UK RPG magazines - getting there!!

 

Following on from the last post, here's a recent buy. Luckily for me condition is not something I worry about as long as they're complete.

I have done a (very) vague collection goal for UK mags and once again am wondering why I am bothering!

So I need (pretty subjective word bearing in mind we are talking about magazines that are generally between twenty and thirty years old) the following.

White Dwarf from 20-100

All 31 Imagines,

AND Valkyries, Fantasy Chronicles, Role Player Independent, Games Master international,GM Independent, Adventurer,Arcane and Gamesman.

There are probably more but I need to limit myself a bit, though there was a UK mag that I had a couple of copies that came with a plastic binding spine that I cannot remember the name of for the life of me!!

As we speak I need roughly a hundred more magazines, as well as a corresponding amount if really useful boxes to put them in.

Reading through these can be really interesting particularly as I have no actual gaming history between about 1989 and the present day - who knew LARPing and Vampire were a real thing that normal(ish) people got involved in!!

Happy days though, onward and upward.

Time flies, but got some stuff

 

Slow yesr but got some time on my hands. 

The Chainmail and Holmes basic book are both shot to pieces but doesnt stop me loving them, and they definitely fill a gap in the collection. 

I remember Hellgate Keep being a great later Forgotten Realms midule and its near the top of my to read pile. 

The double adventures are a mysteey to me, I dont even think I ever owned one back in the day and I certainly have no recollection of ever reading them.

Nore to come, maybe

Carl

2021 collecting goals

 So, a new year has dawned, with more of the same to look forward to it seems.

Nothing huge to say really, just continuing on my  quest to buy back all the stuff I sold a few years ago. 

10 years ago my goal was - every standard Forgotten Realms RPG item, every Traveller LBB era item and a complete OD&D collection.

I gave it a good go and was almost there but for 'reasons' it all had to go.

So now I'm back to it, and of course the price of most of this stuff has increased pretty much exponentially. Never mind, I'm in no hurry and don't really have a plan of any kind except hoping for the best. 

The OD&D is an issue- I have had 3 white boxes over the years and all the supplements but the prices on these are now ridiculous. I have 3 of the supplements that cost me around 25-30 quid each but I fear the box set may be my white whale. Hey ho, the rules are a bit crap anyway! I have just read a little of my Gods Demigods and Heroes book and it is truly awful. Layout and formatting are a joke and the foreword concerning Monty Hall games has to be read to be believed, truly a book of its time.

Anyway that's it for now, 

Later

Heroes for Wargames

A recent Twitter post bought this book to mind.

I brought a copy of this new from a bookshop in Slough, so it must have been quite late in my gaming life. In 1986 I was 15/16 and definitely not as much into this stuff as I had been for for the previous handful of years. I have no clue where I heard about this book but I have a definite memory of really wanting it. (And I remember showing it off to my friend Robbie, who was less impressed than I - perhaps gaming hadn’t gripped him as strongly as it had me, or perhaps he just wasn’t an idiot!!

So what is it? I guess you could say it was a kind of coffee table book showing nicely painted ( Citadel) miniatures. There is an intro from Ian Livingstone/ Steve Jackson that doesn’t say a lot and a large serving of John Blanche/ early Warhammer. It starts with an introduction to RPGs (dull) and then goes to fantasy battles. A bit about figure making then a section on painting - nothing new in today’s world but this must have been quite cool then.
The section on Master Painters is quite cool, who didn’t love THAT John Blanche minatour?

One note about the book that bears sharing is that many of the photos are on a black background so are actually often not that clear, a minor quibble, and my eyes were probably better then.

All of this interspersed with what can only be described as iconic GE art from the mid eighties as well as some crap line drawings of new mini ranges (why?).

To sum up, I loved it 34 years ago and I still love it now, though I’m not really sure why. All in all it should be on every gamer of a certain ages shelf - good fun.

Fresh start - with added monsters

After a long hiatus I am going to try and reboot this blog again - I need to get some kind of proper hobby in my life even if it is just posting about the nonsense I like.

In an attempt to force myself to post regular content I have decided to go through the AD&D first edition Monster Manual from a-z; I haven’t really decided on a format yet but imagine it will be kind of a mini review/let’s read - nothing new but the world needs to hear a 49 year old sad sacks take on a book that is 41 years old and in no way relevant.

Just to tease you here is the book - it’s definitely not my original but it is a GW soft back version and thus a collectors piece. (If you are a collector like me that is - I’m sure more of my views on game collecting will come out as time goes on)

I

It’s not pretty but it’s mine!

Next post, the Letter A - to include the axe beak, and why not

All the best

Carl

Art for Arts Sake - Not a review of Art & Arcana

I have recently been considering posting pictures of my favourite rpg related pictures over on Twitter (@got_your_games) as a kind of ongoing thread to show some of the things I love. To be fair I have never really been that interested in the art side of things - yes there are things I like but I have never really followed particular artists or art-styles. (This is not because I don't see the talent involved here - it's just never been my bag).

So as I was ruminating the possibility of this the above book came to my notice. I investigated it pre publication and did a bit of research and decided I had to have one - after all what true D&D fan wouldn't want this artifact?

And then, out of the blue, I was gifted the item above! (I don't think I can ever thank the kind donor enough - safe to say I am VERY grateful).

I won't do a review - I can't do it justice with my poor artistic knowledge but will simply say that I strongly encourage you to go out and buy one. I honestly stroked the cover of the special edition box and muttered "My Preciousssss" under my breath when I first opened the parcel.

Buy it now, and follow me on twitter because I'm going to start posting pictures regularly now - I'm empowered by this book - plus it will give me quite a lot of the pictures.



Speaking of books, I have just got a couple of gaming  related books that may get a review. Designers & Dragons by Shannon Appelcline - Looks great with the leather cover but may be tough to read straight through. Role Playing Mastery by Gary Gygax is the other one - wow, just wow. I'm going to try and read it but this looks like being hard work. (Am I alone in thinking Gary Gygax wasn't actually a god, and sometimes had issues with perhaps being a touch "wordy"?!)

Any way, cheerio for now, more to follow.

The same light reading - an update

Just a very quick update concerning Dice Men - the coffee table book that any gamer of a certain age should be buying.


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

I have previously stated that I am in on this and it looks like we might be on the home stretch - 92% funded and still going strong. I actually think that I like this method of funding better than Kickstarter and its cohorts, it sort of feels a bit more serious and professional.

I have also boosted my own purchase to include the facsimile copy of Owl and Weasel number 1, which brings me to this fine fellow:--

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OWL-WEASEL-Issue-1-GAMES-WORKSHOP-Feb-1975-pre-White-Dwarf-RARE/232842435730

Now even though this little item is SIX HUNDRED QUID a part of me thinks that it wouldn't be a bad investment. Clearly the price of many gaming items, particualry vintage ones has been rising steadily for a couple of years and this chap will surely one day be one of the most sought after items - and the releasing of the Dice Men book will only widen the group  of people who will want this.

If I had the disposable income and a (very) understanding spouse I would be inclined to buy this and squirrel it away for a few years and double my money.

(As a little aside, the seller is an absolute legend so there is no risk whatsoever if you decide to buy this)

TTFN - review of WD40, and a bit of discussion about my collecting habits to follow soonish.

Carl