Well now.
If they are *shrinkwrapped*, then depending upon who you are, this poses a number of interesting philosophical dilemmas…
If you are going to game with (the contents of) the sets then I suppose there is no better advice than careful handling when at the gaming table. But eventually, even with the most care, they will get that good old loved-to-death look that all great
rpg books get.
If on the other hand, as a collector you want items that literally are as if they were still on the gaming shop shelf, then I assume that you will keep the box sets in shrink (why open them and reduce their value?).
Until you open it and *look* inside - you don't know whether there is any mould (as I previously posted) or big blotches of staple rust on every page or if the sets have been rattled or stored so that the pages are creased or bent. Or the contents could be mint.
Now, my understanding of quantum measurement is pretty thin but I think it works like this - that right now, as you look at your shrinkwrapped box sets, the state of the contents is actually undecided at a quantum level. They could be in great condition or they could be mouldy. It is only once you look inside (or otherwise measure the quality of the contents) that the quantum wavelengths collapse into one state or another (from the various possibilities) -- and you get to be happy or disappointed. Sort of Schrodinger's Game Set. So, of course you aren't going to peek (and risk the disappointment)
Therefore it doesn't matter what you do at all with them as long as the *outside* still looks good.
Go on, pick them up, rattle them about (hard) -- treat them whatever way you like (as long as the outside stays looking good) - it won't matter as long as you never open them. And the next person who you sell them to in 10 years (to finance your sportscar/yacht/divorce) won't open them either.
I was looking at a shrinkwrapped box set this morning (not D&D a
MERP set as it happens but the point is the same) and wondering whether to open it… I have a duplicate copy (in near mint condition) but this one is shrinkwrapped and so part of me thinks "this is better". But is it? I probably won't open it for fear of… (see points above)… so then why have it?
So I started thinking, "maybe shrinkwrapped sets are bad?" Not bad as in not as nice as my non- shrinkwrapped collectable bits, but morally bad, you know, bad for society. The reasoning goes like this…
- D&D (and other
rpgs) are great games that bring people together.
- Unless you are buying and selling for pure financial speculation, collecting
rpgs (and in particular older
rpgs) is driven by (a) nostalgia for the youthful game, and (b) a sense of history for the beginnings of the game.
- So if you buy them and just keep them on the shelf - (not reading them or enjoying them or sharing them) you are betraying the ethos of the game.
And having two (one for reading and one for, erm, keeping shrinkwrapped) is worse. That shrinkwrapped set needs setting free for people to game or read
So, go on, set your games free !!!!! Tear that shrinkwrap and open the box sets!!! I can feel the free wind on my face, yes the people are with us -- come on !! (rant descends into babbling incoherence at this point….)
