mbassoc2003 wrote:I used to play Battletech way back at the end of the 80's and early 90's. I have a stack of mechs, mapsheets and books, almost all of which is 3025/3050 stuff.

Battletech seems to have gone through a transformation since then. From what I've read, all the stuff FASA and Ral Partha did at the end of the 80's and early 90's contraviened another company's IP, and as such they ceased trading on the game and stopped making mechs. Now you can buy a very similar game under the same name from Whizkids who bought what IP FASA did own, and you can buy mechs from Iron Wind Metals who seem to produce what mechs were not infringing people's IPs and the whole feel and look of the game is somewhat different.

There also seems to be, either practically no market for the original Battletech mechs and mapboards (the modern ones are paper and sold in packs of 20+. The originals were cardboard and sold in packs of 4), or people who do still own the game don't sell it because it's such a damn good game.

Any idea which?

Aside... Most of my mechs are either unpainted but assembled and on metal hexagons, or still in blisters. I didn't paint them because I didn't have the time to do it, and the one's I did try to paint I did a piss poor job at it. From looking on eBay the painted ones seem to sell for more than the unpainted ones, but the painted ones on eBay do look piss poor as well. Go figure? Do people go and buy painted minis and then try to strip them?

The 12 mechs from the original set were taken from some Japanese cartoon series (if I remember correctly) without permission. Last time I checked metal mech figure were selling for high prices on ebay but it has been a long while since I last checked. I'd say don't dump them.

The original rule system was altered and altered again, maybe several times so your old rule books may simply be too out of date for the surviving battletech niche market to be interested in, except for the original scenario modules which sell for a decent amount, Gray's Death Legion, Wolf's Dragoons, Black Widow, Cranston Snord's Irregulars, and a few others. BAttletech novels also sell very well and some single books command high prices.

The original game was a wonderful tactical combat system with an armor and damage location system that reminded me of runequests. Mechs had outer armor and an inner skeleton and damage was taken to specific locations so you could blow arms and legs off of a mech (and it could still function).

The first upgrade of the rules really changed the system so dramatically that I lost interest, but as I remember the game was on a decline at the time and fasa was looking for a way to spark some new life into sales.

So, the old rule books and boxed sets, haven't seen much interest. Old metal mechs, they were selling for good to high dollars a few years ago. Old adventures, same thing, but I checked recently and saw high prices being asked (asked, perhaps not received) for them.

Don't be confused by the wizkids click miniature game Mechwarrior. Prices on those figures dropped when wizkids went under and stopped producing new material for the game.

mbassoc2003 wrote:Aside... Most of my mechs are either unpainted but assembled and on metal hexagons, or still in blisters. I didn't paint them because I didn't have the time to do it, and the one's I did try to paint I did a piss poor job at it. From looking on eBay the painted ones seem to sell for more than the unpainted ones, but the painted ones on eBay do look piss poor as well. Go figure? Do people go and buy painted minis and then try to strip them?

Ah, Battletech! My brother and I played that for a spell. Provided us with many "loser-gets-mad-and-flips-the-board-over" moments

I've noticed that the mechs still seem to do very well on eBay, even poorly painted. A poor paint job is always overcome by a bath in Simple Green! Even though I don't play any more, I'd still like to paint up an Atlas and a few other iconic mechs from back in the day.

Hmm, maybe it's time to break it out and see if the kids want to have a go at it...

I sold a friends collection of mechs and books just about a year ago and made a shitpile of cash.  The minis were all painted poorly and the books beaten up and well used.  I really know nothing about he game (tried it once and did not like it) but fantics are still playing and collecting.  

Highlights included sales like the Star League (over $100) the house books ($20-$30+ each), scenarios around $15-$25 each.  Mechs went on average for $8-10 each with the wierd Lam figs going in the $50 range per.  Overall we made a killing IMHO.  

Like I said I do not know anything about the game really but I was blown away at the response to the auctions.

There must be a forum for Battletech somewhere. The one run by WizKids is like the forum run by WotC and won't allow non-doctrine discussion of any kind.