tacojohn4547 wrote:  ...However, as has been suggested in numerous messageboards, the actual demand for such releases from buying customers numbers in the low hundreds.  A case in point is the recently-released Saga of the Rat King, the print run for which was been reported here at the Acaeum as being 300 copies.  And copies are still available.

...

Where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, from the research that I've done to this point is whether the number of actual units sold will be sufficient to cover not only the complete cost of the first module, but will also provide some funding for the next release.   In other words, will the first module pay for itself and provide (to one degree or another) for a self-sustaining and self-funding enterprise?.  

....

One thing you should remember to factor into your analysis is that of those 300 (or whatever title you choose to look at), how many of those were multiple copies bought by obsessive collectors or speculative dealers  hoarding them away for the future?  What you really want to know for your enterprise is can you count on 300 individuals to make successive purchases over time?  A sale is a sale but once the sheen of collectability or rarity wears off are they going to continue buying 2 or more copies of each title?

Just anecdotally I see it takes a long time for a 1E title to sellout when there is no perceived collectability or rarity.  Look at last year's Saga of the Witch Queen.  If the run was 300 we're in trouble because it has been over a year.  Maybe it was more like 500 so that is why it is still around.  Either way if there were a healthy audience of 1E gamers you would have thought it would have been greedily snatched up and sold out by now.  Another publisher with lots of ancedotal evidence is PPP.  The Cairn of the Skeleton King was available for the greater part of 2 years, and that's a title that received a lot of hype and good press when it came out, along with individuals buying multiple copies.  It only finally sold out (my opinion) when Bottled City came out and buyers of that became interested in going back for the previous two titles.

I think you have the right idea though.  There is probably anywhere between 300-500 people you can sell to.  How can you corall them all at once into buying your title and thus start a self-sustaining line of titles?  Again ancedotally I see gamers as a group generally like a regular release schedule.  Look at Paizo Pathfinder and Goodman's DCC line as examples.  Would these even be selling in the same number if they were ad hoc here and there and not coming out consistently or on time?  It seems gamers of a certain rules system are more likely to converge on your product when a) they can see you already put out a few and/or b) there is a high likelihood and certainty that you will continue to put out more in the future.  So more critical is that the first 3-4 planned titles actually make it to print, and they make it out on time.  Hope to see this come about.

Cheers!

smarmy1 wrote:DCC #30: Vault of the Dragon Kings Tournament Edition (Box Set)

http://www.rpgshop.com/default/dcc-30-vault-of-the-dragon-kings-tournament-edition-1.html

Website says sold out

PaulKM wrote:Quick questions:  are the colour illustrations only present in the first printing of #13 or did it extend to the second printing?  

If they are present in more than one printing are there any differences between the two (e.g. the page numbers mention in thread above)?  

Last, if there are multiple colour illustrated printings are they all "glossy" as mentioned in the thread above?

Best,

Paul

I believe that according to the Goodman site the color printings are all glossy and only 1st print. There is a thread on the Goodman Games forums that talks a bit about printings.

PaulKM wrote:I was wondering what a fair price for a #30 Vault of the Dragon Kings, Tourney Ed. with big slit in the shrink-wrap--on the bottom--would be worth?

The SW is tight, and the box is perfect, but I"m wondering how much this damage to the SW reduces its value?

Thanks.

There's no telling really, but if I like my stuff shrink-wrapped, then having a big slit in it probably means I don't want it.  I am guessing that if a personal is particular enough to want it shrink-wrapped then they want the shrink in good shape.  I realize I'm not helping much, but I'd say that if the shrink is damaged, it's almost like it isn't in shrink.  I'm no expert on this, and it's just an educated(?) guess.  It's still a good set and still in good shape, so it's still worth a lot especially since they seem to be sold out everywhere.

Ben, Dbartman,

Thank you both for your advice.  This particular copy as I described above is pristine, but not being a SW junkie I was unsure of its value.  I want the item in SW so I'm a bit torn myself

Goodman Games has added to its list of stuff going for half off.  Is any of this stuff good?  Here's a few of the items and their sale prices.

Complete Guide to Werewolves $8.49  
Complete Guide to Fey $9.49  
Complete Guide to Dragonkin $8.49  
Complete Guide to Treants $6.50  
Complete Guide to Beholders $11.00

http://www.goodman-games.com/store.html

I apologize if this was mentioned elsewhere.

simonmwh wrote:From a general point of view from other publishers guides like this tend to be [acronym="a steaming pile of poop"]not very good[/acronym].  A rehash of old rules from other publishers etc.  These are more than likely the same.  Then again the DCC rock so these may too.

Just picked their version of Dark Tower, it looks pretty bad, but I'll have to see how it compares to the original.

Kingofpain89 wrote:
Yeah...they have had a few misprints here and there.  Another one that is messed up is #52.  The cover shows the correct title which is Chronicle of the Fiend, but the spine shows the title as Palace In The Wastes which is the title for DCC #49.  Oops.  

My copy of #52 has the correct title on the spine.  So, there are at least two printings.  It would be interesting to know if the spine title is the only difference.

JasonZavoda wrote:
Just picked their version of Dark Tower, it looks pretty bad, but I'll have to see how it compares to the original.

They did this one justice, though Thieves of Badabaskor was the better of the 3 released in terms of improvement.

ShaneG.