Post by jeffb on Feb 16, 2022 8:01:36 GMT -6
We had Ben Franklin in Northern VA- but it was kaput by 1983 or so thanks to Dart Drug and other bigger stores. IDR if they had D&D stuff later, but when I was still playing D&D they did not.
My group had materials already, and I know they did not get it locally- maybe mail order? maybe stores in other areas when they were on summer vacay? (I did that on several occasions, later on). Our most experienced in the group had older college siblings- I believe that is how my whole group was introduced- older brother home from college. They had been playing for a year before I joined (late 77)
I got my first set, GH & BM mail order- but it wasn't from the Dungeon Hobby shop- IDR where. I showed my Mom the ad from one of my friends' issue of The Dragon, but she found it cheaper-some store in Baltimore I think. A personal check and 6-8 weeks later and it was mine. No instant gratification like today
D&D only became easily available in my area at Crown Books roughly late 79/early 80. Then a game store opened up at the local mall in 1981, and I spent a small fortune at that place until 1984-ish (when my interest in RPGs dropped off). But I wasn't really running or playing D&D after 1982- we had moved on to other systems and/or genres (RQ, and modern games like MSPE)
My group had materials already, and I know they did not get it locally- maybe mail order? maybe stores in other areas when they were on summer vacay? (I did that on several occasions, later on). Our most experienced in the group had older college siblings- I believe that is how my whole group was introduced- older brother home from college. They had been playing for a year before I joined (late 77)
I got my first set, GH & BM mail order- but it wasn't from the Dungeon Hobby shop- IDR where. I showed my Mom the ad from one of my friends' issue of The Dragon, but she found it cheaper-some store in Baltimore I think. A personal check and 6-8 weeks later and it was mine. No instant gratification like today
D&D only became easily available in my area at Crown Books roughly late 79/early 80. Then a game store opened up at the local mall in 1981, and I spent a small fortune at that place until 1984-ish (when my interest in RPGs dropped off). But I wasn't really running or playing D&D after 1982- we had moved on to other systems and/or genres (RQ, and modern games like MSPE)
