  Personally, I think the 30th anniversary special edition books might bring in something.  

And here's an intriguing example, just a couple of years ago those mini-D&D books and box sets from that Italian company were everywhere; in another thread around here, we find the company is gone and some of the books are very, very hard to find.  How much would the completist pay for an entire set of these now? Maybe ten years from now?  We may be all regretting we didn't stash a few of these in a shoebox (I'm already regretting opening my Ruins of Undermountain mini-box and actually trying to use the thing...)

Mike B.

Do young people still play D&D in large numbers?  I was under the impression from people who go to cons that there are less and less that play D&D, instead they go for CCGs, video games and other pursuits.  
What I'm getting at is I just don't think there's a critical mass of young people today whose youth will have been defined by D&D as it was for most of us, and hence they won't care 20 years down the road for 3rd Ed. D&D they way we care and have nostalgia for OD&D and AD&D 1st Edition.

dathon wrote:Do young people still play D&D in large numbers? I was under the impression from people who go to cons that there are less and less that play D&D, instead they go for CCGs, video games and other pursuits.

Maybe we should be stockpiling unopened boxes of Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment?

Hell, those games were part of what drew me back into D&D a few years ago.

Badmike wrote:Good point.  We will need something to do as we enter retirement age.  At age 60+ I'll be looking for something else to collect by then.  And my wife will seriously kill me when I announce that at our retirement party.

Mike B.

You are not fooling me. You are never going to retire.....  
of course that does not mean we can't have the party though..........  

I am unsure, But I would say there is more of a chance that the chaeper stuff that is not  of good story line and fun would be worthless. Even in the future except to those who desire one of everything. The reason is that if it is not well liked and popular it will not be well known. If it is not well known now then I do not see the desire to be there for people wanting it other than those who want one of everything.

Now the better made items that are popular I think may hold their value.  My reasoning is this. G1-2-3 for example was not only weel made it was a BLAST to play.

Then well in my opinnion of a poor older made module would be UK1 Beyond the Crystal Cave.  It was at best in my opinnion mediocre.

Which one still today fetches higher prices. Even a NM UK1 will not usually fetch as much as an Excellent or even Good condition G1-2-3. That is my take anyhow.

As far as collecting goes in retirement I got that one figured out already. I am going to collect younger women of 35-45 yrs of age.     So if you think you are going to get a hard time from your wife when you announce it to everyone, try being me.      

I don't know about future collectibility, but one company that publishes great 3e stuff is Avalanche Press (http://www.avalanchepress.com). Their line of historical-based modules & supplements is simply outstanding.

The OGL publishing niche must be brutal. It's a shame AP didn't find more success in their d20 department. I never did "get" the whole Heavy Metal cover theme for the books. I mean, I avoided the books because of those covers -- not that they aren't attractive in their own way, but I thought they meant the material inside would be juvenile.

Imagine my surprise, when I finally looked one over and found that the material was A+ quality, especially the Bennighof (sp?)-authored adventures.

I would assume that any surviving d20 publisher that continues with 4e will end up doing a re-release of whatever products they produced that were best for them. That means Necromancer will likely do a 4e version of Rappan Athuk, for example. From all the retailers I have spoken to, most of d20 stuff is worthless... so, I don't expect there to be many, if any, collectibles.