Dragon Magazine Collection. • Collecting Appraisal • The Acaeum

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Dragon Magazine Collection.
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BlastOffMoon
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:06 am

Here is a collection of Dragon Magazines. I am not sure how much they are worth, and was wondering if someone could tell me the approximate worth?

Dragon Magazine #67 ( $3.00, 1982)
Dragon Magazine #72 ( $3.00, 1983)
Dragon Magazine #79 ($3.00, 1983)
Dragon Magazine #80 ($3.00, 1983)
Dragon Magazine #81 ($3.00, 1983)
Dragon Magazine #82 ($3.00, 1983)
Dragon Magazine #83 ($3.00, 1983)
Dragon Magazine #84 ($3.00, 1983)
Dragon Magazine #86 ($3.00, 1983)
Dragon Magazine #87 ($3.00, 1984)
Dragon Magazine #88 ($3.00, 1984)
Dragon Magazine #89 ($3.00, 1984)
Dragon Magazine #90 ($3.00, 1984)
Dragon Magazine #91 ($3.00, 1984)
Dragon Magazine #92 ($3.00, 1984)
Dragon Magazine #94 ($3.00, 1984)
Dragon Magazine #95 ($3.00, 1984)
Dragon Magazine #96 ($3.00, 1985)
Dragon Magazine #97 ($3.00, 1985)
Dragon Magazine #98 ($3.00, 1985)
Dragon Magazine #100 ($3.00, 1985)
Dragon Magazine #101 ($3.00, 1985)
Dragon Magazine #103 ($3.00, 1985)
Dragon Magazine #104 ($3.00, 1985)
Dragon Magazine #105 ($3.00 1985)

Best of the Dragon, Vol I
Best of the Dragon, Vol II
Best of the Dragon, Vol III

Prufrock
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:36 am

If you got $50 for the lot, I think you would be doing well.

Martin

BlastOffMoon
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 9:43 am

Alright, thank you!

benjoshua
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:27 pm

Prufrock wrote:If you got $50 for the lot, I think you would be doing well.

Martin

For what it's worth, I'd say if you got $40.00 for the lot, you'd be doing well.

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

DMF
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 3:21 pm

No mention of condition??

You can't appraise any paper product without some idea of condition.

Assuming decent condition, though, the estimates given are reasonable. If there are crease and/or notable wear, divide by two or more.

rhynne
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:01 pm

Hey everyone,

One other thing to also make sure is whether or not your Dragon Magazines are complete. As some of the issues you listed also have games included inside of them.

I would suggest going to the Dragon Index on the Forum to double check on that.

http://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/periodicals/dragon.html

Best regards,
Ronald

MetaSigma
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:52 pm

A few months back, I only got $20 for an unbroken run of Dragons from 51 - 100, all in really nice shape. I would've made out better by shredding them and using them as packing material for other items, literally. I think this was probably a freakishly low outlier, though; I imagine you could get $35 - $45.

Ithaca Dragon
-==(UDIC)==-

realmaster
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Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:19 am

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:I would've made out better by shredding them and using them as packing material for other items

this is so wrong in so many ways

thanks, realmaster.

let's split up!!!!!

sauromatian
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Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:33 am

realmaster wrote:this is so wrong in so many ways

Wrong, but realistic. Even back when they were current, me & my friends bought Dragon Magazines, but held them in fairly low esteem vs. any other gaming material. I remember an argument when I tried to return a stack of issues to someone who didn't want them back, but I didn't either so he threw them into a wastebasket at school. I ended up giving them to an art teacher.

SimperingToad
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Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:34 am

It really depends on what the reader gets out of it. Someone who doesn't play a lot of games other than D&D may not get much from the mags since they had so much material non-D&D, such as Gamma World, the Ares section, or even Squad Leader scenarios in earlier issues. People who delve into varied interests would likely find them a greater resource than someone like me.

TollHouseGolem
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Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:03 pm

Your mileage may vary as far as finding useful articles or information. One thing I like are the old ads and reviews for miniatures. Very cool in a time capsule sort of manner. For example:

http://frothyfriar.blogspot.com/2010/05 ... -case.html

I always wondered, did anyone ever pony up $75 back in the day for a big plywood chest to store their minis in?

So to me, back issues are interesting from a historical point of view more than a "what can I use in them for gaming" point of view.

"We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances!"
My lead-centric blog: http://theleaddragon.blogspot.com/
Also known as soccer_dad66 on eBay.

sauromatian
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Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:45 pm

SimperingToad wrote: Squad Leader scenarios in earlier issues.

Interesting info, I'll look that up.

realmaster
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 2:35 am

still trying to complete my dragon magazine collection

thanks, realmaster.

let's split up!!!!!

Mars
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 10:42 am

If you find someone to buy the Dragon magazines for $1 each you are doing well. They are a tough sell.

DMF
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 10:28 am

I disagree. They move slowly, but mine are just about gone at e.g. $12-15 for the 20s and ~$6 for the 50s. They do need to be in good condition, though, or you might as well shred them.

TheHistorian
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 1:04 pm

It drops off very fast after issue 50 or 60 though.

Areas of interest/knowledge: Harn, WFRP, Ars Magica, anything BRP based such as CoC, Runequest, Pendragon and all their related games

sauromatian
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:36 pm

TheHistorian wrote:It drops off very fast after issue 50 or 60 though.

Ultimately I think you're right, 50 or 60 (early '81-early '82) is the line of interest - if a stack arrives in a used bookstore, the ones before that disappear immediately, while the rest sit around forever unsold.

The dividing line is usually said to be before & after 50, but this being the Acaeum, surely we can make it more complex than that.

The old school, primitively produced issues are about 1-20. After that, the fonts, header art for regular articles, & general interior look becomes the familiar classic formula.

Another divide is is at 38, the last issue of The Dragon, followed by 39, the first of Dragon. Beginning with 39 we have a new look to many of the covers, a solid block of color which resembles the modules.

After issue 60 the solid-block covers become infrequent, while 62 is the first Larry Elmore cover. In the issues leading up to it, they seem to be reaching for more extravagant cover art, with issues by Greg Hilderbrandt & Boris Vallejo. When the Elmore era begins, the formula for exterior art has been set.

One very important difference is that Elmore-era art shows off much less skin (of the cheesecake variety). Never underestimate that factor in judging consumer appeal.

bbarsh
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Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:17 pm

Dragons through the 50s are fairly consistent and sell well. 60s through 70s also do ok, but it is more of a crap shoot - but they have to be in great shape. I think there is sound logic in the cover art and the "modernization" of the magrazine. In short, the more polished the mag becomes, the demand shrinks.
Forgot to mention what my first thought was....I have to believe that most people who want dragon collections probably have them and they are most likely only buying individual copies to finish up or cull out. Also, generally, runs are ot always in the primo condition across the board.

And I could've bought these damn modules off the 1$ rack!!!

New modules for your Old School game http://pacesettergames.com/

Everything Pacesetter at http://pacesettergames.blog.com/

Last edited by bbarsh on Sun Sep 11, 2011 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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