Thanks for the additional details, Scott.  Here's what gets me:

FoulFoot wrote:

So, of course, a box of 9044's (72, the smallest bulk quantity in the warehouse) was lifted from the trash later that evening.

That alludes to one individual salvaging one box, apparently on the very evening of the day the disposal was ordered.  Surely, that can't have been the only instance.  I wonder how long the "trash" sat there before it was removed.  Once word got around among the guys working in the warehouse that someone had lifted a box, it's almost a certainty that others would have done the same.

Agreed as well -- multiple boxes were probably lifted. However, a2jeff stated his box is 2.25 inches tall... I doubt you could fit 36 modules in that. More like 18, or even less. So perhaps four or more of these boxes were originally in an even larger box, which was the "smallest bulk size in the warehouse".

Jeff, could you stack some modules in there and see how many actually fit?

In any case, I *do* doubt that there's anywhere near 1,000 of these modules out there. There simply hasn't been that many changing hands. In the last few years, there's maybe been 5 or 6 a year (on average) being sold? With the speculative worth of these things approaching (or exceeding) $1,000, many collectors have already put theirs up for sale. Several of the same copies seem to recirculate, too. I don't see 900+ modules lying forgotten, or locked in collectors' vaults.

Foul

a2jeff wrote:If everyone would send me their OB3, I'd gladly stack them up and see where we land.

Sorry Jeff, I already shredded all of mine and mailed them to Adam. {j/k}(I wish that I had some to shred)

a2jeff wrote:

FoulFoot wrote:Jeff, could you stack some modules in there and see how many actually fit?
Foul

I'll take another look at this.

My original estimate was based on an attempt at what you described. I measured the inside of the box height, and the thickness of the module. 36 OB3 mods @ 1/16 each gets you 2.25 inches. The OB3 is definitely smaller than 1/8 thick and closer to 1/16 but may be a little thicker than that.

On a more serious note though, I just measured 36(21 of the aforementioned A3s BTW) shrinked modules stacked together and it comes to ~ 4 1/4 inches. However when I stack 24 together, it comes out to be almost exactly 2 1/2 inches. So assuming that they are packed in that box pretty tight, I would have to say that the box that you have Jeff originally contained 24.

<edit> When thinking of this further and doing the math, 3 boxes of 24 insode of a case would in fact be 72, which could account for the box the former TSR employee mentioned. With that being said though, I still think that there are more than that floating around. Too much evidence to indicate otherwise. Thoughts??

I have been thinking about this further and ther more I think about it the more I am beliving that not all OB3s where trashed in the dumpster of TSR. Here is why I think this. If you all remember back in May when Toymom auction off that opened copy, she mentioned that this was part of a large gaming lot that she purchased from a large collection in souther Wisconsin. From the auction:

toymom wrote:That being said... this item does have a few minor flaws, but appears to me to be in excellent shape. I purchased it as part of a collection here in southern, WI... not far from where D&D got it's start. I understand that you would all like to hold and look over this item before bidding. Since that is not an option, I have taken the time to take additional photos of this item for you to look over. I have taken close-ups of the exteriors and have photographed every interior page. I have supersized photos available through links from the regular sized images. I highly encourage you to look over the photos before placing your bid. I am sure you will be happy with this item, but I want you to be sure as well.

Here is the link to the auction for reference:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 36052&rd=1

On the site here back in May, she also posted the names on some of the other books from the collection, none of which appear to be anyone affiliated with TSR:

toymom wrote:There is a name on one of the books.... let me find it.... ok found it. There are actually a couple different names. So far I found Chuck Mann and Bruce Wallin. These were on the rules books.

This too me alomost indicates that this was a copy not from a collector, but from a gamer. If everyone at the time who worked for TSR knew that this was going to be a collectible that, in most circumstances all copies would have been left unopened, particularyl if only 1 box of 72 was saved. This would leave room for a few random spares that were opened for editiorial use like the one Adam has. However, being that this copy appears to be from a gamers collection, this could be evidence of it being purchased by someone ignorant of its collectablity and was used as a game copy. Any thoughts on this??

bclarkie wrote:On a more serious note though, I just measured 36(21 of the aforementioned A3s BTW) shrinked modules stacked together and it comes to ~ 4 1/4 inches. However when I stack 24 together, it comes out to be almost exactly 2 1/2 inches. So assuming that they are packed in that box pretty tight, I would have to say that the box that you have Jeff originally contained 24.

If A3 is the same thickness as OB3 then I agree with you.

I am thinking that it is possible the OB3 box pictured was placed inside of another box that was shipped.

Here is what I mean, say the pictured box holds 24 modules. These are what the modules are packed in. 3 boxes of 24 modules go into one larger box for shipment which is where you go a Box of 72.

The reason I think this is a possibility is this: Think how unorganized it would be to have one box holding 72 individual modules! And that was the smallest quantity? What about someone who got a box of 144 - I can't believe these would arrive, be opened and 144 loose modules would be there.

No, I think that these wholesale orders went out to distributors and it wouldn't do for them to have large quantities of loose modules. A distributor would get a box of 72, out of which they could further distribute the smaller boxes of 24 to local gamestores, KB toys or whatever.



Just a thought . . .

bclarkie wrote:Well, I just checked one of my opened A3s and sure enough it has exactly 28 pages, the same amount as the OB3. With that, I think we can safely say that Jeff's box had 24 OB3s originally in it. Question is where do we go from here?

I agree, I got out a caliper and remeasured, and OB3 is larger than 1/16 and smaller than 1/8. At 3/32, you get 24 copies = 2.25 inches of box space.

i worked for a game distributor for several years and we had to order module quantities in the minimum amount that could be held in one box: 12 or 24 at a time. dragon magazines had to be ordered in boxes of 72. that being said, and i`m working off of 20 year old memory, but at the gencon auction the year before i bought the first one sold, there was one up for sale, but the minimum bid was $250. i was 15 and my brother-in-law wouldn`t loan me the money so i (and everyone else ) passed. in discussing it, frank mentzer mentioned that 3 or 4 boxes, approximately, had been rescued from the dumpster. so i have always put a lot of stock in a number of about 72 to 144 in existence, since frank was a lot closer to the truth of this than anyone else i know and i trust him completely. but all of my info is third hand.

Well, there's certainly more than 24 out there.