I collect three groups of rpg things:

1) MERP, primarily for the 1st edition rules set (up through 1992), but I have a small number of 2nd edition things in my collection.

2) Various specific RPG items that I used to have in my younger days. I pretty much limit myself to what I used to have, so I don't try to complete systems that I only had part of.

3) Miscellaneous other stuff that piques my interest, but this is usually modest in scope. A module here, a module there, that sort of thing. I've only recently begun to even think about getting anything rare or expensive.

And I set a personal limit on what I can own based on the amount of storage space it takes up. I have three 22" deep letter size hanging folder caddies, and all my RPG stuff (everything mentioned above, plus dice, accessories, and tons of old campaign notes) in those. If those three crates can't fit my whole collection, something gets liquidated.

Maybe a newbie's perspective would be of some small interest. I collect based on the following criteria:

1) Scope - AD&D 1st edition items I owned bitd. I specify AD&D 1e because although I did play other game systems, this was my favorite and the only game I collect. Also, I began my first "collection" by systematically purchasing the modules listed on the back of the first one I bought (G1-2-3 IIRC), so subsequently I have restricted my purchases to Greyhawk-related (however tangentially) or generic (Dragon mags) 1e material. Bottle City and Maze of Zayene qualify, X1 Isle of Dread and I6 Ravenloft don't. Keeps the scope of the collection manageable.

2) Storage - one long bookshelf, which I have about 5 inches left to fill. This is a nice psychological barrier to buying big lots of modules, half of which don't fit #1, above.

3) Nice copy/play copy - I can hardly bear to take a NM module out of its poly bag, let alone actually open it, read it, or (horror!) play with it. So, I have stacks of duplicates in my bedroom of those items I might actually want to read or use, and make a point of treating them like I did the copies I had when I was 11.

FWIW

My policy was to set an absolute limit of the money I was willing to invest in D&D at the outset, and then work within that. I have a fixed sum of £1000 ($1800ish), and I buy and sell stuff all the time, only ever buying more things with money I have received through selling things I've previously bought. The trich is to sell things for more than you buy them for, and this comes slowly over time through knowing your market. I now have a collection of products that are designated as 'keep' items worth maybe £400, a selection of floating investment stock worth maybe £4000 and a selection of redundant loss stock to which I attribute nil value. I also have a tiny private collection of a few selected PDFs.

I am an action / E-Bay junkie.    

Years ago, my grandmother got me a subscription to Dragon Magazine (some time around issue #75). So I first went to Gencon and finished that collection (many years ago). I was still playing 1st / 2nd Ed. D&D at the time, so collection modules for them wasn't as crazy as it was now.  

Now I've finally discovered the wonderful quality of Judges Guild items, and I have branched out there, instead of purchasing mid-range D&D items.  

A good question!

Assuming a small fixed budget and just starting out, stick to buying the "fundamentals".  The fundamentals of D&D are 1E hardbacks PH, DMG, MM, and Deities.  Also Holmes Basic, Moldvay/Cook boxed sets, anything monochrome, and of course OD&D white box and supplements.  Now within this narrow band focus on getting the items as minty as possible, and get the earliest printings possible.  Everything I just mentioned is still very doable on a smaller budget of only a couple hundred a month, and it will build a very satisfying collection around early iconic D&D items that are in the minds of all people, not just the collectors.

Key is don't waste money on poor condition stuff.   You're going to have a smaller collection with less rares,  so it's better to have a $200 minty OCE in it than waste your money on an $85 tattered copy.  The difference is not that much over the longterm, and the collection is really enhanced when everything is in FN or Minty.  Same with printings.  Maybe a minty 1st print Greyhawk is too much $$$ these days, but a minty 2nd or 3rd is still in the right neighborhood if you don't waste time and money on even later printings, even though they might be cheaper.  Finally ...with a few exceptions don't waste time and money buying anything past 1980, and don't buy that 2E crap!  

Cheers!

islestrike wrote:A good question!

Assuming a small fixed budget and just starting out, stick to buying the "fundamentals".  The fundamentals of D&D are 1E hardbacks PH, DMG, MM, and Deities.  Also Holmes Basic, Moldvay/Cook boxed sets, anything monochrome, and of course OD&D white box and supplements.  Now within this narrow band focus on getting the items as minty as possible, and get the earliest printings possible.  Everything I just mentioned is still very doable on a smaller budget of only a couple hundred a month, and it will build a very satisfying collection around early iconic D&D items that are in the minds of all people, not just the collectors.

Key is don't waste money on poor condition stuff.   You're going to have a smaller collection with less rares,  so it's better to have a $200 minty OCE in it than waste your money on an $85 tattered copy.  The difference is not that much over the longterm, and the collection is really enhanced when everything is in FN or Minty.  Same with printings.  Maybe a minty 1st print Greyhawk is too much $$$ these days, but a minty 2nd or 3rd is still in the right neighborhood if you don't waste time and money on even later printings, even though they might be cheaper.  Finally ...with a few exceptions don't waste time and money buying anything past 1980, and don't buy that 2E crap!  

Cheers!

So what is important to collectors these days?

Getting a crappy first printing of an item, or a minty copy of a 2nd or 3rd print? (not necessarily trying to put you in the line of fire, islestrike)

Invincible Overlord wrote:
So what is important to collectors these days?

Getting a crappy first printing of an item, or a minty copy of a 2nd or 3rd print? (not necessarily trying to put you in the line of fire, islestrike)

imho a crappy 1st print! i think it is more important the "historical" aspect than the one realted to the "perfect" collection!