What is the point in the Classified Forum here? • Collecting General • The Acaeum

The Acaeum Forums • Collecting General

What is the point in the Classified Forum here?
	Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2

Author

Bloom
Active Collector

Posts: 21
Joined: Mar 01, 2012
Last Visit: Dec 31, 2021

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:03 pm

I didn't get a single response via PM from this thread below started in the classified forum. Are responses via the thread itself switched off to hide the fact that there are very few transactions taking place here at the Acaeum? I did get a copy elsewhere but am nonplussed by the lack of response which makes me wonder what is the point of the forums here when there are forums like DF, KKA & odd74 for non-trade discussion. The *information* available here in the INDEXES at the Acaeum is wonderful but with the notable exception of MetamorphosisSigma the forums seem pointless because of the lack of response.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12467

BLOG:--> http://somekingskent.blogspot.com/

bombadil
Long-Winded Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 3807
Joined: Feb 23, 2005
Last Visit: Feb 12, 2025

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:56 pm

The "point" here is much the same as the point in the rest of life in general: be good to others, have fun, try to learn something, and, mainly, just incubate a soul until you die and it passes on to the Zero Point Field where true existence finally begins.

Let mirth prevail!

Sea-to-sky-games
Prolific Collector

Posts: 808
Joined: Dec 31, 2005
Last Visit: Jul 28, 2026
Location: Dallas, TX

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:58 pm

Hi Bloom - I suspect the Classified is most effective for sellers, rather than buyers looking for certain things. I think the coincidence of wants is less burdensome for sellers - people seem to always want more stuff; few are looking to give up their only copy of something. Actually, I think sellers do quite well here.

Kingofpain89
Long-Winded Collector

Posts: 4756
Joined: Oct 31, 2004
Last Visit: May 02, 2025
Location: Caddo Mills, TX

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:05 pm

Could it be possible that no one on the forum has a 2nd or 3rd print Player's Handbook in excellent condition they are wanting to sell right now?
Could it also be possible that someone does have a 2nd or 3rd print Player's Handbook that they are willing to sell but just didnt see your post in the Classifieds?

As for replying to Classified threads, I think it has been discussed by Foulfoot before. Some people like it that way, some people dont. I for one dont see the point of being able to reply to a Classified posting. PM works just fine. One thing it does is it keeps people from commenting on someone elses ridiculously high asking prices or idiotic requests such as "hey everyone, I'm new here and looking to buy a 1st print woodgrain in mint condition for $100. Any takers?". I dont know if this was a problem back when the forum first came online or if there was another reason. Regardless, I know of a lot of people who get their requests met on a regular basis using the Classifieds. I have had mixed luck with it myself.

As for your other comment:

what is the point of the forums here when there are forums like DF, KKA & odd74 for non-trade discussion.

It's pretty obvious to most members here what our forums are about. Collecting is the primary focus. Everything else is secondary. Dragonsfoot, K&KA, etc are great for asking how many Hit Dice an ancient Gold Dragon has or how many attacks should you get per round if you are playing a 13th level Ranger using 2nd Edition rules (not that some people here dont know that). But you shouldnt expect most of their members to know much about the differences between a 1st printing and a 4th printing of Tegel Manor.

Bloom wrote:I am patient and looking for an excellent copy which I would define as having a nice bright cover with no scuff marks and no writing or stains on the pages within.

Seriously? Waiting two and a half weeks is the definition of patience to you? Try waiting five years for a 1st print Palace of the Vampire Queen.

You don't like your job, you don't strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way. - Homer Simpson

Badmike
Grandstanding Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 8079
Joined: Jun 23, 2003
Last Visit: Jun 24, 2026
Location: DFW TX

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:12 pm

Kingofpain89 wrote:Could it be possible that no one on the forum has a 2nd or 3rd print Player's Handbook in excellent condition they are wanting to sell right now?
Could it also be possible that someone does have a 2nd or 3rd print Player's Handbook that they are willing to sell but just didnt see your post in the Classifieds?

As for replying to Classified threads, I think it has been discussed by Foulfoot before. Some people like it that way, some people dont. I for one dont see the point of being able to reply to a Classified posting. PM works just fine. One thing it does is it keeps people from commenting on someone elses ridiculously high asking prices or idiotic requests such as "hey everyone, I'm new here and looking to buy a 1st print woodgrain in mint condition for $100. Any takers?". I dont know if this was a problem back when the forum first came online or if there was another reason. Regardless, I know of a lot of people who get their requests met on a regular basis using the Classifieds. I have had mixed luck with it myself.

As for your other comment:
what is the point of the forums here when there are forums like DF, KKA & odd74 for non-trade discussion.

It's pretty obvious to most members here what our forums are about. Collecting is the primary focus. Everything else is secondary. Dragonsfoot, K&KA, etc are great for asking how many Hit Dice an ancient Gold Dragon has or how many attacks should you get per round if you are playing a 13th level Ranger using 2nd Edition rules. But you shouldnt expect most of their members to know much about the differences between a 1st printing and a 4th printing of Tegel Manor.

Bloom wrote:I am patient and looking for an excellent copy which I would define as having a nice bright cover with no scuff marks and no writing or stains on the pages within.

Seriously? Waiting two and a half weeks is the definition of patience to you? Try waiting five years for a 1st print Palace of the Vampire Queen. :?

I can say since I have been here for awhile that what King says was correct, in the old days when replies were allowed in Classifieds there was indeed a lot of nonsense comments that were unneccesary ("your prices are stupid, you won't get $100 for a Players HB!"). Speaking from experience you might have to wait awhile to find what you need, but this is definitely the place that someone will know the difference between a 3rd print and a 6th print, much less have one for sale.

The Acaeum has a totally different focus than the other sites you mentioned.

Mike B.

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
Co-founder of the North Texas RPG Con
NTRPGCON

Traveller
Prolific Collector

Posts: 852
Joined: Jun 12, 2004
Last Visit: Jun 22, 2026

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:22 pm

Responses are switched off in Classifieds to encourage communication between buyer and seller without interference from outside parties. You likely didn't get a response because either no one had a copy to sell, no one was interested in selling a copy to you, or else no one saw your classified. It happens, so deal with it.

Dragonsfoot, Knights & Knaves, and OD&D74 do not focus on the collecting aspect of the role playing hobby, unlike The Acaeum. In case you hadn't noticed quite a few of the discussions here are focused upon things as esoteric as how to tell the difference between 4th and 5th-print OD&D boxes to more immediate discussions such as Hasbro reprinting the AD&D core rulebooks.

Now, there are other variables that can affect why you didn't get a response. But saying the forums are pointless because no one bothered to reply to you is rude and disrespectful to the members of this site. Your complaint cheapens the contributions of everyone on this forum.

The Gray Book: My homage to E.G.G.

Star Trek: Alpha Quadrant: The game Mongoose failed to make.

ExTSR
Verbose Collector
Acaeum Donor
Valuation Board

Posts: 1945
Joined: May 01, 2004
Last Visit: Aug 06, 2026
Location: Almost Lake Geneva, WI

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:35 pm

Bloom wrote:I didn't get a single response via PM

Some drivebys with post counts below 20 after 2-3 years (obviously not meaning you, since you've been a member for less than a month) do zip in now and then, broadcast spam (which you have not done, just sayin'), and breeze out. They are pointedly ignored, and their detritus is vaporized by the Administrator. This is a fairly close community, and many can be intolerant of those who abuse it instead of joining it.

If you take part in discussions and thereby earn the status of a member and contributor hereabouts, others may feel more inclined to respond to your requests.

So take part. Your input will be accepted and welcomed.

Gnat the Beggar
Grandstanding Collector
JG Valuation Board
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 5029
Joined: Oct 11, 2004
Last Visit: Jan 16, 2017
Location: Texas

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:43 pm

A few weeks ago I posted a similar inquiry about wanting to buy or trade for a copy of the GDQ 1-7 supermodule.
I think I had 56 looks but not a single PM or e-Mail.
Foutfoot turned on the ability for original posters to reply to their own threads in the classifieds.
I decided to try it and WHAM and BAM! I got three replies in less than a day.
The classified section does work, but it aint the NY Times here... Have patience.

FWIW: I saw your ad and I have copies of the earlier PHBs, but none that are complete are for sale.
Would you be interested in an incomplete copy?
Missing pages 123-128... No?
Yeah... didn't think so.
I was not either, but then I did not know they were missing those pages when I bought them.

"Guys, I am starting to think Tegel Manor might be haunted..."
Stated by me as a PC during a run of Tegel Manor DMed by killjoy at NTRPGCon 2010

Charter Member of the ATM

Beyondthebreach
Verbose Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 1709
Joined: Feb 04, 2004
Last Visit: Aug 23, 2016
Location: Chandler, AZ

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:54 pm

So let me know if you want to sell a copy and I would appreciate if any members could inform me what they consider to be a fair ballpark price for such a book even if they don't have one to sell. Also how often do you see these come up for sale in excellent condition?

These are the two ebay searches I am keeping an eye on:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ad% ... 97.c0.m627
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ad% ... 97.c0.m627

The second part of your post would surely get some response if you posted it in the Appraisal forum . . . or even the General Forum.

"Gleemonex makes it feel like it's seventy-two degrees in your head... all... the... time! "

copycat
Sage Collector

Posts: 2736
Joined: May 31, 2007
Last Visit: Jul 09, 2026

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 12:06 am

Classifieds are for exactly what one would think -- advertising a need or desire, typically for sellers of services and goods so interested parties can discover said thing is available. A buyer, on the third finger, uses them to let others know that they are looking for something which can have negative impact, especially if what you're after becomes marketable through other means and you're eBay-stalked. I've had mixed experiences... finding it works better as a seller, of course, as most here want to get, not get rid of (sans the resellers, of course.) I still hope someone will respond to many of the things I have said I wanted, but I hold no breath in waiting and continue my normal routine of looking myself.

Those who can, don't. Those who should not, do.

Improv
Verbose Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 1123
Joined: Aug 14, 2004
Last Visit: Jul 10, 2026
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:56 am

Bloom wrote: the forums seem pointless because of the lack of response.

Seems to me you have plenty of responses now :-)

Seriously, why take it so personally just because you didn't get a response?

"... and may I remind you that this ain't the end. I can still kick some ass." - Tom Petty

Mizzle
Prolific Collector

Posts: 318
Joined: Jan 09, 2008
Last Visit: Apr 02, 2026

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:24 am

Hi,

I would have responded, but I am in the UK, and I *think* you are in the USA?

So postage would mean any deal prohibitive.

Cheers,
KAL

Blackmoor
Long-Winded Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 3601
Joined: Dec 20, 2003
Last Visit: Jan 13, 2026
Location: Canada

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:32 am

Some of my best items were procured through the classifieds!

Games can get you through times of no money but money can not get you through times of no games!!

MetaSigma
** Banned **

Posts: 1213
Joined: Aug 04, 2009
Last Visit: Nov 02, 2013

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:20 am

The Classified forum has been hit-or-miss for me, but I have acquired a few things that way that I likely wouldn't have found otherwise, or would've paid much more for on eBay. I don't think I've sold anything there, yet, but have no doubt my advertisements for eBay auctions have generated more interest than they would've attracted had I not posted.

Ithaca Dragon
-==(UDIC)==-

TheHistorian
Sage Collector

Posts: 2589
Joined: Aug 02, 2006
Last Visit: Mar 11, 2023
Location: Seattle, WA

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:24 am

I don't have a copy, but I can help you a little bit anyway.

First, your ebay searches are way too specific. Most of the people out there (i.e. not members here) won't be listing a PHB with a printing notation, so searching for that is of little use.

Instead, I'd search in Role-Playing Games for 'player* handbook' and then just scan the listings. Since the cover changes between notably between the 3rd and 4th printing, you can easily whittle down to a few possibilities. Then talk with those sellers about condition, exact printing, etc.

Good luck.

Areas of interest/knowledge: Harn, WFRP, Ars Magica, anything BRP based such as CoC, Runequest, Pendragon and all their related games

Gnat the Beggar
Grandstanding Collector
JG Valuation Board
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 5029
Joined: Oct 11, 2004
Last Visit: Jan 16, 2017
Location: Texas

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:27 am

Here is a link to a PHB search
ebay.com/itm/PLAYERS-HANDBOOK-1ST-EDITI ... 3372d77a2f

All those PHBs are linked from a single page and I did not even scroll past the half way point on that page.

"Guys, I am starting to think Tegel Manor might be haunted..."
Stated by me as a PC during a run of Tegel Manor DMed by killjoy at NTRPGCon 2010

Charter Member of the ATM

Last edited by Gnat the Beggar on Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Nogrod
Prolific Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 430
Joined: Feb 09, 2012
Last Visit: Sep 04, 2021
Location: Cottonwood, Az

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:16 pm

Well I am new here and I have already bought something from a member here (not in the classifieds, but via a private message) and I was extremely happy with my purchase. I think it is hard to go wrong here in terms of what you get in regards to quality and completeness. I am willing to pay a premium for just such a purpose. I am also slowly learning patience, Rome wasn't built in a day so to speak.

I am also planning on buying some more things right when I get back from GaryCon, both as a continuation of an ongoing private sale <points at zenfinite> and a purchase from another member who listed in the classifieds <points at badmike>. Neither one of these would have been possible had I not spent so much time around here. Reading posts both new and archived here has really changed my perspective on collecting and in the process made eBay less money.

My point? This place is great.

Zach

Frog God Games
http://www.froggodgames.com
Lesser Gnome
http://www.lessergnome.com

Bloom
Active Collector

Posts: 21
Joined: Mar 01, 2012
Last Visit: Dec 31, 2021

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:33 pm

Well that is a heartening response, LOL. I would have been happy with one or two responses like that to my classified forum thread. I think people are less likely to respond via PM though. The thing is when you don't get feedback you are left wondering if there is some correct procedure you are not following. Anyway, Im impressed there were no cranky replies here.

I see the point that you are more likely to get a response as a seller than a buyer. And yes, I guess I wasn't all that 'patient' after all, I did win a copy on ebay.

BLOG:--> http://somekingskent.blogspot.com/

The Acaeum Forums • Collecting General

Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2