Your collection : depth or breadth

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Neon

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So for you rpg collectors, what is your collection preference. I was on youtube and went down a rabbit hole of rpg collection shelf tours. I noticed one youtuber had a massive collection which consisted I'd estimate at 75% core rulebook with only 25% supplements and very little adventures.
That got me thinking about how my collection is very difference. I'd say my collection is probably a mirror image with 25% core rulebooks and 75% supplements and adventures.
Just wondering about the mix of other collectors game shelves.
 
I’m a completionist, once I start collecting a system I like to have everything published for it. Which is fine in the case of The World of Tales From the Crypt but got pretty expensive with Phoenix Command and DC Heroes.

I’m actually in the process of pruning back my collection, I will keep some games I might never play for the nostalgia factor or the fact I just like reading them but most of the zines and a number of games I’ve just accumulated over the years will be going.
 
You piqued my curiosity!

I tallied up all of my RPG books: 180.

Then I counted only the core rules (each Player’s handbook and DMG counted as separate cores, not counting bestiaries or settings like Mythic Rome): .

An even 1/3 of my collection are core rules!

Interesting.

edit: definitely pruning this collection. WFRP 3e, Numenera and a couple of others are definitely on their way out.

edit 2: to answer the OP’s question, my preference is core rules now, but I don’t mind settings and expansions for additional ideas and inspiration. I’m no longer interested in Bestiaries.
 
Many of my books are core rules, for a few games I've got many supplements. However, it goes a lot to my mentality of RPG's, which is if its something I use the core rules should be enough to run the game well and do my own things with it. If the game is something that is going to see a lot of usage at the table, or I love it, there is a good chance I'll have more supplemental material for it. I think I have all but one Providence RPG work (that one being merely a write up of NPC's I'll never use.) I own most of the in print Shadowrun 4E/20a books, all of Hellas, most of Atlantis.

Now most of the games I own are "core book one and done" meaning that only the corebook exists.
 
I'm a completionist too, even buying multiple books in a line I don't even know I'll like! I'm a fucking idiot when it comes to RPGs. I have got into the habit of selling my stuff though but I still have shelves full of games...

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At the moment, that's all the stuff I'm keeping. I have a similar amount all stacked away and listed on ebay (around 250 items).

Like I say, fucking stupid.

And lets not get into the 1000s of PDFs I have.
 
Yeah, PDFs are a different kettle of fish. My goal is to eventually get organized to the point my games can be displayed and as accessible as Rich H Rich H ’s, at the moment I have piles that would make a hoarder jealous.
 
Impressive!

"Awesome pics. Great size. Look thick. Solid. Tight. Keep us all posted on your continued progress with any new progress pics or vid clips"
 
I tend to just get core books, the exception is for games I really like or plan on playing soon, then I try to get as much as I can.
 
I'm a bit of a completionist too. Because of where I live I have very few dead tree books (shipping is ruinous) but my PDF collection is at least a couple of thousand titles, maybe getting closer to three thousand. I don't think I'm going to bother counting, but I know what things generally look like. For games I like I tend to own everything, or almost everything. I own rather a lot of core rules as well, but if I own just the core rules it's either because I wasn't really taken with game or there aren't other books to buy. The biggest chunk of my collection is stuff that I broadly label OSR. I have a ton of retro clones and other rules sets, and a huge collection of modules and adventures. Because so much of the OSR is at least broadly compatible I have less worries about a 'complete' collection and focus more on individual titles that really grab me.
 
Hard copy? Square.

I play only a few systems, and of the systems I play, I own more than the core rulebook, but not all the supplements.
 
My collection was done in phases. First I wanted things I couldn't get as a kid. Then I wanted everything related to games I was playing (mostly D&D). Then I wanted just about everything but Vampire related stuff(not my thing and it had a ton of stuff so it was a successful save vs rabbit hole). Now it's just a few games and just the things I think I'd like to use.
 
I used to own everything Gamma World across all editions until the frankly dull D20 edition killed that off. I've scaled back to just a copy of the 4th edition rules.

The system I went to town with was ICONS, though most of the extra books were pdfs and cheap ones at that. I got plenty of mileage out of the adventures and villain collections, not much out of the source books and rule expansions.

Other than that, I collection has tended more towards breadth than depth.
 
More depth than breadth for me these days. I have my systems that I like that can be used for a number of things, plus a handful of specialized ones that I really like, and I tend to build up my collection based on that rather than branching out to new systems.

I'll even go so far as to delete PDFs that I get in bundles if I know I'll never use them. I'm pretty hardcore about curating my collection like that.
 
I'm a bit of an all or nothing guy. I do have a number of stand alone core rules, but when I like something I tend to go pretty deep.

Like Bunch I went through a period of buying up everything I could get my hands on for games I'd missed earlier. I also have a large collection of HERO and GURPS which alone form a rather impressive collection.

Bundles whether humble, of holding or simply publisher bargains have resulted in my pdf collections to be even broader than my hard copy collection.
 
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Those 2 black bins there on the left hold some books I'm trying to sell, and my complete Star Wars RPG book collection, mostly WEG d6. Need to rearrange and make room for those.

I tend to be a product line completionist, if it's something I really enjoy reading/playing. I also have a tendency to support certain companies by buying lots of their stuff, even if I may not use that product. In particular, I have almost everything published in the US by Free League, with the exceptions of Coriolis (main book only) and Alien (just don't see the point).

Let's not discuss my PDF collection. That's over 166 gigs and 26k files.
 
LOL. I'm talking about the various short supplements and games that come in the charity bundles and such. Stuff like "100 Inn Names" and such. If it looks interesting, I'll keep it around.
Mmm, I'll accept it. The review board may still contact you for additional details before your Geek privileges are restored.
 
First I wanted things I couldn't get as a kid.
I've tried to get back a lot of what I had from back then. Every once in a while one of my brothers will say, "Hey, this is yours." and give me an old D&D module, but mostly it is me trying to snag things like Birthright from eBay.

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I just got these back last month.
 
I've tried to get back a lot of what I had from back then. Every once in a while one of my brothers will say, "Hey, this is yours." and give me an old D&D module, but mostly it is me trying to snag things like Birthright from eBay.

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I just got these back last month.
I'm starting to hit the other end of that. Lots of people game me their stuff over the years and as they approach 50, have kids starting to get into it and feel the pull of nostalgia they ask me for some of their stuff back. Mostly I give it back because it's pretty sweet to hand peoe their personal childhood. Sometimes I say no or ask if they'd mind getting me a replacement copy, if I've used it a lot and it's now as much part of my memories.
 
OK, now to answer more seriously...:thumbsup:

I've got mostly corebooks in print. That said, I own less than 20 RPG books in print, so that's just a shelfspace limitation. (Also, I tried to order Mythic Babylon, and the order failed for some unspecified reason, so I only got the PDF - of course, Drivethru reimbursed me, but I still haven't ordered the book).
So from that side, you could say "breadth".
...except many of those are for games that never had any supplements. Mythras and Eclipse Phase are the notable exceptions. (And I have a space opera supplement for Blade of the Iron Throne in print, as well as the corebook). But good luck finding any supplements for Crimson Blades. And I think Fight! The Fighting Game RPG 2e still hasn't had any supplement published.
A curious case is Maelstrom Domesday: I have only the campaign and the manor supplement for that game. I've got Maelstrom Rome, though:tongue:!

Besides that, I usually play from PDFs, and when it comes to PDFs, I often have entire lines. Bundle of Holding has helped me there, sure (I only have 49 bundles to my name, though, unlike some of you:grin:)! But still, a lot of those aren't from Bundle of Holding.
And there are game lines where if I hide the titles I've got (as the option in Drivethru permits) I get an empty page. These aren't necessarily the games I've played the most, sometimes those are just games I'm hoping I could get to play...ah well.

So, breadth or depth? I don't know, I just buy whatever fits my interests at the moment, or seems like a good deal that might become useful later on.
 
My collection: Debt and (deep) Breath

A generation ago I was anal retentive in keeping lists of stuff, like comics, dvds, books, and also the rpgs & gaming magazines (with a list of articles and scenarios per game system) I had. Then usually I went on a shopping spree, forgot to keep the list up to date and in the end gave up (or accidentally reformat my hard drive and lose all info. waddayamean backups?). I really should do an inventory, but then I'm afraid nothing else will be done for the rest of the year; picking up an old game without opening it and start browsing? That just does not happen.

And after a few moves, rpgs are no longer in the same cardboard boxes but mixed up with books, comics, A4 sized tabletop games, so if I want some order in the rpgs I will have to tackle all the other collections too. Don't get me started on the minis Kickstarters or my GW hoard.

Just thinking about it, I need a lie-down.
 
Typo on the first word, or did you get into debt collecting it:shock:?
Not quite, but my GW collection of the past 3 years could have payed a BMW.
The money spent on rpg's (over 35 years) probably a small house (in a cheap neighbourhood).

Small mercy, I don't collect Star Wars or Trek stuff.
 
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Not quite, but my GW collection of the past 3 years could have payed a BMW.
The money spent on rpg's probably a small house (in a cheap neighbourhood).

Small mercy, I don't collect Star Wars or Trek stuff.
Glad you can afford it, man:thumbsup:!
But now I just need to show your post to my wife:grin:!
 
My collection was done in phases. First I wanted things I couldn't get as a kid. Then I wanted everything related to games I was playing (mostly D&D). Then I wanted just about everything but Vampire related stuff(not my thing and it had a ton of stuff so it was a successful save vs rabbit hole). Now it's just a few games and just the things I think I'd like to use.

This. Not only the things I couldn't or didn't get as a kid but also getting back things that were lost or destroyed over the years. A lot of it is nostalgia. But that's ok. And then there's the part of me that grabs items that look interesting. I also grab free things that look interesting. I've got thousands of PDFs, many of which I haven't looked at. I usually only buy hardcopies of core books I'm really interested in.
 
What's my preference?

I'd say early on it was breadth. I wanted to have lots and lots of different RPGs. I tended to prioritize corebooks and only suffered the completionist bug in relation to things I was strongly attached to. Even still, my completionist bug was limited to things I saw application in rather than mandatory complete sets.

Later, it got warped into depth as the completionist bug took hold. But there was still a very strong and damaging desire for breadth, leading to the destructive desire to have everything for everything.

I'd say my hoard leans more towards breadth, but the depth of individual game lines does go deeper than probably most casual purchases. I'd tend to pick up the corebook, screen, and the first supplement or two on lots and lots of things.

What would my real preference be now? I think if I could convince myself to slim down, I'd want depth on all the game lines I'd stay into and keep (so fewer). I'd still have a large number of different games, but I'd eliminate the onesies, twosies that I only pick up because they're shiny for a brief time and then have no interest in later.
 
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Back in the 90s and early 00s I had a huge collection of rpg stuff - I went to GenCon every year and between the dealer room and the auction always came home with tons of stuff, and then eBay made it even easier to fill in holes. Eventually I sold most of it off, except for my OD&D/BX/1E, RuneQuest, and Traveller (Classic and Mega) collections.

More recently (within the last year or so) I’ve regretted letting some of that stuff go and have gone about reacquiring some of it, but only my favorites and generally only the core rulebooks. So the WRRP1, Pendragon, Call of Cthulhu, Space 1889, Bushido, Boot Hill, and a couple other core books are now back on the shelf alongside the more comprehensive collections of old-D&D, Traveller, and RQ stuff. There are a few more I’m still looking to reacquire but am not (yet) willing to pay what people are asking for them.

But the idea of owning a dozen+ supplements and adventures for second or third tier games I’m very unlikely to ever actually play again is no longer appealing to me at all.
 
Ok, to answer the topic question, I have a lot of corebooks for different systems, and I also have systems where my collection is nearly complete.
So breadth because I like to read different systems and settings, and depth because I'm intrigued by a setting or FOMO. Or just plain greed.
 
I have something like 800 RPG print books, counting zines but not counting commercial magazines. I have around 40 zines. There is almost no duplication in the collection. The walls of our bedroom are lined with bookshelves that hold all of it.

At a rough estimate, I would say that less than 10% of it is adventures and modules, something like 30% are core rulebooks, and about 60% are supplements of some kind. Most of the adventures/modules are ones I bought because they had some sort of supplemental rules in them (I don't run pre-written adventures). I have some very, very obscure stuff, going back into the 1970s. I have been buying and keeping RPG materials since the late 1970s, and have picked up a pretty significant amount of the collection from used book stores, last day bargain bins at conventions, and other discount venues over the decades.

I'm not a completist, by any means. I just buy whatever looks like it would be useful or would be interesting to read. New purchases these days tend to fall more into the latter category, as it has grown increasingly difficult over time to find players in real life (outside of conventions) for anything other than D&D or (sometimes) Savage Worlds. For example, I have a few shelves of "World of Darkness" books that I bought and keep mainly to read, since I really enjoy the extensive, in-depth worldbuilding in them.
 
Back in the 90s and early 00s I had a huge collection of rpg stuff - I went to GenCon every year and between the dealer room and the auction always came home with tons of stuff, and then eBay made it even easier to fill in holes. Eventually I sold most of it off, except for my OD&D/BX/1E, RuneQuest, and Traveller (Classic and Mega) collections.

More recently (within the last year or so) I’ve regretted letting some of that stuff go and have gone about reacquiring some of it, but only my favorites and generally only the core rulebooks. So the WRRP1, Pendragon, Call of Cthulhu, Space 1889, Bushido, Boot Hill, and a couple other core books are now back on the shelf alongside the more comprehensive collections of old-D&D, Traveller, and RQ stuff. There are a few more I’m still looking to reacquire but am not (yet) willing to pay what people are asking for them.

But the idea of owning a dozen+ supplements and adventures for second or third tier games I’m very unlikely to ever actually play again is no longer appealing to me at all.
Games I have the complete print run of...
OD&D & Holmes :devil:
AD&D1 (and a lot of 3PP, like all the Mayfair stuff)
Basic, I'm probably missing some modules there.
Shadowrun 1, 2, 3
Scarred Lands (my favorite setting made for d20)
Cyberpunk 2013 and 2020
Deadland Classic, HoE and Lost Colony
MERP (yes I have Court of Ardor)
WFRP1
WFRP2
WFRP4
RIFTS - Pretty much everything up to Dinosaur Swamp, I kind of tapped out there
Mythras
Mythus
Cyborg Commando :shock:
Gamma World 1
Top Secret 1
FASA Star Trek
Star Frontiers
Old World of Darkness - Probably in the high 90%
FFG - Dark Heresy 1, Rogue Trader, Death Watch, Only War
That's just off the top of my head.

I could fill six or seven 7' Billy Bookcases without thinking about it. That's not counting minis and wargaming stuff.
Yeah, I'm a dumbass. :tongue:
 
I don’t envy you guys with the big collections. When we moved into our house three years ago, packing up my stuff was a pain in the ass and I only have a couple bookcases. I actually want to trim it down even more.
 
I don’t envy you guys with the big collections. When we moved into our house three years ago, packing up my stuff was a pain in the ass and I only have a couple bookcases. I actually want to trim it down even more.
Pfff killjoy!
 
My board game collection is actually much more of a space hog than my RPGs, I’m working on culling it as well.
 
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