As a Moldvay, etc. era D&D player and then AD&D gamer, I never purchased said rules, but they are nearly universally accorded high esteem (i.e., it's good stuff ), and that is likely why the RC hardcover commands such high prices. I have no idea whatsoever how many were printed, but it's likely a supply and demand thing. That is, it's good so it's in high demand, and there aren't that many of them out there.

What he said!

Probably the best rpg "rules" book ever produced - if you have one of these you need nothing else.

Keep an eye on lots and poorly worded listings, sooner or later you'll get one for a song. (Strangely I have found more RCs in charity shops than I have Monster Manuals - go figure!)

gyg wrote:Probably the best rpg "rules" book ever produced - if you have one of these you need nothing else.

I wouldn't agree with that.  Maybe best D&D related rule book, but best RPG rule book?

Keith the Thief wrote:Hell, man, now I  really want one.  
I might go ahead and shell out $60 +.

I hope you're kidding on that part.  Please don't pay over $40 for this.

gyg wrote:I can't think of any other single item that gives you more between 2 covers - do you really need anything else except dice?

This has got me thinking though - perhaps I'm wrong, I'm willing to be convinced by reasoned well thought out arguments for specific books (Threats tend to work equally well )

I think Call Of Cthulhu 3E hardcover is my favorite, functionally and aesthetically.  It has everything you need to play the game and it's beautiful - Games Workshop knew how to produce books in that era.  Hell, the paper feels good.  Curiously, the Stormbringer 3E hardcover, also GW, is often known to fall apart.

Keith the Thief wrote:Wish there was still a PDF of it available.
I'd just enjoy reading it while I'm at the beach at the end of the month.

You can still find it on file sharing sites.

Or you can take a look at the free clone: http://darkdungeonsblog.wordpress.com/get-it-now/

ExTSR wrote:I'd have to go with CoC3 as my vote for the best RPG in a single book, considering words only. And it's lots prettier than the RC. ;>

Yah, Aaron got the compilation credit (only), just as I got compilation credit (only) when I wrote the 5 boxed sets. It's a legal thing; they have to all be Derivative Works based on the Gygax & Arneson original.

In reality (often far removed from law), someone at DF once compared texts. Apparently over 95% of the RC is what I wrote, the exact words verbatim. (And my boxed sets, verbatim check again, less than 5% what previous authors wrote.)

But that's an aside. I agree with previous posters that the RC's popularity is because that version of D&D is still actively played, and if you go that way the RC is the most portable, compact, convenient reference thereto.

F

Frank,

Thank you for all the hard work you put into those boxed sets.
They gave me and my players countless hours of fun back in the day.
Having cut my teeth on the white box + supplements,
I'm biased toward the more open-ended style of D&D.
Of course, my crowd was pretty fond of 1E AD&D, too.
And for a lot of them the difference between the two systems
was just terminology.

The game has certainly had a unique history.

If you're willing to share, I'd be interested to hear your
thoughts on the way the game has evolved in recent years,
with  the 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 sets.

Thanks
Keith

gyg wrote:
actually the 3e CoC is one of only a handful of Cthulhu products I own -  for the very reasons you state! Perhaps we could call it a tie

come, come, we know madness like agreeing on things isn't allowed here...  

TheHistorian wrote:
If it will bug you, then we're definitely doing it!

 

The RC has certainly held value - though not much more than that. Time hasn't been kind to the dollar... $1.00 in 1991 has the same buying power as $1.71 this year (in 2010). So the RC which sold originally for about $25 currently goes for $40-$50. I just picked up a 2nd near mint copy snatched from ebay for $45 - had I bought one for the going price in 1991 I'd not have fared much better. Some copies do seem to get bid up to over $50 but it's not hard to get one in the $40 range still.

The ebay module on RPG Geek tracks completed listings as well as active. The last half dozen entries we've tracked:

Dungeons Dragons Rules Cyclopedia 1991          
Ended
$ 31.00 7 bids

ADD Rules Cyclopedia Advanced Dungeons Dragons TSR        
Ended
$ 44.00 19 bids

Dungeons and Dragons Rules Cyclopedia        
Ended
$ 35.00 11 bids

Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia        
Ended
$ 39.01 16 bids

Dungeons and Dragons Rules Cyclopedia        
Ended
$ 63.50 17 bids

Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia 1071 Hardcover        
Ended
$ 63.00 16 bids

There were a couple of others that were listed higher but didn't sell. One is up now for $93 and has been listed several times with no bidders. I don't see anything unusual about that copy (to my untrained collectors eye!) so I don't think they will get that price. Who knows...

I've asked the devs for a way to average the three marketplaces we track (the geek marketplace, ebay and amazon) and come up with a 6 month average for RPG books with the high/low. It's not the best index because printing and condition come into play, but it will at least give some indication as to the relative increase or decrease of the value in the marketplace.

-Dave

Not been following this.
Is the price on these rising?