Ridiculous eBay Prices

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Would you pay $598.00 for a pack of character sheets, even if they were ultra rare?

I bought a B/X book online a few years ago. When I opened the package, there was a character sheet book thrown in for free. Clearly they were tired of trying to sell the damn thing at any price and saw a chance to get it out of inventory.
 
I got B with a surprise X in the box a few years ago for a song. It came with BECM and I think the whole lot cost me £10. I'd like mint Expert box to go with the mint booklets, but I'm not paying the silly money they go for.

And as for I, I had to settle for the pdf from Drivethru.
 
I bought a B/X book online a few years ago. When I opened the package, there was a character sheet book thrown in for free. Clearly they were tired of trying to sell the damn thing at any price and saw a chance to get it out of inventory.
My Greyhawk boxed set that I purchased from a store after it hosted an in store auction (folks had the option of leaving their unsold items with a fixed price) came with a copy of Gods, Demigods, & Heroes... Clearly not a "gee, I just need to find a place to get rid of this" but more a "Oops, I forgot to check the contents of the box before I put it up for auction"... One of these days I'll sell that (extra - I still have the one I purchased in the 70s) GD&H...
 
My Greyhawk boxed set that I purchased from a store after it hosted an in store auction (folks had the option of leaving their unsold items with a fixed price) came with a copy of Gods, Demigods, & Heroes... Clearly not a "gee, I just need to find a place to get rid of this" but more a "Oops, I forgot to check the contents of the box before I put it up for auction"... One of these days I'll sell that (extra - I still have the one I purchased in the 70s) GD&H...
When I go to Half Price Books these days I head straight for boxed sets. They've gotten better at maximizing their price for individual items but they slip up enough on boxed sets you can still sometimes score a deal there. I think my last DC heroes boxed set came with an extra weapons catalog supplement and adventure.
 
At the used bookstore where my crew and I bought lots of our game stuff back in the 80s filling boxed sets with random extra books (and, if we were feeling especially daring, issues of "adult" magazines) was SOP. We got away with it about half the time...
 
At the used bookstore where my crew and I bought lots of our game stuff back in the 80s filling boxed sets with random extra books (and, if we were feeling especially daring, issues of "adult" magazines) was SOP. We got away with it about half the time...
Heh, I've maybe done something like that once in my life...

I have left in photocopies I've made or other bits like that in boxed sets, but when I sell, I try and strip the box down to what's supposed to be in it.
 
Yeah, I have ongoing ebay saved searches. One of the things I do is also save searches for mis-spellings. These are more common than you think. With minis, especially, I also will look up the names for them in other languages and save searches on Ebay France and Ebay Germany. Sometimes it takes a while,, but eventually a deal comes around. There's a mini that I've been looking for for 5 years now at a decent price, the C28 Citadel Death Demon from the early 80s, as I want to convert him for a Skaven mount. Normal prices range upwards of 100-200 GBP when he shows up. Just last month I snagged him for 20 GBP just because of one such saved search. If you're willing to play the long game, eventually a deal will come around...
I never did that, but the big thing I did when I was buying lots of LEGO off eBay in the 00s was go to eBay Germany, and I slowly learned some words to search for. Back then, shipping to the US was so reasonable, and the Euro-Dollar conversion fair enough, that I got good deals. Given that I was using eBay so heavily for LEGO I did also make some use of it for gaming, though not much. On the other hand, my RuneQuest score on eBay was awesome. RQ2 boxed set, Cults of Prax, Cults of Terror, Pavis boxed set, Big Rubble boxed set, Thieve's World boxed set, Borderlands boxed set, RQ Companion, and maybe something else for like $100 (maybe more but less than $200). It was probably less than original list price. That landed me ALMOST everything RQ1/2 in print (I don't have Chaos Creatures or the Soloquests or all the Wyrms Footnotes, though a recent Amazon hunt completed my print WF collection from 8-14 for a few bucks an issue, from 2 or 3 different sellers).

I've also given out some good deals when I was downsizing after getting engaged. $50 or $100 for a whole game line... A friend was nice though and took a lot of my D20 books off me for 1/2 price each.
 
When I go to Half Price Books these days I head straight for boxed sets. They've gotten better at maximizing their price for individual items but they slip up enough on boxed sets you can still sometimes score a deal there. I think my last DC heroes boxed set came with an extra weapons catalog supplement and adventure.

Yeah couple of years ago I bought a copy of Car Wars Arenas for ten bucks. It had everything from the recent Car Wars box set inside as well as the Arenas stuff. I mean every single piece. I was pretty thrilled. Sure, I already own Car Wars, but extra stuff is always cool.

As far as eBay pricing, that usually doesn't bother me, because if it's too high, I just won't buy. Though I do wonder what some people are thinking. Honestly, though, I see crazier prices on Amazon sometimes. What really gets me, though, is when sellers list the condition incorrectly, or package things carelessly. I haven't sold a ton of stuff on eBay, but a bit. I package that shit as if it's going to be used in The Airline Baggage Handlers' World Championships. Protip: putting a perfect bound RPG book in a padded envelope without any kind of cardboard or similar protection is a dick move. It's going to get fucked up.

I am kind of that guy, if I buy something from you on eBay, and it doesn't show up in the listed condition, you're gonna hear from me. Now, I often ask for more or better pics before buying, to avoid that very issue but if you have plenty of pictures and the game shows up with damage that was conveniently not visible in any of them, I will assume that it either happened in transit (and you can often tell) or that you were careless or maybe even dishonest.

Case in point: I recently bought a Golden Heroes box set off eBay. It was about $105 (before tax and shipping form the UK). It was (supposedly) owned by Joe Dever. That doesn't really add value for me, though it's kind of neat. The listing had several photos, and was classified as "Mint". It included the Supervisors' Kit, as I stated in an earlier post. When it arrived, it was decidedly not "Mint". I took about ten high res photos of various types and instances of damage that were not apparent from the listing. Also missing from the box was a certification from the seller that it was indeed Joe Dever's, which I was told would be included.

On the one hand, the value for what I paid was about right. A decent, complete set of Golden Heroes and the Supervisors' Kit (also complete) are gonna fetch what I paid, based on what I have seen. And the game wasn't in terrible shape. I would put it at "Used- Very Good" to use eBay's grading system. But. If you say "Mint", I expect "Mint". I went around with the seller a bit. They said they are sending the certification, along with a miniature from Dever's collection, also certified. Fair enough. Am I the asshole here? I don't think so.

I do give feedback always, and it is always honest. If there are issues, I note it. If the seller handled the issues fairly, I note that, too. If items are fast, or well-packaged, I note that as well. Since eBay is pretty good at policing its own, I haven't had any really bad experiences. But when I first started selling on eBay, I had potential buyers coming out of the woodwork to tell me my descriptions better be accurate and my packaging had better be on point. I guess it stuck with me.
 
Yeah couple of years ago I bought a copy of Car Wars Arenas for ten bucks. It had everything from the recent Car Wars box set inside as well as the Arenas stuff. I mean every single piece. I was pretty thrilled. Sure, I already own Car Wars, but extra stuff is always cool.

I've gotta re-acquire Car Wars. Been thinking about it lately and would love to play it again. I figure I can rope my sons into trying it out. I haven't owned the game since it was in the little black plastic case.
 
I think there is a.new edition coming out, with actual scale model cars instead of cardboard chits. Maybe it was even Kickstarted already, I dunno.
 
I think there is a.new edition coming out, with actual scale model cars instead of cardboard chits. Maybe it was even Kickstarted already, I dunno.

Yeah. There was a Car Wars Kickstarter late last year (?). I think its projected delivery date was aimed at early next year.
 
This only had a print run of 3,000 copies so I'm not sure how ridiculous it is. I just know I wouldn't pay $1,200 for any RPG.


Well, I may be out of my date on pricing of it, but I think that's AT LEAST $600 too high even from a pure collector with a wad of cash sort of view. Especially since it's described in less than mint condition.

Edit: There is one in the completed listings that allegedly sold for $1,000, but I find that highly suspect as there are also two others where a seller tried to start bidding at $450, got no takers, relisted with start of bidding at $350, got no takers, and currently has the same book up with bid starting at $250 and finally has a bite. I think the $1,000 sale is an example of the "seeding" of completed listings for rare items I was talking about earlier (just from a different seller).
 
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Heh, I've maybe done something like that once in my life...

I have left in photocopies I've made or other bits like that in boxed sets, but when I sell, I try and strip the box down to what's supposed to be in it.


I recently bought a James Bond 007 Gamesmaster's Pack off eBay. The pics showed a character sheet had been filled out. I was actually looking froward to getting that, because I thought it would be neat to see. The seller removed it before sending. Which, of course, was no big deal, but I messaged hima dn we had a laugh about it. He thought I wouldn't want it, so he removed it.
 
The thing about eBay is if you are patient, a lot of stuff will come around again. Often in better shape and/or cheaper. There are exceptions. I paid a bit for a box set of Golden Heroes, but it's complete, in pretty decent shape, and also had the Supervisors' Kit in the box. I paid about a buck oh five. Other stuff, like James Bond 007 modules, I often see going for 50 bucks, even opened. But I've managed to pick up a handful of sealed adventures for 15-20 each. Hell, I paid 35 for a sealed James Bond 007 Box set, which I figure ain't bad. I did, however, recently pay $85 for a sealed Justice, Inc. in pristine condition. No fading, no dishing. That hurt a little, but it's not like I'm gonna see another one of those anytime soon. Especially not in that shape.

I used to have a copy of Alma Mater, including the poster and character sheet. I lost it in a move. Paid maybe thirty bucks for it in the early 'aughts. That goes for a BARE MINIMUM of a hundo now. Ah, well, it's not like I was ever gonna find anyone to play it with me anyway. That's one I always wanted to play, but I'm sure I would have hated myself in the morning.

As for the sealed stuff I've snagged, I'm opening all of those motherfuckers.

Patience does pay off. Last year I was after a copy of Cthulhu by Gaslight, oddly the second edition was cheaper than 3rd ed, but both were still stupid expensive with 2E around $50 and 3E like $125. By waiting and regularly checking I got a copy of 2E for like $15 and 3E for $35-40. I got both because there are some substantial differences in material covered.


I got B with a surprise X in the box a few years ago for a song. It came with BECM and I think the whole lot cost me £10. I'd like mint Expert box to go with the mint booklets, but I'm not paying the silly money they go for.

And as for I, I had to settle for the pdf from Drivethru.

Several years ago I bought an older model kit on ebay, when it showed up there were 6 identical unbuilt kits in the box. Some modelers will build the same thing repeatedly for different nations, multiple squadrons etc. To save space it isn't uncommon for them to combine multiple kits into one box. Guessing this came from an estate and the seller had no idea. Luckily I'm one of those who likes to build the same thing different ways so it was a bit of a score.
 
Speaking of DC Heroes...easily my favorite superhero game. I have numerous 1st edition boxed sets, though some are missing the little character cards and standup. I have my original copy, which still has all the bits and pieces, and I was unable to resist snagging more whenever I'd see them for $5 or so at yard sales, thrift stores, the used shelf at the game store, wherever, over the course of maybe 2004 to 2016. I wanted a complete extra set of the little character cards and standups, and most sets I came across were missing some or all of those, and I was finding them at nice low prices so it wasn't a big deal to pick up yet another.
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I also have a set of just the books without a box that I found for $2. That's the set I use at the table and pass around for players to abuse.
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So in total I have 5 copies of 1st edition (6 if you count the rules with no box), 2 copies of 2nd edition, and 1 copy of 3rd edition (I used to have 2 but either I can't find the 2nd one or I gave it to a friend--not sure which).

(And that's not counting the multiple copies of Mayfair's Batman RPG...)
 
Justice League Detroit Era! Noice!
Yeah, I have nostalgia for that period. I read them when they were coming out and everyone thought "Oh, Green Lantern and the Flash will be back any month now...."

What I really want is for DC to put out the next JLA Bronze Age Omnibus they solicited years ago instead of constantly reprinting the Silver Age. I want the mid-'70s through early '80s JLA, Flash, Green Lantern, Batman, etc. That's what I grew up with and sadly only retained a portion of my comics from then and some--especially Batman--are hard to find cheap, and I'd really rather have them in convenient volumes of maybe 20 to 25 issues each anyway so I don't have to worry about damaging the comics. Marvel has done a much better job making available almost all the stuff I grew up with from that era.

I'm an Earth-1 "pre-Crisis" guy.
 
This might take the cake. This person is probably ordering the RC from DTRPG for $26 then turning around and selling it for $69.99.


Yep. I see a lot of that. At least this seller admits in the description as a reprint. Most of the ones I've seen try to pass the books off as originals, even when the copy they're selling is softcover while the original was hardcover.
 
I've got the RC reprint and the cover looks great. Inside the interior art is a bit dark due to dot gain. Not as nice as the offset original of course but very good for use at the table.
 
What are the thoughts on this:

$200 for a retro clone from 2010 seems a bit much for me, but I might be missing something.
 
I think sometimes they troll for rich folks who don't really think about or know the value of money, they just want in on the "In" thing right now.

"20 dollars? What could you possibly buy for twent dollars? A single potatoe?"
 
This thread is always good for a laugh.

 
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen an older Games Workshop mini listed as OOP, with the price jacked up 2-5 times, while the mini is still available straight from GW.
 
I thought I posted in this thread about an eBay listing I saw recently that was literal photocopies of AD&D modules. Looks like that wasn't an isolated case.


I mean, leaving aside the moral question of piracy, it's 2020. Get a decent scanner and put some effort into it or fuck off.
 
P.T. Barnum might have been on to something?
 
I thought I posted in this thread about an eBay listing I saw recently that was literal photocopies of AD&D modules. Looks like that wasn't an isolated case.


I mean, leaving aside the moral question of piracy, it's 2020. Get a decent scanner and put some effort into it or fuck off.

Wow...

I sold off the original because they are selling at such a premium. I made a copy ...just in case; now it's available to you!



It is complete except for a page (or 2?) past 143 (this is Appendix IV Further Reference. a Table of creatures, listing the books used in compiling the guide. (see pic) Xerox copying was amateur but all of the pages are legible and generally complete (some text may be slightly blurred where the book was held down on the Xerox machine for copying...see pics)
 
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