Holy crap holy crap holy CRAP!!!!

[thegreyelf]

So last week I won two auctions on ebay for two copies of Chainmail (I only expected to win one copy, but you know how that works).

Anyway, the auction said that both copies were "2nd+ printings," meaning 2nd-9th or later. Said one was in NM condition and one was in VF condition. Paid about $60 each for them. Not a deal, but not outrageous for collector's values.

They arrived yesterday...and one of them is not a 2nd+ printing.

It's a 3rd edition (silver cover)...but is a first printing, with saddle-stitched binding! And while it's not in the NM condition they claimed, I'd put it at F-VF condition. The pages are crisp and white, the corners are sharp, but the spine is slightly split. It's still securely bound, however.

I never thought as a collector I'd be lucky enough to have an actual saddle-stitched copy of Chainmail to go with my 5th print boxed set.

Sorry; I just felt the need to crow a bit.

[sham]

Congrats! Quite a steal there!

[geoffrey]

Awesome! ;D

[James Maliszewski]

I can never seem to land a copy of Chainmail of any edition, no matter how often I place bids. Either somebody steals it away from me at the last second or else the bids get too high and I have to capitulate. It's a small thing, admittedly, since I likely won't ever play the game, but it's annoying, since I'd like to have a print copy to "complete" my OD&D collection.

[Deleted]

Congratulations on a lucky and successful bid.

I'm going to "exalt" you just to help you commemorate this occasion.

[Finarvyn]

Mar 13, 2009 6:09:11 GMT -6 thegreyelf said:

It's a 3rd edition (silver cover)...but is a first printing, with saddle-stitched binding!

I guess I'm not as well connected as I thought. I've seen comb-bound silver editions and stapled golden ediitons, but I've never even heard of a saddle-stitched edition.

Guess I'll have to do some research on this.

[Finarvyn]

Okay, so I'm stupid. Took me 10 seconds to find the Chainmail entry in the Acaeum. There it is, all right.

EDIT: But I notice that they still seem to list that edition as "stapled" instead of "saddle-stitched." If the pages are white and crisp, any chance that this is a replica instead of an original?

[verhaden]

Isn't saddle stitched the same as stapled?

"is a method of securing loose printed pages with staples down the middle of a folded sheaf of papers."

Congrats on the acquisition. I bid on Vol. I-III a week ago, but forgot about the auction and lost it just over my max bid. $40 :/

[Finarvyn]

Mar 13, 2009 14:44:24 GMT -6 verhaden said:

Isn't saddle stitched the same as stapled?

Could be. I always thought that "saddle stitched" was the process whereby they actually stitch a full line along the binding side such as is found in the AD&D 1E hardbacks and many of the Indie RPGs that you can buy off of Lulu or Indie Press Revolution. I know I have a bunch of

What's that called, then?


EDIT: Well, apparently "saddle stitching" is stapling, as Verhaden suggested. I checked a couple of webpages and they all suggest the same thing. Still don't know the name of that other process, though.

[thegreyelf]

Yeah, saddle stitched is stapling . Sorry for the confusion. I think what you're talking about are just sewn bindings.

Thanks, everyone! Sorry if I came off as bragging...I was just really excited.

[EDIT]Finarvyn, I guess there's always the possibility of a counterfeit, but I bought it from Troll & Toad, a reputable company, and it certainly looks genuine to me.

[Finarvyn]

No, if it's stapled it's probably fine. I thought it was one of those sewn covers and I just had never heard of such a thing in the 1970's for game books.

You're not bragging, and I'm envious. :-)

[benoist]

I'm jealous. I still don't have a physical copy of the original rules!