OK, so I've got these:


They appear to be exact reproductions, measuring approximately 81mm x 104mm. On the inside front cover is the Wizards/TSR silver anniversary logo (so 1999 at the earliest). Inside back cover lists Twenty First Century Games S.r.l. of Monza, Italy. There are no new copyright dates.

I can't remember when or where I picked them up (probably one of the UK Gen Cons), but around the same time I saw a number of other 1st ed manuals in the same format. I'm also convinced I saw some boxed sets of the same size (Greyhawk maybe?)

Can anyone tell me anything about them? Publication date, print run, value, where I can get a PHB and MM, etc...

The DMG is harder to find but the MM2 is fairly easy to find.  A full set of the orange spine books were released along with the Fiend Folio.  Also, some boxed sets such as Basic, Expert, Greyhawk, Undermountain, Dark Sun, Elminster Ecologies were also produced.  Oh ya, the DL series modules were also released in a 2 volume set.  There is a complete list here:

http://tomeoftreasures.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=367

I think they were done for the 25th anniversary and they were produced by an Italian company.  I have a complete set of books but am missing a couple boxed sets.

Kingofpain89 wrote:You should be able to pick these up on Ebay fairly easily as long as you dont mind spending money.

I've fancied these books myself, but I've only ever seen them come up once (certainly on the UK ebay)

I'm guessing my tenners worth of bidding wouldn't suffice!  

faro wrote:@KoP: Would that not indicate that quite a number of people did buy them?

Not hugely rare, IMHO, but "popular" and many/most of those do appear to be selling for more than they were going for a few years back. (No danger of being stuck on 99 cents if listed half-decently and/or advertised, anyhow).

The game store I frequented when these came out had buttloads of them.  Hardly anyone purchased them because they are simply novelty items and they were expensive ($10 apiece for the books; they didnt have any of the box sets IIRC).  That was back in '97 or '98 I think.  Five or six years later I was still seeing them in stores for the same prices and still no one buying them.  Maybe it was different in other parts of the world....people with squinty eyes and small hands may be able to read them better....I dunno.

The mini box sets I am sure are much rarer than the books....I should have noted that in my earlier post.

Thanks for all the info guys.

And thanks especially for the Tome of Treasures link - can't believe I've missed that site up until now

Doug Williams wrote:Interesting. Can the text be read at all?

yes, they are not so bad if you aren't visually impared like most of the molemen around here

. wrote:Just never seen anything about the mini manuals boxed set.

Which boxed sets do you mean?  Do you mean the books inside the contents of the boxed sets?

. wrote:I understand that the 12/13 mini hardback reproductions were presented prepacked as a set in a slipcase in shrink.

Ah, I don't think I have seen them in a slipcase but I do remember seeing the set bundled in shrinkwrap package - it might have been in Malcolm's pictures.

Hi,

yes, they certainly came in the UK as a shrinkwrapped set ( but no box).

I would think it surprising if the distributor did that to them, so I guess they would come like that from the manufacturers.

Cheers,
malc