ST1 Up The Garden Path - A question of worth vs value

It's one of the holy grails of D&D collecting - ST1 Up the Garden Path. It is a matter of some debate how many survive, a few have been auctioned over the years and I'm pretty sure that the same ones have come up more than once. Photographs of them are common on t'internet and it's pretty easy to get hold of a "reading copy"(wink wink), if you can be bothered to look.


I did have a copy of this which I got in an auction for a Silver Anniversary box set along with a copy of R1 To the Aid of Falx as freebie extras. It was a bit of a heartstopping moment as I'm sure you can imagine. Sadly my heart restarted again as I quickly realised these were literal copies - presumably done on a colour photocopier at someone's place of work!


I remember seeing one of these advertised for £200 (iirc) in a second hand games flyer about 17 or 18 years ago and thinking that it was daylight robbery - hindsight is, of course, a wonderful thing.


When I first considered this blogpost I was going to do an in-depth comparative review between ST1 and X1 - rarest against the most common, but on reading ST1 I decided not to bother - to sum up just go and buy Isle of Dread and play that, your players will thank you.


The thing that strikes me most about Up the Garden Path is that it is remarkably "English" - it couldn't be more English if it was wearing a bowler hat, eating fish and chips in a queue while complaining about the weather.
The puns and in jokes abound, names and descriptions are often cringeworthy and the overall affect is all a bit self indulgent.

That been said it is reasonably written, has good layout and a very professional overall finish - If it was designed as a one off bit of nonsense it certainly fits the brief. It could be a companion piece to EX1 & 2 from the other side of the pond, though I didn't much like those either.

That's it really, no surprises or spoilers here, just a fan pointing out the obvious to those already in the know. (And if anyone does want to sell one I have £200 ready and waiting!!)

I would be interested in what the going rate for one of these is as the price for rares seems to be shooting up.

A few links for your delectation

A decent blog here.

https://ttgamingdiary.wordpress.com/2016/12/02/going-up-the-garden-path/

The Acaeum - you knew this already.

https://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/modpages/st.html

A Little More Reading

Folowing my last post I need to mention another book that may well pique your interest.




Dice Men: Games Workshop 1975 to 1985 is a coffee table book that we should all own - any boy of a certain age should own this and I would recommend that you order one immediately. (Particularly as this means I will get my copy quicker!)




I don't suppose that there is anything new here but it looks absolutely wonderful. The add ons are a bit of a mixture, I really want the Owl & Weasel but the Warlock of Firetop Mountain leaves me a bit cold. (And lunch witt the authors might be a little outside my paygrade.)




Do yourself, and your 12 year old self a favour and get one now









https://unbound.com/books/games-workshop/

A little light reading

I have, over the years, read a few of the books written about games and gamers and I'll list here as many as I can recall off the top of my head, giving a brief review and recommendation.


The Elfish Gene by Mark Barrowcliffe
Just awesome - I've read this numerous times. One man's childhood in Dungeons & Dragons.
Mark's book is an easy read that will make you laugh, cringe and nod in agreement in equal measures. Stories and anecdotes from a guy on the fringes of reality - I really can't recommend this enough.


Empire of Imagination, Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons by Michael Witwer
Ok(ish) - reads like a bit of college English project if I'm honest. Lots of re-imagined dialogue in places that does become a little irritating. An easy read but nothing new here.


Of Dice & Men - David M Ewalt
A bit of a modern spin on gamers. Not as heavy on the origin stories of gamers as I might like but worthwhile none the less.


Playing at the World - Jon Peterson
This is the real deal - a full (too full!) and in depth history of wargames and roleplaying. This is, at times, heavy going and has a tendency to read like a text book but is a work of absolute genius - go and buy this book!


Hawk & Moor Trilogy by Clark David Kent
Nice history of the early years of D&D - very well researched timeline of releases and publication. For a book so deep on detail it is a very easy read.


Hunters of Dragons by Ciro Alessandro Sacco
Really just a list of D&D products - perhaps one for the completest!


Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf
Another nice "Geek Journey" (Gilsdorf is a bit of an Uber-Geek and has written quite a lot about the culture over the years). This is a great book - not all specifically game related but all very relevant to our interests.


Achtung Schweinhund by Harry Pearson
Not at all D&D related but one of my favourites - a boys-own story of war and war-toys - excellent.




And a few I haven't read but are on the list to read in the future -


Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D by David Kushner.
Designers & Dragons by Shannon Appelcline.


and an honourable mention - it's not gaming but it's good stuff.


Watching War films with my Dad by Al Murray






It's well worth hunting out a few of these and I welcome recommendations for further reading