Early TSR/D&D advertisements & catalogs
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:08 pm 
 

Warduke and Strongheart Halloween costumes from 1984, pages scanned from a Playco catalog and posted on the 2 Warps to Neptune bog:

1984 Placo Toys Catalog: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Playsets


Zenopus Archives website & blog: Exploring the Underworld of Holmes Basic D&D. Holmes Ref: Reference Sheets for Holmes Basic Referees, also compatible with OD&D plus the Greyhawk supplement

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Post Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:16 pm 
 

Zenopus wrote in Early TSR/D&D advertisements & catalogs:That makes sense, since the B/X sets weren't released until January 1981, and that ad shows pictures of them. Thanks for looking up the issues.


C2 Inverness has a face logo, but a 1980 copyright. A1 Slavers has a later stock number, but a wizard logo. (Don't even ask about X1 Isle of Dread.)

  


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Post Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 6:06 pm 
 

New post on my blog going through TSR's ads in Boy's Life magazine in the late '70s to early '80s. Some of these ads have been posted in this thread before.

TSR Ads in Boy's Life 1977-1982


Zenopus Archives website & blog: Exploring the Underworld of Holmes Basic D&D. Holmes Ref: Reference Sheets for Holmes Basic Referees, also compatible with OD&D plus the Greyhawk supplement

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Post Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 4:35 pm 
 

To possibly answer grodog's query from the comments on Zenopus' blog on the 'black banner' modules on the back of the Holmes box...

When I was working in a small advertising firm back in the mid 80s, it was common practice to design and assemble a mock-up (imitation) of a finished piece for photo-ops/advertising purposes or just to give the client an idea what the finished piece would look like before the final product was even sent to press. Part of the process often involved setting the flats in 'layers', that is, the base text and such on the primary board (with a non-repro blue grid), and successive layers on clear acetate, perhaps using amber- or rubylith cuts. When doing a combined image to get rid of the layers (like flattening an image in photoshop), the whole would get shot on a stat camera, or if on the cheap, a copier. Thing is, neither could be told to reverse images from the overlay. So, a piece of amberlith intended to be knocked out (printed white) at the press shows up as black on the mock-up piece.

So, if I am correct, these 'pre-production' prints are simply mock-ups made for the photo, and no such 'printing' actually exists.


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Post Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 11:48 am 
 

SimperingToad wrote in Early TSR/D&D advertisements & catalogs:
grodog on Zenopus Archives wrote:It's interesting that the black-banner B1 appears in the 2nd and 3rd ads, but is replaced by the 4th ad. I wonder if that helps at all with trying to nail down its existence further? The ads span from Sept 1979 to April 1980, which are well after B1 was supposed to have been published in 1978, per B1 & B2 so I wonder if either the Acaeum dates are wrong, or if in fact the black banner versions were sold in prior to Nov 1978 and the Holmes 2nd edition/4th printing sets.

I'll do some digging this weekend to see what I can find among my TSR catalogs/sell sheets/etc. to see if there's any further help on this dates-wise.


To possibly answer grodog's query from the comments on Zenopus' blog on the 'black banner' modules on the back of the Holmes box...
[snip]
So, if I am correct, these 'pre-production' prints are simply mock-ups made for the photo, and no such 'printing' actually exists.


Hmmm, rats.  I was hoping that this would show that they were available.  I didn't carve out time to dig through my catalogs, distributor order forms, etc. over the weekend to see if there was any evidence that B1 (or B2 for that matter) was being sold earlier than Sept 1979, but will try to do so soon.


Allan Grohe ([email protected])
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 10:07 am 
 

I don't really follow all the ads, but this lot shows a version of the Rules Cyclopedia that I've not see before.

I thought some here might be interested.  The price doesn't look too bad for someone collecting these.


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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:17 pm 
 

So after reading this post, I went and took this stack of Sci-Fi Fantasy Magazines  to thumb through and find some cool RPG ads. Here's what I found in them, and the issues they came from so that it makes it easier to track down if someone wants one.  Hope it's ok to blast a bunch of pics here.
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:23 pm 
 

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Analog Aug 1983, March 1983, May 1983, June 1983, February 1983, July 1983, November 1982, April 1983, Jan 1983, December 1982, Oct 1982, Asimov's Science Fiction Jan 1983, Dec 1982, Feb 1983

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:24 pm 
 

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Analog March 1983, May 1983, February 1983, November 1982, April 1983, December 1982, Jan 1983, Oct 1982, Asimov's Science Fiction Jan 1983, Dec 1982

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:25 pm 
 

Image
Analog February 1983, July 1983, April 1983, September 1983, Jan 1983, Nov 1983, March 1983 Asimov's Science Fiction Jan 1983, Dec 1983, Sep 1983

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:26 pm 
 

Image
Analog June 1983, July 1983, September 1983, June 1984, March 1985, April 1985, October 1983, Nov 1983, Feb 1985, Asimov's Science Fiction Dec 1983, Feb 1985, April 1985, March 1985, Sept 1983, Oct 1983

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:28 pm 
 

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Analog September 1978, Fantasy and Science Fiction April 1976, Feb 1977

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:29 pm 
 

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Analog March 1985, June 1985, April 1985, May 1985, Feb 1985, Asimov's Science Fiction Feb 1985, April 1985, March 1985

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:30 pm 
 

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Analog June 1984, May 1984

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:31 pm 
 

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Analog December 1982, January 1983, Asimov's Science Fiction Jan 1983, Dec 1982

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:32 pm 
 

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Analog September 1978

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:33 pm 
 

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Galaxy April 1978, February 1978

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:35 pm 
 

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Analog September 1983, October 1983, Nov 1983, Asimov's Science Fiction Sept 1983, Oct 1983

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