Hello.
Long time lurker here.

I decided to start collecting BECM sets almost a year ago. (For nostalgia. I started with the 12th printing Basic set in the early 80's)  My first purchase was a SW Basic set.  (14th printing I believe).  Well it was SW as the ebay seller described but there was some dishing with the box.

Earlier this month I spotted another SW one that looked in better condition (no dishing of the box) than my old one so I took the BIN as to not get sniped (like I have many times before).

After receiving it I noticed the shrink wrappings are different between the two.

I suspect one of them to be a re-wrap.

I have uploaded a HD video of each one to Youtube:

First Set
Newest Set

About the first set:  The film feels thinner than #2, Seams don't feel as pronounced as #2, the bottom half of the box is upside down compared to the top half half of the box, and there appears to be a wide seam across the middle of the back that can't really be felt with fingers only seen.  The tiny black smudges on the back are on the SW & not under it, it's just hard to come off with a finger nail. (it's kinda sticky and dirty)

The second set has more pronounced seams on the edges than #1.  Interestingly there is a seam on the top edge of the box that isn't on set #1 ( so 3 edges have seams on #2 and only 2 on #1 ).  #2 doesn't have the wide band on the back as #1

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you Acaeum community!

The shrinkwrap evolution of the '70s-to-'80s is distinctive.

But I stopped tracking on minor differences by 1983-4, when my BECMI boxes started coming out.

Anyone here know who TSR used to print the products in the late 80's?  (Both sets have a later copyright date of '89 on the back.)

Maybe the printer subcontracted out work and/or had various models of wrappers at that time.

bbarsh wrote:We really need our resident shrink expert on this. Where in the F**K is that Smarmy guy when you need him?

You rang...

OK.  There are several others here with larger shrink collections, and I am by no means an expert, but I would believe the copy with the overlapping seam on the back is wrapped in the original shrink.  Many of the modules and box sets prior to the 90's have this seam.  My copy of the Thirteenth or Fourteenth print Basic Set (1989)( (cannot tell without opening it )as well as Fifth print Expert Set (1983+) have the overlapping seam on the back; however, my Companion and Masters box sets do not.  If you search around you might also notice one or more circular holes in the shrink.  A lot of the DIY reshrink jobs tend to be uniform and somewhat sloppy with no holes in the shrink although this is not always the case.

bbarsh wrote:This set was mass produced and I certainly could see the need for multiple machines or even print houses.

This is very true and could lead to different wrapping patterns - two side seams with an overlapping seam on the back versus three side seams.  Interesting point.  

Good luck.  I hope this helps.

bbarsh wrote:
First, welcome to the site!
Next question(s); how long, MOS, duty station, deployments.
Lastly, there is a good chance that even though the sets maybe same printing, there could been of two or more actual print runs. Also, there is nothing saying that the printer did not have more than one shrink wrap machine which may have used slightly different wrap and slightly different finishes. This set was mass produced and I certainly could see the need for multiple machines or even print houses.

We really need our resident shrink expert on this. Where in the F**K is that Smarmy guy when you need him?

Thank you Bbarsh!  

I was in the Army National Guard from '95-'01
Then in '02 my battery was federalized & I was pulled from their inactive list for a year.  We did a stateside homeland security mission; mainly guarding Army assets near Detroit and Ohio that year.  After that was over my contract was completely over and I enlisted in active duty Navy......and hated it...hence my handle name.  

I was a 13E & completed Basic & AIT at Ft. Sill

Dont forget Tharizdun's an army vet, and I think there's probably one other guy too



On an SW related note, take a look at the auctions from this seller...here's two in particular




** expired/removed eBay auction **





** expired/removed eBay auction **




"Factory shrink"? What factory are we talking about here?

Some of the other auctions say "plastic sleeve" and some don't.

I guess it's just the glare from the flash on that Cleric's Challenge that makes it look odd.

Guys coming into the Army from other services had to do Ranger school when I was in. I wasn't aware you could switch out from the army into another service (even if you were prior active duty) but then things got crazy I guess... All the army guys I know who went back to the military went back into the army again.
We had lots of air force vets mainly that enlisted into the army and after basic I think they had to do an infantry AIT and then had to go to RIP. I think they had to do it all back to back to back without any breaks if I remember correctly. Considering basically nobody made it through RIP the 1st time around I thought it was a big waste of money...

misterspock wrote:Dont forget Tharizdun's an army vet, and I think there's probably one other guy too.

Did not know that for some reason.

So we are up to five! We all need to show up at the North Texas RPG con. Mike will have a stroke  

For the record: 11B(w/H designator). 1987-1991 Active. 1991-1999 Reserve. Ft. Benning w/3rd Ranger BN, Ft. Bragg, Various deployments and jumped Op. Just Cause and inserted (  because of high winds) Op. Desert Shield-Storm. Now I am old, out of shape with a bad knee