Hi everyone,

It was suggested that I start a thread here so folks can comment and make inquiries about the "Original Dungeons & Dragons Set -- Woodgrain Box -- First Printing" listing that I put up on eBay yesterday (12/2/2016).

I know there is a lot of concern because this is a high-priced object, and, frankly, I had ZERO first-hand experience with eBay before i jumped right in and posted this item. So no, there is no feedback, no history, and it might well look like this is some kind of scam.

But it's not. I acquired this game in 1974 as I described in the history note on the eBay listing. After that, my life did not take me in any direction that included games - I was a farmer, a writer, a Unitarian minister, a community organizer - there was a lot going on. I wasn't much into possessions of any sort, so never even bought anything on eBay, and really didn't think I had anything of value to sell.

I recently retired, and had some time to go through boxes that I hadn't opened in years, There, perfectly preserved in a tightly-sealed plastic box, were a couple of games. The D&D was one of them.

I knew it was old, and probably original, so I asked Uncle Google and found The Acaeum. Yeah - I was surprised to see that a similar set had actually set a price record. So I decided to have a go at learning a new skill - how to sell on eBay. I figured out the basics, took some photos and put it up.

Once, long ago, I used to be the assistant editor of a magazine for coin collectors, so I knew there would be a community of collectors who would be interested in this game. I'm happy to have found The Acaeum and have the chance to tell this story. I hope it reassures those of you who felt uncomfortable bidding on this item. It really is in nice shape, and I think the new owner is going to be very happy. And I really am a real person, and an honest one, and if you win the auction I will send the game to you with lots of insurance on the package. No funny business.

Please feel free to comment or post your questions on this thread. I will do my best to answer any concerns you might have.

Enjoy! Here's a link to the auction in question.


** expired/removed eBay auction **

Hi Allan,

I'll answer all your questions in detail on the eBay page. Briefly, the answers are: No marks, highlighting or bent pages, no rust, no musty smells or mushy carcboard. May I make the question and answer public so others can see the photos too? Thanks!

Jan

Boosted the signal on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/frank.mentzer/ ... 1073262308

Thanks for the boost, ExTSR!

Good luck on the auction!

As an aside, I'm a little curious as to the appeal for woodgrains? Obviously they are very rare but do many also value them for their aesthetics or contents? Or is it mostly having a part of the earliest history of D&D? The ability to read the evolution of the game? An investment? Something else still?

As a contrast OB3 is a rather odd product in that it is completely unusable (maybe also unreadable) but has a strange lore to it that captures some people's attention.

Considering this auctioneer has no ebay experience, which is odd considering ebay has been around since 1995 and has little experience in the community I find the price way too high.  The interior pages could be crayon artwork all over or it could be complete fiction.  Color me suspicious.  Anyway, it is not my money, I can't wait to see if the goods are real.

Ditto!  

And do not forget that the current price isn t the starting price: the seller set a more than reasonable price point at 1000 usd which is definitely a good price for a 1st woody!

Ciaoo

Grug Greyskin wrote in Original Dungeons & Dragons Set – Woodgrain - 1st Print:I don't see any reason to be suspicious, beyond taking normal precautions for online business.

Concur.

We welcome new and suspicious arrivals at Acaeum; we get lots of deals while they're coming up to speed. ;>

Well you have to start somewhere, I used this site years ago.  Finally wandered back and was shocked how much the prices have risen over the years.  In terms of this set, maybe I am just being too paranoid.  The values are so high!  The set certainly looks great, I'm sure people will give it the love it deserves.  It is a wonderful find.