How about rare wargames?

[tntwargo]

I have a La Bataille de la Moskowa that Kynan didn't even know existed. Or how about Battle for France, 1940 from Strategy and Tactics Nr. 27? It was sold to AH before the magazine even came out, so SPI did not make any other than the initial subscription run. I can't find a circulation number for that issue, but it can't be too many. I've never even seen an original Tactics. According to S&T's Staff Study Nr. 2, Charles Roberts sold about 2000 copies between 1953 and 1958. If anyone has one, I beg you to put up some scans. Also, when talking about the rarity of wargames, I think you have to take into account whether or not the game is punched or unpunched. Unpunched copies of older titles are so much rarer. That's one reason I started to collect almost exclusively unpunched games. Their value is likely to climb much faster than punched copies. -Tom

[tfm]

I just listed an S&G Kaiserschlacht. They don't grow on trees. The Guidon stuff is hard to find also. Scruby's All About Wargames from the late 1950s is htf also.

Don't worry, Ralf. I have a friend who I think can provide a starting list for us.
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[scribe]

I don't know about rare wargames at all. I do watch with interest, however. But wanted to commend Tom on a bunch of entries into the research forums today.
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[tfm]

[tntwargo]

As far as being a visionary, I'm more like Sgt. Schultz,"I see nothing!" Actually, I'm just getting started. It just goes to show that I have ZERO social life. I won't be going back to work until late November. I work as an alpine ski instructor. -Tom

[Elwood Blues]

[tfm]

They're a bit more common by 1963, but how many have survived the 44 years since then? That was a good pick-up. It's an information desert out there on this thing. The one I have is undated. The first one came out in 1957 according to info I've read.

btw: I await the email!
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"This is cool."

[Elwood Blues]

We will send you a scan and info by the end of this week.

[tfm]

I've been talking it over with a wargaming friend who's been collecting for some time and we came up this list, which does include miniatures rules (in no particular order):

Chainmail (1st print) by Guidon Games
Dunkirk (black box) by Guidon Games
Trafalgar by R. Cormier
Red Sun, Black Cross by Ad Technos
La Bataille de la Moskowa by Martial Enterprises
La Bataille de Deustch-Wagram by Marshal Enterprises
La Bataille D'Austerlitz by Marshal Enterprises
Tactics by Avalon Hill
Eagles by Games Design Workshop
Up Against the Wall by SPI
Battlelands of Titan by Gorgonstar
Ringbearer (1st print) by Little Soldier
General #1 by Avalon Hill
International Wargamer #1
Wargamer #1 w/LotR

I'm sure there are others, but this is a good start.

[tntwargo]

There was a Trafalgar on eBay several months ago. I didn't have the funds to compete for it. I would have figured it for about 1k, but it went for far less. Roberts' original Tactics was actually distributed by the Stackpole Company from 1953 - 1958. Roberts formed Avalon Hill in 1958. There was a punched Eagles recently on eBay. I am still looking for an unpunched copy. In an interesting side note, see my scan of the cardboard mailer for Chaco which was also used for Eagles. -Tom

ps The Columbia University newsletter with Dunnigan's Up Against the Wall, Motherf**kers should be far rarer than the later reprint by SPI.

[tfm]

It's been an education collecting wargames. I imagine that several of the British gaming club wargames/miniatures rules would be very rare as well. We also talked about some of SPI's monster games like War in Europe, War in the Pacific, Wacht am Rhein, as well as TSR's Divine Right and Streets of Stalingrad by Phoenix Games and Guidon's Atlanta and Alexander, but their collectibility has fallen off a bit. These titles are easier to get than those listed above.

[tfm]

[tntwargo]

I finally have a copy of GDW's Eagles, though punched. Someone had an auction for AH's Caesar's Legions with a BIN of $19.99. In the description it mentioned an Eagles rulebook and map, so I thought I would take a chance. It arrived today and I finished seperating the counters. The Eagles counters were there. I need a manifest to find out if they are all there. The components are all in great shape. A nifty find indeed. -Tom

[tfm]

Good pick up!

I'd add the Escort Fleet Expansion by Ad Technos to the list, too.
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"This is cool."

[tntwargo]

The dark red for both the AH and GDW games was so freaking close it was scary. I'm not kidding. I thought I was gonna hafta spend two days trying to get it figured out. Then I looked at the backs. That was a wee better. They are both white but maybe a shade off. Much better than the fronts. Take me a day maybe. Then I looked at the edges and was done sorting in under 15 minutes. Maybe ten. The GDW counters were noticebly thinner than the AH ones. You could even feel the difference.

Also, the rulebook is dated 1974 with no indication of an earlier printing. There is, however, an errata sheet dated March, 1973. I thought there was only one printing before being sold to AH, but I've asked Marc Miller about this. Interesting.

The components are great shape. Counters have no wear. Map is tight and clean, no wear. Rulebook is same. A small discoloration on, get this, the errata sheet. It's in better shape than the Caesar's Legions. I'm not kidding(and when I say I'm not kidding, I'm not kidding).

If anyone has a counter manifest of this game, please help me. There are a lot of blanks. I'm thinking there were two sheets with one background color for each. That would certainly explain the many blanks. I need to know the size of the counter sheets. I'd like to know before I count them up. I'm probably just superstitious. But I can't post guesswork anyhow, I need to know for sure.

Tom