Acquiring OD&D Books

[James Maliszewski]

And I mean books.

Once upon a time, I owned all the OD&D books, with the exception of Gods, Demigods, & Heroes. Somewhere, between the time I left home to go to college and now, they disappeared. It's possible they still exist somewhere in my parents' basement or in the boxes of books they still have in the closet of my old room, but, if so, they're not readily available to me (who lives quite a distance away from the old homestead at present anyway).

So, what would the wise ones of this august forum recommend to a guy who'd like to acquire the OD&D books and supplements again? I know I can get PDFs (and I probably will as a stop-gap), but nothing beats a real book in your hands and, as I ponder the mysteries of elder days, I'd like to be able to peruse, to touch the tomes from which our shared hobby sprang. Is this still possible or do OD&D books sell only for ridiculous prices attainable only by the five richest crowned heads of Europe?

Yes, I'm new here. Hello!

[coffee]

The original three books are scarce, true, but they show up on ebay.

The supplements all seem to pop up from time to time. The question is: How much are you willing to spend? They seem to start at about 9.95 or so, but I've never tracked one to auction end, so I don't know how high they get.

Good luck with that, though!

[James Maliszewski]

coffee said:

The question is: How much are you willing to spend? They seem to start at about 9.95 or so, but I've never tracked one to auction end, so I don't know how high they get.

Depending on the condition of the books in question, I'm willing to pay a fair bit for them, but not an absurd amount. I am, after all, a guy who paid close to $100 for a near-mint copy of the TSR Empire of the Petal Throne, but that was admittedly back before I had two kids and a mortgage

Short answer: I'd probably pay as much for a good condition OD&D book as I would for a new 2007 gaming book, give or take a few dollars.

[coffee]

Then you should be fine, since most new books seem to go in the 20-30 range (as far as I know...)

[carjack]

If you have a Half-Price Books in your area, make sure to check their game section. I have been able to pick up copies of Eldritch Wizardry, Blackmoor and Greyhawk in excellent shape for about 4.95 apiece, which was quite suprising to me when I found them. I love that store.

[James Maliszewski]

carjack said:

If you have a Half-Price Books in your area, make sure to check their game section. I have been able to pick up copies of Eldritch Wizardry, Blackmoor and Greyhawk in excellent shape for about 4.95 apiece, which was quite suprising to me when I found them. I love that store.

Wow, that's amazing!

Alas, I currently reside in Toronto, so no such luck in finding Half-Price Books, unfortunately.

[doc]

Strangely enough, I still see some of the original books pop up at garage sales for only a couple of dollars. You might also want to haunt some used book stores that take gaming books. I've seen some of the original books on Amazon for relatively reasonable amounts ($30 or so), though this is rare.

Hope this helps.

Doc

[jrients]

I got the three original volumes, Greyhawk, and Eldritch Wizardy all for $15 or less per book on eBay through a combination of patience (it took me two years to assemble my set) and a willingness to accept less-than-pristine copies.

[Deleted]

Well, this is a kind of a tough question (& I have a 2-fold answer). I've looked through the few used bookstores in my area (including my favorite haunt), but while I've had success finding out of print BECMI books & modules (as well as a lot of other old R.P.G.'s), I've never seen the original books--Ever. I opted for PDF's (I happened to find the 3 LBB for free [scanned beautifully, I might add] from a website that doesn't seem to exist anymore). As for the supplements, I purchased the PDF's of what I could for around $4.00 each. I know a buddy of mine who bid on ebay for the entire set (3LBB + all the supplements), won, & ended up paying around $300.00 (not in the best shape, but any of the books you get anywhere most likely won't be). I would suggest either doc's or jrients method; if you have the patience to wait it out, & are willing to accept "well-used" copies, you'll eventually find them. Or, opt for garage sales; I've found a number of jewels at those. Either way, good luck in your search!

[Finarvyn]

I think that e-bay is probably your best bet.

Also, put thought into what books exactly you want and why. A copy of Holmes Basic is pretty easy to get for cheap, and the rules are very similar to the OD&D boxed set (although only for levels 1-3). The Moldvay/Cook B/X rules are also very popular with old-timers and not nearly as scarce as an OD&D boxed set, and those rules will run you through levels 1-14 or so (just like OD&D). There is also the "Rules Cyclopedia" hardback, which combines BECM and takes you through levels 1-36, if that's your thing.

There are also some "retro clone" games which can be bought new but are very similar in philosophy to early D&D. "Labyrinth Lord" comes immediately to mind, but there are others as well.

My point is that there are some inexpensive alternatives, if you are looking for early era D&D and don't care if it has to be the brown-book editions.

If you are really set on OD&D, go to e-bay and be patient.

[James Maliszewski]

Good suggestions, all around. Thank you!

I should note that I have managed to find two volumes of my OD&D set (2 and 3, so no character creation rules), as well as my Moldvay/Cook Basic and Expert books. I apparently had them with me and I'm glad of that. They'll make good reading over the holidays. With luck, I can snag some of the other missing books through eBay and I can start tinkering with the rules.

[crimhthanthegreat]

jamesm, check your pm, Crim

[James Maliszewski]

crimhthanthegreat said:

jamesm, check your pm, Crim

Thanks muchly. Now I need to lay my hands on the supplements. I don't intend to use much, if anything, from them but I remember really enjoying reading Greyhawk and Eldritch Wizardry.