The "What's Hot" Buyer/Seller Guide

[Beyondthebreach]

I find that most RPG systems have at least one hot seller that consistently fetch decent prices. I'm not talking about rare or even "semi-rare" items - just ones that consistently are in demand and sell for more.

The reasons for this vary - it is often because the item in question is in high demand for it's content as the information contained is off particular interest to collectors and/or players. Sometimes they are just a little rarer that similar items due to lower print runs . . . sometimes there is just a "buzz" about them or they are perceived to be rare . . .

Take items like Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space or the Marvel Ultimate Powers Book. Consistently, these are "hot" sellers and have been for years. Having played both of the above systems in campaigns, I can say that they are far and away the most useful supplements. All you need is the rules box and either to have a great campaign. Without them though, it would just seem kind of dull . . .

Others items may be useful and perceived to be rare, but in reality, there are many, many to be had. This happened recently with the Star Wars d20 items by WotC. After they went out of print, demand began to scale way up - especially for the more desirable books like Powers of the Jedi, Dark Side Sourcebook, Hero's Guide and Starships of the Galaxy. There was a decent time period when Powers of the Jedi would sell for $60-80, the Starships and Hero's Guide for even more and the Dark Side Sourcebook at least $40. But the "rarity" here was only perceived - one can rightly imagine that WotC printed a multitude of these books. I remember watching on ebay as the market for these began to crash. It all started with a seller who listed about 15 Powers of the Jedi and Dark Side Sourcebooks with $30 buy it now prices. These would sell and he'd list another 15 . . . pretty soon, he had to lower the BIN and then another seller jumped in and did the same. Likely, these guys had a few cases and it didn't take much to bring the market down. Now sellers are trying to get returns while they can as they see the price of their carefully hoarded "rare" items plummeting. Prices on d20 Star Wars have now attained a much more "reasonable" level across the board.

Still, I thought I'd begin a brief list of some of the better selling items out there and some general estimates on selling price. Of course, these are estimate ranges to give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for these books (or what to sell them for). Like anything, if you watch long enough, you will find some that slide by for much less and some that go through the roof - so be patient for the good deals, back off the bid wars and be wary when you sell things cause the an auction might not get the return you expected!


Gamma World

- 3rd Edition (1986) Box Set $25-45
- 4th Edition $15-20
- Gamma Base GW8 $15-20


Star Frontiers

- Zebulon’s Guide to Frontier Space $25-40
- Bugs in the System SFAD5 $15-20
- Dark Side of the Moon SFAD 6 $15-20
- Mission to Alcazzar SF4 $15-20


Marvel Super-Heroes

- Advanced Set $25-40
- Ultimate Powers Book $35-50


Megatraveller

- Box Set by GDW $25
- Digest Group Publications – Most books are between $35-$60. 101 Vehicles is around $15.00

7th Sea

- Players Guide $40-60
- Gamemaster’s Guide $25-35
- Pirate Nations $65-80


Shadowrun

- Denver City of Shadows Box Set $30-40
- That’s about it . . . there was a time, not too many years ago, when there were dozens of Shadowrun books that fetched decent prices: Tir na Og, Harlequin, Bug City, Paranormal Animals books, Tir Tairngire, Cannon Companion and more. Value has fallen dramatically – most likely due to FanPro reprints.

Battletech

- Battledroids 1st edition Box Set $150-$200
- Star League $100
- Sucession Wars Box Set: $60-80
- Wolf’s Dragoons, Kell Hounds, Galtor Campain $20-$30
- Military Atlas Volume I, Volume II $25-40
- Original “House Books” $25-40 (Liao and Marik on the upper end)
- 2nd, 3rd or 4th edition Sets $20-30
- Omnimech “Blueprints” $20-30
- Techprints $20
- Original Dropships/Jumpships $20-30
- Many of the older scenarios are get decent prices too.

Fading Suns

- Noble Armada (basic game set) $25-40

Rolemaster

- Companion IV & V $20-25
- Companion VI & VII $25-40
- Essence Companion $50
- Most “Companion books” (i.e. Alchemy Companion, Martial Arts Companion, Spell Users Companion) around $15-25
- “Campaign Classics” Mythic Egypt, Mythic Greece, Vikings $15-25
- Emer Box Set, Master Atlas Box Set (Shadow World) $15-25



Runequest (Avalon Hill)

- Most Avalon Hill Runequest box sets sell for around $15-30.


GURPS

- Prisoner $20-30
- Conan $25-40
- China $20
- First In (Traveller) $25-40
- Behind the Claw (Traveller) $30-50


Pendragon

- Land of Giants $25-50
- Pagan Shore $20-30



Call of Cthulhu

- Beyond the Mountains of Madness $90-130
- Horror on the Orient Express $90-130
- Field Guide to Creatures of Dreamslands or Cthulhu Monsters $20-30
- 1st Edition Box Set $30-50
- Many Cthulhu supplements sell for $10-25


Fantasy Games Unlimited

- Aftermath Box Set ($25-40)
- Space Opera Box Set ($20-30)


Star Wars (West End)

- Platt’s Smuggler’s Guide $20-35
- Pirates and Privateers $20-35
- Galladinium’s Fantastic Technology $20-30
- Galaxy Guides: Tramp Freighters & Bounty Hunters $15-20


Robotech

- New World Order (Book 7) or Strike Force (Book $15-20


Twilight 2000

- East Europe Sourcebook $20-30
- Nautical/Aviation Handbook $15-25
- Version 2.2 Rulebook ($20-25) Version 2.2 Box Set $30-40)
- 1st Edition Set or 2nd ed. Set ($20-30)
- Lots of decent sellers – especially for 2nd edition supplements


Traveller (GDW)

- Azhanti High Lightning ($40-70)



Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

- Lichemaster $30-50
- Castle Drachenfels $30-50
- Death on the Reik (box set) $20-35
- Something Rotten in Kislev $25-35
- Power Behind the Throne $25-35
- Empire in Flames $50-75
- Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness $60-80
- Realm of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned $75-100
- Doomstones books (Hogshead) $15-20
- Hogshead Enemy Within books $20-25
- Restless Dead $25-30
- City (Middenheim) $20-25
- Marienburg (Hogshead) $30-40
- Dwarfs Stone & Steel (Hogshead) $40-50


White Wolf - Here is another where prices have fallen quite a bit from past years. Sure, Changeling still sells for high, but not quite a well as it used to. The Breed Books for Werewolf used to be "hot", but have fallen a lot and now are only a little better than average sellers.

Wraith: The Oblivion

- Dark Reflections: Spectres $20-35
- Ends of Empire $25-35

Changeling

- Kithbook Pooka $40-60
- Most other Kithbooks $20-35 (Redcaps seems to always be the lowest)
- Several other good sellers


Star Trek (FASA)

- The Various Ship Recognition Manuals (Romulan, Klingon or Federation) $12-20



Battletech sells for decent prices, but has fallen somewhat, likely due to the "Classic" Battletech reprints. Same with Shadowrun. There are lots of Palladium books out there and just about all of them are average at best (though the Valley of the Pharaohs box set is a high priced collector's item).

Warhammer, too, while still a good seller, has fallen somewhat since the release of 2nd edition.

Feel free to update this with ones I've missed . . .
_________________
"Ah, Blackadder. Started talking to yourself, I see."

"Yes . . . it's the only way I can be assured of intelligent conversation."

[Mars]

I'd add

7th Sea
Montaigne $40 - $60

[Beyondthebreach]