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A question arose in the thread linked above on the Collecting Appraisals Forum Board about the value of a Blue Lankhmar Box Set (Amongst other similar sets).

I for one; was wondering how many different printings there are of the Blue Lankhmar Box Sets from TSR.
I have two distinctly different sets, which are detailed with pictures below.
Please add your observations about your sets if they differ from the two sets below.

Lankhmar Box Sets: Blue Box.
Commonalities: As far as I can tell, the counters, and instruction book (Other than the products list… see below) are the same for both copies I have.

Differences.

The older box (one below) is slightly smaller in size than the newer box (two below) in both horizontal directions, but the older box is slightly taller than the newer box (maybe only 1/32nd in difference).
I have no doubt that the boxes are different sizes; as I tried switching the box tops to the other box bottoms… (See picture below)
Clearly different sizes.

1) OLDER: Box Top; Brown lettering for the Lankhmar Logo at top and all sides, axe head at end of the letter "R" of logo is White as is the little armband, Boots and underside of tunic on yellow haired dude are greenish brown, and all weapons for both guys are white.
Box Bottom is solid white with nothing on it.
Inside last page of the book has product list titled "Other Fantasy Releases by TSR" with 15 items including Blackmoor and Character Archaic.

2) NEWER: Box Top; Red lettering for the Lankhmar Logo at top and all sides, axe head at end of the letter "R" of logo is Gray as is the little armband, Boots and underside of tunic are orange on yellow haired dude, and all weapons for both guys are gray.
Box Bottom has a curving Lankhmar Logo (just like the one on the box top, only not in color), a B&W picture of the game with the parts shown and a 2 sentence game blurb below that, with Lizard logo and address of TSR at bottom.
Inside last page of the book has product list titled "Other Fantasy Releases by TSR" with 18 items.
Character Archaic and Blackmoor have been removed from the list.
The additional items added to the product list are:
Swords and Spells
Dungeon Geomorphs
Battle of the Five Armies
Metamorphosis Alpha
Lankhmar


Here is where this gets interesting:
The box set top shown in that linked thread above shows the Brown lettering for the Logo, but the box bottom is not white.
The Lizard Man logo is missing at bottom left corner and on all side (I assume).
Product Code at top right corner is 1004, instead of F 105 as on both of my sets.
Additionally, the box top is not the same colors of other things as either box set I have.
For instance: The boots on the yellow haired dude are a lighter brown, and the underside of tunic is clearly orange.

This tells me that there are at least THREE different printings of the Blue Lankhmar Box Set.

Below are pictures of my two sets.

The Older Box Set is at the top with the Newer Box Set below it.


Older Product List on the left, newer Product List on right








Box top from newer set with the box bottom from older set inserted… you can clearly see a size difference.

Yeah, there's definitely another printing too. If you look at lokiwookie's box cover photo, there's no lizard logo on the bottom left unlike the two of yours

maybe F105, then 1004 and then another 1004 printing was the sequence (or vice-versa)?

I updated my first post above to indicate the differences pointed out by you guys for the other set posted by Lokiwookie.

If we assume the product coding was the same for this TSR product as it was for other TSR products (like the Geomorphs and Monster and Treasure sets) then the "F" codes and the Lizard Man Logo were printed on earlier products than the four numbered product codes placed on later products.

If so, then Both of the F 105 box sets would be earlier prints than the 1004 box set, or sets.

I believe that of the two sets I have the one that includes the plain white box bottom and the Character Archaic listed in the Products List is the older print.
Perhaps a first print...

LOKIWOOKIE: Would you mind posting a scan of the "products list" in the book and the pics of the box top and bottom of your set here?
That way we wont have to go back and forth between threads to compare.

Yes, pip, I know you would not wish to scan the list since your set is SWed...    
But unless they are exactly the same as Lokis set, a picture of the box top and bottom would help... yes?

I know there are at least 4 prints of this but I suspect a 5th exists.  Here are the two that I have (the first matches your first copy) the second is new to your list:

Lankhmar Title Lettering: brown
Axe head on 'R': light grey (maybe same as white)
Armband: different from axehead: peachy/beige/light flesh colour
Boots: Greenish Brown
Product code: F105
Logo: Lizard
Bottom Box: white

Lankhmar Title Lettering: brown
Axe head on 'R': light grey, blade edge is blue
Armband: different from axehead: grey with blueish tinge
Boots: brown
Product code: 1004
Logo: Wizard
Bottom Box: picture and text

Pipswich wrote:It sounds like the blank bottom box on the F series could be the first print, before the advert version...  ?  But, it would be nice to see a sw version.

Yes the blank bottoms came first - this is common with other of the early TSR box games - Legions of the Petal Throne, Dungeon!, etc.

My copy fits the 2nd Mars one:
Lankhmar Title Lettering: brown
Axe head on 'R': light grey, blade edge is blue
Armband: different from axehead: grey with blueish tinge
Boots: brown
Product code: 1004
Logo: Wizard
Bottom Box: picture and text

bamajon1974 wrote:What are the exact contents of a complete set?
(number of dice, pages of counters with number of counters, books, pages in the books, maps, etc?

Thanks!

Both of my sets are identical as far as overall game component content.
1 D6

1 stapled B&W paper cover book; 12 pages counting both covers.

1 - 22-1/4" x 28-1/2" color map (one-sided, with Hex Spaces)

All counter sheets are roughly 8" x 11"

1 - Yellow Cardstock sheet with 45 Counters "REWARD". Some of these counters (24) also have printed data on the reverse (back). (See note below)

1 - Red Cardstock sheet with 45 Counters "GEAS". Some of these counters (24) also have printed data on the reverse (back). (See note below)

1 THICK White Counter sheet with weapon counters (All are 1/2" inch circles with one of the following items depicted: Arrow-41; Sword- 52 ; Bow-18 ; Axe-9; Spear-20

1 THICK multi colored counter sheet: Camels-8, Horses-15, Small Boat-6, Shelba's Boat-1, Large Boat-6, Warriors (Four named, with one of each/ Four not named, with eight of each), Sling-1, Great Axe-1, Great Spear-1, Great Sword-1, Two Mercenaries 4 of each, One each of Sinking Land Raised and Sinking Land Submerged Counters.


My first print box set is totally unpunched and on the back of the thinner counter sheets (Red and Yellow) there are 24 counters with data on them and the remainder of the reverse side of those counter sheets are totally blank.

However, for the second print (the thinner counter sheets) the same number of counters (24) has information on the back as those in the first print.
BUT also on the back of those two sheets (Red and Yellow) two side edges have a new additional note in the margin of the sheet (the portion of the sheet that would be left if all of the counters/cards were punched out)
"Use only the GEAS and REWARD cards which are printed on both sides. Blank cards can be used to create additional tasks and rewards and then included, if players desire."

In my second set, only the counters with both sides printed have been punched out and the remaining counters still attached to that sheet.
And the other two empty thick counter sheets remain in the box too.
Telling me that, that set was probably played with, which is what I intend to do as well.

After all this busy work with writing about the sets, scanning, taking pictures, reading the rules,  and measuring, I want to play the game more now.
That said, if I were to sell one of the sets, it would be the one we think is a first print with the unpunched counter sheets.

Scans and pictures to follow... except for the dice... sorry dude.  

my Lankhmar has the brown lettering, is stock code F105, and has a blank box bottom. it was tim kask's copy and inside is the following inscription from Fritz Leiber "for Tim Kask, The Finnish Warlock and my editor, all best Fritz Leiber  L. Geneva Aug 22, 1976