Hello, everyone!

I have been here for a while, but only recently have begun to post. My experience playing/DMing is almost uniformly B/X D&D, BECMI D&D, 1st Ed Advanced D&D, and a smattering of 2nd Edition AD&D (which I found nice and clear but bereft of Gary Gygax's special touch, and which soon became more of a blatant cash grab than anything else). It is nostalgia that brought me back after decades away, although I still have my old rulebooks and modules and dice from the 1980s.

I am a 21 year casino veteran, although unfortunate circumstances led me to being laid off in November 2014 with exactly two weeks severance for the 21 years of dedication to one casino. Since then, I have written a 500,000+ word draft of my first science-fantasy novel (Telkar Chronicles: Book One) that is in the process of slowly being whittled into three 125,000 word novels, I have returned to school after not having attended since 1995, gotten an Associates (so far) in Small Business Entrepreneurial Studies, opened my small business Perceptive Dragon Enterprises that is currently based on my alibris.com and eBay pages (but will expand in time to something bigger and better) and am still going through the adjustment process of truly being my own boss. I have a wife of 20 years, and we have a son who is a freshman at American University. I am an artist and a writer, and am still in the process of building my second career.

I have no particular favorite TSR-affiliated artist, but am inclined toward many of the earlier artists. As much as I love Larry Elmore for his jaw-dropping landscapes and lean muscular dragons *coughcoughandgorgeouswomencoughcough* and Keith Parkinson and Todd Lockwood, my eye keeps gravitating back toward the works of the wonderfully weird Erol Otus, the iconic David A. Trampier and Bill Willingham.

My favorite items that I actually used are the 1st Edition Dungeon Masters Guide by Gary Gygax, the first Monster Manual by Gygax, the Moldvay/Cook B/X sets (more nostalgia than anything else), the blue "X1: Isle of Dread", the "U" series modules, the "UK" modules that I owned, "G1-2-3: against the Giants" and "S3: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks." Though I buy and sell vintage stuff, the ultimate pleasure comes from playing and using common printings, though it is always good to pick up a rare variety for a cheap price. No matter what, the playing experience vastly outweighs profitable dollar signs any day of the week.

Star Trek or Star Wars? Both, thanks.

---Pauly

Hi everyone, I'm a new member of the Acaeum who just found this thread so I thought I'd chime in with my own brief intro:

I got started with RPGs in 84 or 85 when the babysitter's oldest son took me and the other kids through Isle of Dread. That was it for me - I was immediately hooked. Soon thereafter I had my own basic red box set and a few Dragon magazines. Right around that time one could find 1st edition PHBs, DMGs and monster manuals in book stores.

Over the next decade or so I played a large amount of 1e (and 2e, although even then I didn't care for some of the changes), as well as other TSR titles like Star Frontiers, Gangbusters, Boot Hill, as well as non-TSR titles like Robotech, TMNT, Ninjas & Superspies, Beyond the Supernatural, Star Wars, Marvel Superheroes, Car Wars, Battletech (& Mechwarrior), Rolemaster, etc etc (I'm certainly forgetting some.)

Though role playing games was a huge part of my youth, I don't get to sit down for pencil and paper RPGs much anymore these days. Instead those energies have been devoted to collecting and perusing many of the titles mentioned above.  

I've only been a member a few days, but I have already found the resources available here extremely helpful. Thanks to everyone who contributes. I look forward to contributing myself.

Welcome Mordenkainen!
Be well,
--Ron--

Hello everybody I'm Italian, born '83, I've been playing D&D since I was 12 ^^ lately I moved abroad so I could not keep up the campaign with my friends unfortunately but I still keep collecting things, especially Planescape!

I found out this community only now unfortunately... that's a shame, it would have been very useful in avoiding me a headache with an infamous ebay seller... I'm going to detail the incident in a separate post, but anyway... Nice to meet you!

Hello zaratambo, welcome to the group.

zaratambo wrote in Introduce Yourself, Fellow Collectors:Hello everybody I'm Italian, born '83, I've been playing D&D since I was 12 ^^ lately I moved abroad so I could not keep up the campaign with my friends unfortunately but I still keep collecting things, especially Planescape! I found out this community only now unfortunately... that's a shame, it would have been very useful in avoiding me a headache with an infamous ebay seller... I'm going to detail the incident in a separate post, but anyway... Nice to meet you!

Welcome Zaratambo!

ravenwood wrote in Introduce Yourself, Fellow Collectors:Hello All.  New Member here.  I've been playing D&D since the mid 80's.  I had a collection that I'm sure would rival any on these boards.  Alas, I sold I all when I got into cigars,  My collection financed my cigar room and my cigar collection.  10 years later...

Back to collecting my hearts desire.

Welcome Ravenwood!
I think you'll find quite a few kindred souls here. I sold mine to purchase a pistol back when I was working as a security guard (armed) and now 25+ years later I'm back to doing what I really enjoy.

Welcome Ravenwood!
--Ron--

benjoshua wrote in Introduce Yourself, Fellow Collectors:

ravenwood wrote in Introduce Yourself, Fellow Collectors:Hello All.  New Member here.  I've been playing D&D since the mid 80's.  I had a collection that I'm sure would rival any on these boards.  Alas, I sold I all when I got into cigars,  My collection financed my cigar room and my cigar collection.  10 years later...

Back to collecting my hearts desire.

There's an old Spanish saying, "He who has money smokes cigars, but he who has no money smokes paper."  Maybe that should be modified, "He who has money smokes cigars, but he who has more money collects paper."     Welcome ravenwood!  

Haha!  Wisdom beyond words.  Welcome, Ravenwood.