I'm trying to figure out what sort of flyers & whatnot were included with the Holmes-era box, from 1977 until it was replaced on store shelves by the Moldvay edition in '81. I have an 11/78 printing with a Best of Dragon flyer (a nice ooblek green, but I also have a purple copy), plus an 8.5"x11" customer response sheet. Anything else included, such as errata or maybe the 1980 Gateway to Adventure catalog? Basically I'm looking for anything that wouldn't have been shown on the box-bottom illustration.

4th+ set:
Rulebook and B1
5 'rainbow' dice
Green advert for Best of The Dragon
Customer Response sheet

This was previously owned, so I cannot be 100% certain of contents. Given the condition (looks like light use at best, dice still in bag), it stands a good chance of being complete as is.

This is a complex issue because basically anything can be stuck in a boxed set, and it's hard to sort who placed it there: TSR, a game store, the original owner, a later owner.

For official box components we've got M&TA, Geomorphs, various printings of B1 and B2, low-impact "rainbow" dice (set of five), set of six dice (possibly), chits, dice coupon (which can be loose or stuck in the rulebook). Plus insert advertisements/surveys like you have.

For catalogs, both the grey (~1980) and brown (~1981) color Gateway catalogs are common. Earlier catalogs are rarer. I have an uncommon black-covered Gateway catalog that is an earlier version of the grey one, and I picked it up with a Holmes set. No idea if it's original to the set or put in there by the owner. I'd guess TSR put at least some of these catalogs in the sets to promote sales.

I've also found both Understanding D&D and Your Personal Invitation to Adventure in Holmes sets.

The first print of YPITA omits the Fiend Folio, so is perhaps as early as 1980. Willingham's art started appearing in TSR products in 1980 (for example, the back cover of the color S2).

However, I think both of the YPITA's I found with Holmes sets were the later version that mentions the Fiend Folio. TSR continued to sell the Holmes Set for a number of years after the Moldvay set appeared (probably clearing out stock). The Dungeon Hobby Shop catalog has the original Basic Set listed through 1986 or so. James of Grognardia told me he saw Moldvay and Holmes sold side by side for years at KayBee toys. I remember seeing one in shrink in a dusty hobby shop in the late 80s.

Supplementary to Holmes: Well, there are the two Dragon Magazine Basic modules: Chapel of Silence (pure Holmes, including Dex stats) in #50 and the Creature of Rhyl (probably written for Holmes and converted mostly but not fully to Moldvay) in #55. You could detach each insert and place it in the Holmes Box.

Zenopus wrote:Here's an overpriced set with a Retail Order Blank extra:


** expired/removed eBay auction **


Meta Sig mentioned the blanks above. There are a bunch of different versions of the Retail Order Blanks with different dates on them. Some are shown here:
Retail Order Blanks

The one in the auction is a slightly later one, I think from 1982 based on the date the seller gives plus the Dragon icon at the top.

That's an interesting set...with a very late B1 and a B2 tossed in as well.