LOL
Some of you are so quick of the mark!
Its only been 24 hours!!
I must of rolled a NAT20!!!
~
I have a job, family, and a dedicated gaming room in my home where I host regular 3.5 games having dmed since 2nd ed in 1988. It is very full of books and miniatures I have collected and I'm quite happy with it.

Personally I stop at 2 copies, one for posterity and one for regular reading and use. I have multiple copies of rank and file miniatures, but that's GW for you.

I love D&D and want to see it prosper. Here in Australia it is harder to get gaming materials, and I have noticed a trend via the local gaming store that there is something of a resurgence in interest amongst 30somethings who want to 'get back into the hobby' and kick back with friends.

Hence, any time 2nd edition stuff sits on the second hand shelf its usually gone within a week, as our local gaming store is in a Arcade aside the Train depot.

I have heard of many people frustrated at trying to track down modules on eBay (such as the Bloodstone series, Greyhawk ruins, etc) and giving up.

I think that is unfortunate. Hence my post. Not 'trolling' but a genuine observation shared amongst people whom can agree upon sharing a love for D&D.

[quote="Kingofpain89"]

Yeah, we're just a bunch of selfish hoarders here.  The Acaeum is nothing but an evil cabal of wealthy collectors.  Our goal is to drive up prices so that only a select group of people own all of the D&D merchandise in the world.  

So eloquently put. very very amusing

I do take the point that

"If you'd bothered to read the site, you'd see that essentially every product listed has print runs up to 9th or beyond

Which is totally understandable but

So most of you are okay with the fact I own like 30+ copies of the Rules Cyclopedia?

Im sure you will find plenty of people here OK with that and ready to hurl abuse at someone who takes a different point of view and points out that it is not very altruistic to do that - but that's the wonders of the internet - at its best its a place to debate ideas, at its worse its a place to invent terms of abuse such as 'drive by douchebag'.

saturncancer wrote:
If you mean 'Mad Max' it is not a documentary.

WHAT?  

I was picturing that Night Rider guy trying to score a 2nd Edition Player's Handbook before The Bronze could get around construction traffic to break up his shopping spree.  

Next thing you're gonna tell me is that people in Australia don't wear fur loincloths and spiked shoulder pads!  

Mr. Cancer, or can we call you Saturn?
...you may have exactly (NO MORE THAN) two copies of some items.
However, it seems to me that You are not a true collector...
Or at least not seriously so

Some or most of us are.

I own multiple copies of some items for (IMO) Very good reasons.
Quality is the number one reason for me.
That is Quality in the final results of my continuous search for this or that.

I strive to obtain the very best possible copy I can of each item that I wish to collect and like you I also almost always want a backup copy to read and/or play with while that search continues to its eventually happy ending (happy for me).
But unlike some folks, I must do that (seemingly) never ending search a little bit at a time.
I take baby steps, continuously working my way up from the bottom of the barrel many times, and eventually rising to the top, or close to it.

I might find a cheap basically trashed out copy of some obscure item that for some reason strikes me as something that may interest me.
If so, I would try to buy it to read and study it.
After my study of the item I can then deicde if I wish to continue searching for a finer copy of that item.
THIS IS A SMALL PART OF THAT COLLECTING RESEARCH habit that another member mentioned above.
Once I get a nicer copy, I might (eventually) sell that first reading copy and keep that nicer copy until I can upgrade once again…
Baby steps.

Sometimes when I am doing my searching (buying) I will observe large lots of items, with perhaps one or two items in the big lot of stuff that I actually want.
If the other things are items that could be re-sold easily enough, then I might try to purchase that large lot with the intent of upgrading that one item and eventually re-sell the rest.
That means I sometimes have several copies of some items on hand.
NO I AM NOT HOARDING.
Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I almost always have to go through HOARDS of the same items; continuously upgrading my personal collection while feeding that same habit (monetarily) by knowingly and on purpose purchasing more items than I actually want or need.
Eventually re-selling (or trading) those items I do not want or need so that other collectors also can enjoy them, or perhaps follow my baby steps in that persons collecting process.

BTW: the members of this site also tend to trade with each other and buy from each other when possible.
Safer than E-Bay as we know the other party better than some unknown individual seller on E-Bay.
Another thing members of this site do is protect the other members of this community by reporting bad experiences on E-Bay and other places.

My biggest problem is keeping track of what I have.
I HATE making lists.

This is a true community, with true friends and members who want to be nice to each other (most times).
YES we have fights with each other on occasions and sometimes they get pretty danged nasty, but in the long run, we stand up for one another and stand together against outsiders who seek to disparage our friends, or this community.

Be careful... and have fun in your collecting… and gaming… BOTH!

One final note.
30+ Copies of the Rules Cyclopedia (or almost anything) goes right into the danger zone of obsession (IMO).
I think eighteen copies is the limit; anything above that and you are quite possibly a danger to yourself, your family, your friends and perhaps even the world at large.

Gnat the Beggar wrote:Mr. Cancer, or can we call you Saturn?
...you may have exactly (NO MORE THAN) two copies of some items.
However, it seems to me that You are not a true collector...
Or at least not seriously so

Some or most of us are.

Yes "Gnat the Beggar'' you may. It reminds me constantly to wear gloves when working on figures, in Alchemy Saturn is lead and well...

I am simply relaying what I hear, and I talk to alot of fellow games (and store owners) here in Australia.
If for example, someone wants to play D&D based on the rules encyclopaedia as they may have done back in High School for instance, they have to compete on eBay with people quite prepared to push to price upto $50US - and then contend with Postage, which is an issue internationally.

It tends to push people to play boardgames instead, or MMORPGS.  I would rather see 20 other people playing D&D and that chap with the 30 books perhaps settle with 9 copies of the various editions?

And my family would certainly label me a collector. Perhaps not a 'true' collector (whatever that means) but Ive got a lot of space dedicated to my D&D collection

Look - It may be a contentious truth, even one that attracts defensiveness and possibly vitriol, but it is a practical truth. I mean no ill will to fellow D&D enthusiasts but I do think it is worth realizing it

I think it is important to share that.

as another  collector in australia I have to join in on this - there is a forbidden zone - its called Adelaide  -  collecting in OZ is particularly difficult because master Blaster runs barter town - and we have to run the gauntlet of screaming mutant bikers just to get to the hobby store & then trade water  and machine parts for 1e  modules in a post apocalyptic waste world where 80's Tina turner plays on endless loop AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

saturncancer wrote:
Yes "Gnat the Beggar'' you may. It reminds me constantly to wear gloves when working on figures, in Alchemy Saturn is lead and well...

I am simply relaying what I hear, and I talk to alot of fellow games (and store owners) here in Australia.
If for example, someone wants to play D&D based on the rules encyclopaedia as they may have done back in High School for instance, they have to compete on eBay with people quite prepared to push to price upto $50US - and then contend with Postage, which is an issue internationally.

It tends to push people to play boardgames instead, or MMORPGS.  I would rather see 20 other people playing D&D and that chap with the 30 books perhaps settle with 9 copies of the various editions?

And my family would certainly label me a collector. Perhaps not a 'true' collector (whatever that means) but Ive got a lot of space dedicated to my D&D collection

Look - It may be a contentious truth, even one that attracts defensiveness and possibly vitriol, but it is a practical truth. I mean no ill will to fellow D&D enthusiasts but I do think it is worth realizing it

I think it is important to share that.

I feel your pain and I do understand.
I tend ot want to buy items from the UK/France/Germany, and even Australia sometimes.
The shipping can kill a deal and often times it does for me.

BUT I think I have a good solution for BOTH of us...
You and your RPG playing friends and me and my USA friends will start a grab box.

You and your friends can start Hoarding Aussie Prints of TSR Modules and other Aussie items that are so hard to find here in the USA.

My friends and I already have HOARDS of stuff to trade...

I will act as the go between and I will send you a bunch of our stuff (Working from YOUR wish list too; and we will even pay half the shipping) for you and your friends hoard of Aussie items (And we will even pay your shipping too).

I will start the trade negotiations by tossing in a nice complete copy of Castle Greyhawk (The real one, not that funky remake thing).

hmmm, funny you mention that - I am about to post all 3 g series aus monos in Lovely condition - for sale... stay tuned