Just unpacked a box from the basement...
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Post Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 4:42 pm 
 

Hi all -

As some of you know, I moved from Australia to the USA in 2012. I had a moderate gaming collection, but sold probably 95% of it prior to the move to raise funds and strip our baggage down to the essentials.

This morning I was down in our basement looking for something, and I found an unopened packing box. In it was the small number of gaming items I had kept hold of and brought with me. It was kind of fun unpacking the box and discovering what I had - a number of boardgames from the 1970s, a few hard to find TSR publications, various wargaming items, and a few runs of some early RPG and wargaming magazines

However, it made me realize that I hadn't given any thought at all to gaming or collecting in the last couple of years. So, I'm probably going to sell most of this collection kernel. Not all of it - I think I'll keep a few items for old times sake.

As I haven't kept up to date with what's been happening in the collecting world, I'm out of touch with current values. Anyhow, here are some photos on what I found in the box - if anyone can offer any advice on what any of this stuff currently goes for on ebay, I'd be much obliged. Then I can properly collate and check for condition, and start gearing up for a run of ebay auctions.

Here is the stuff:

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1. A letter on University of Minnesota stationery from MAR Barker to Dave Sutherland in 1979 that talks about EPT stuff; a letter that Dave Trampier sent to shareholders when it became clear that the Wormy compilation he wanted to publish would never happen; a collection of letters to Steve Marsh (from the Collector's Trove auctions) including from luminaries as Gary Gygax and Steve Perrin; Dave Sutherland's artist portfolio, a collection of perhaps 15 prints that showcased his work to prospective employers; a pad of D&D character sheets (1st printing with the F1009 product code) from the personal collection of Tim Kask, together with a signed note of provenance that this was the first pad out of the first box from the print run; a sheet called Banners of Chaos from Wee Warriors (stickers with various designs that you could peel off and use with 25mm figures); the manuscript for the Tom Wham game Snit's Revenge that Tom submitted to Dragon magazine for publication in issue 11; a set of six Wham Bucks (given out and redeemable for prizes at early game conventions in LG such as Autumn Revel); a copy of Interplay #3 in a Metagaming envelope with a handwritten note on MG stationery; a copy of the wargame rules Ironclad from Guidon Games.

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2. Some Fact & Fantasy games - the Warriors of the Green Planet trilogy, Siege of Minas Tirith, and the Battle of Helms Deep (all unpunched); a copy fo the FGU game War of the Ring

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3. Issues 1 to 15 of Space Gamer magazine; a Mattel D&D handheld game (mint, the tab in the battery compartment hasn't been pulled); a 1st print copy of Warhammer boxed set and Forces of Fantasy supplement; a very early Flying Buffalo game called Imperialism; the Great Khan Game in shrink and unpunched Mertwig's Maze.

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4. Dunkirk from Guidon Games; Alexander the Great from same, and also the expansion Alexander's Other Battles; Battle of Five Armies from TSR; Empire of the Petal Throne RPG from TSR; two issues of the LoTR fanzine Orcrist.

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5. Two early LoTR games called There and Back Again, and The Live Ring Game; an unpunched 1st print War of Wizards from TSR; a limited edition Bottle City from PPP; D&D white box 4th print; Warriors of Mars; Chainmail 2nd ed 2nd print from Guidon; Divine Right boardgame by TSR.

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6. 3rd ed unpunched White Bear Red Moon, and Nomad Gods, both from Chaosium; Siege, from Fact & Fantasy Games; The Dragonlords by FGU; Ant Wars by Jason McAllister; Conquest of North America from FGU

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7. A poster advertising GenCon 14 at Parkside

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8. Various magazines of varying numbers - some early Panzerfausts, complete run of Sorcerer's Apprentice, a big run of Slingshot from the Society of Ancients, and more. Not shown - Dragon issues #1 and #10, and Spartan #1.

So that was it - a big box of board game, RPG and wargaming items. The stuff that survived the putsch of 2010-1012, but will probably now go up against the wall. Any advice that anyone can give about what anything might be worth in today's market would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Mike


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Post Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:25 pm 
 

At the GenCon auction we do a Friday Night "Collectibles Finale", with the best of the best of the entire 12,000 items.

I could do the whole Finale with just your stuff (without most mags).

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Post Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 7:04 pm 
 

Good thing you didn't lose that box.


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Post Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 11:34 pm 
 

All of the boardgames are worth selling on eBay, with the possible exception of Mind War (but if it were me I would put it up anyway given that you have the other two games in the trilogy). Aside from that I would expect to get at least $50 per game, with a fair number of them likely to go over $100 - some possibly way over (Alexander's Other Battles, Dunkirk, Battle of Five Armies, FGU War of the Ring, There and Back Again, and of course the Snit's Revenge).

The early (digest-size) Space Gamer issues are worth auctioning individually. The later ones don't go for nearly as much; if they were mine I'd sell them in 2-3 bundles.

The other magazines I'm less familiar with, though Spartan #1 and the early Dragons are certainly worth auctioning. The Campaigns are certainly worth selling in bundles, not sure about individual issue values.

  

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Post Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 11:01 pm 
 

I love discoveries like this!  I was finding stuff like this for years after moving to my new house (now 10 years here) that were packed up or stored in my storage facility. Kinda sad there aren't any more unopened boxes lurking here in the attic or storage shed anymore... :cry:  

Most of the stuff would do pretty good on ebay.

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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:24 am 
 

Thanks for the replies.

Yup, most of the magazines I'd probably hope for $2-3 an issue and be thankful for that. Some should do better (SA #1, SG up to issue #10, Spartan #1) but I'll probably bundle the others.

Frank brought up a good point - would I be better off loading the stuff into the Gencon auction? Would the items do better there than on ebay? I'm in Chicago so it's not too far to drive over to Indy.

I guess I should have realised that a lot of these items are difficult to appraise. So a better question is - ebay or Gencon auction?


Demand of them whither they should comme to devide the worlde with the Emperour? And as they answered, he tooke up his shirte behinde and shewed them his buttocks, sayenge unto them, drawe your Lyne throughe the middest of *this* place.

  

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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:50 am 
 

mdr003 wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:Thanks for the replies.

Yup, most of the magazines I'd probably hope for $2-3 an issue and be thankful for that. Some should do better (SA #1, SG up to issue #10, Spartan #1) but I'll probably bundle the others.

Frank brought up a good point - would I be better off loading the stuff into the Gencon auction? Would the items do better there than on ebay? I'm in Chicago so it's not too far to drive over to Indy.

I guess I should have realised that a lot of these items are difficult to appraise. So a better question is - ebay or Gencon auction?


If you can get a firm idea of what you want for these items (and I would take a slow approach to that instead of selling them before you get a good idea of their monetary value) you might want to offer them as a private sale here or on other places where you wouldn't lose a chunk to fees or have to deal with complete strangers.


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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:11 am 
 

I concur with Jason's post above and would add that putting the very choice items in to the GenCon auction would be a great way to maximize your returns - the top collectors show up there every year.

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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:13 am 
 

Comparing prices at GenCon vs Ebay, Ebay generally does better but I'm not sure of the fee structure at Gencon.

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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:05 pm 
 

Mars wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:Comparing prices at GenCon vs Ebay, Ebay generally does better but I'm not sure of the fee structure at Gencon.


I bet Frank could tell me what he charges for his spruiking....


Demand of them whither they should comme to devide the worlde with the Emperour? And as they answered, he tooke up his shirte behinde and shewed them his buttocks, sayenge unto them, drawe your Lyne throughe the middest of *this* place.

  

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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:44 pm 
 

Mars wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:Comparing prices at GenCon vs Ebay, Ebay generally does better but I'm not sure of the fee structure at Gencon.


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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 2:04 pm 
 

Invincible Overlord wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:
Mars wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:Comparing prices at GenCon vs Ebay, Ebay generally does better but I'm not sure of the fee structure at Gencon.


Live Game Auctions Pre-registration



Fees are higher at Gencon, you may get less at Gencon BUT.....................You will probably sell everything (I always have :) ) and it is way less work and you don't have to pack and mail anything!!


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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 2:09 pm 
 

Blackmoor wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:



Fees are higher at Gencon, you may get less at Gencon BUT.....................You will probably sell everything (I always have :) ) and it is way less work and you don't have to pack and mail anything!!


Exactly. you can pre-register all your stuff and just drop it off. You collect your cash on Sunday and you are done.


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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:18 pm 
 

You can probably do much better than $2-$3 each on the magazines. When you come up with a price or want to auction them I'd be very interested in them, especially Different Worlds, Campaign, Space Gamer, Sorcerors Apprentice and Little Wars.


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Post Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:22 pm 
 

I would be interested in your space gamers  :)


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Post Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 9:58 am 
 

Heck, I bet many of us are interested in one or more of your items.  I see at least 3 or 4 that I'd like to have.   :lol:

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Post Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 3:12 pm 
 

throwi wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:Heck, I bet many of us are interested in one or more of your items.  I see at least 3 or 4 that I'd like to have.   :lol:


At least 3 or 4 :D :D


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Post Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:08 pm 
 

grodog wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:
throwi wrote in Just unpacked a box from the basement...:Heck, I bet many of us are interested in one or more of your items.  I see at least 3 or 4 that I'd like to have.   :lol:


At least 3 or 4 :D :D


I said 3 or 4 because I know we'll all want to *share* with all our friends, right?  I mean, what fun is it buying all the good items and leaving others with nothing?   8O  :lol:

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