[O/T] Metamorphosis: Alpha • Collecting Appraisal • The Acaeum

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[O/T] Metamorphosis: Alpha
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Thulcondar
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:24 pm

Apologies for the non-D&D-nature of this, but I was wondering if anyone knew what the going rate for a pristine copy of Metamorphosis: Alpha might be. I've got a copy from the days of yore (not the newer version from the 1990's; this is the 1970's version), and it's not likely to see any use anytime soon.

Ditto on the Lou Zocchi "Star Trek" RPG. This thing pre-dates ST:TMP, and seems based more on the Tech Manual than anything else.

I don't see anything up on eBay currently for either of these things. Anyone remember seeing these things up there?

Thulcondar

Blackmoor
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:38 pm

Thulcondar wrote:Apologies for the non-D&D-nature of this, but I was wondering if anyone knew what the going rate for a pristine copy of Metamorphosis: Alpha might be. I've got a copy from the days of yore (not the newer version from the 1990's; this is the 1970's version), and it's not likely to see any use anytime soon.

Ditto on the Lou Zocchi "Star Trek" RPG. This thing pre-dates ST:TMP, and seems based more on the Tech Manual than anything else.

I don't see anything up on eBay currently for either of these things. Anyone remember seeing these things up there?

Thulcondar

Boxset or magazine style? Logo (wizard or lizardman) :?:

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Marlith
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:23 pm

Thulcondar wrote:Apologies for the non-D&D-nature of this, but I was wondering if anyone knew what the going rate for a pristine copy of Metamorphosis: Alpha might be. I've got a copy from the days of yore (not the newer version from the 1990's; this is the 1970's version), and it's not likely to see any use anytime soon.

Ditto on the Lou Zocchi "Star Trek" RPG. This thing pre-dates ST:TMP, and seems based more on the Tech Manual than anything else.

I don't see anything up on eBay currently for either of these things. Anyone remember seeing these things up there?

Thulcondar

I am thnking that MA is normally in the $60 range. I am not sure of the printing history of MA so that may factor in.

There have been a couple maybe more of the Zocchi Star Trek books up as of recent. I dropped bids on two fo them but never won. As I recall it is one of the regualr top shelf sellers that had them...anyone recall?

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Zenopus
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:47 pm

Marlith wrote:
I am thnking that MA is normally in the $60 range. I am not sure of the printing history of MA so that may factor in.

$60 is a very reasonable estimate. The price varies somewhat because there is not usually more than one up on Ebay at any one time, and sometimes there are gaps of a few weeks/month before another copy comes up. I'm not hitting any right now when I check completed items, but I believe one sold recently for around that price, and was a first print (Lizard Logo, Product Code SF-18R). I think mbassoc also recently sold a first print through his Ebay store for a little more, ~$75-85(?).

I've noticed that many MA sellers do not stress that they have a 1st print, so if you have one definitely put that front & center in the listing. The printing may not matter that much to many buyers, but it can't hurt to have the info in the listing.

Thulcondar
Collector

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Last Visit: Feb 03, 2010

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:53 pm

Bit of an update...

I checked, and the M:A I have is the 2nd printing, with the lizard man "TSR Rules" logo on the frontspiece. It's the magazine style (I think this was before the boxed sets came out).

The Star Trek RPZG I have is not, in fact, from Lou Zocchi games. It's from Heritage, dated 1978. There is a price sticker on the cover and a slight scrape/tear where it looks like another sticker has been taken off, but is otherwise in outstanding shape.

FormCritic
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Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 12:27 am

Is that the Metamorphosis Alpha with the lurid color cover, or is the early edition more like the dignified brown of early TSR booklets?

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Zenopus
Verbose Collector

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Location: Portown

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 1:04 am

As far as I know, there is only one style of TSR Metamorphosis Alpha from the '70s. It is a 32 page rulebook with a brightly colored David Sutherland cover. It comes in several printings, and the first has the code SF-18R and a Lizard Logo. It's full-size booklet, the same size as the later boxsets. However, there is no MA boxset from this time period (despite what was mentioned above) and there is no earlier version in a smaller booklet.

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