Great thread here http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=285649 by Levi.
Anyone here done anything similar?
To paraphrase my replies (the thread is about getting rid of excess games from your shelf):
I've got rid of a 100 books or so so far and have about 200 more to get rid of. I have way too much crap I don't use.
I've regretted nothing so far.
My main problem is I have too much to shift to put it all on ebay in any reasonable timeframe, my sell thread here despite being in my sig is generating hardly any sales and there are no second hand rpg shops in the UK anymore by and large. It's actually tough to sell the things as a practical issue.
But yeah, cruft accumulates, takes up space and doesn't get used. Games are meant to be played, if I've learnt anything from the indie crowd (Andy Kitowski basically) it's that and I'm grateful to them for reminding me.
...
For me it was when I created a database of all the rpg books I owned, and put in a field for whether I had used them in play or not. When I saw the results, I decided to get rid of most of my collection.
Hell, calling it a collection shows in a nutshell exactly where I had gone wrong.
Yeah, I sold off something like 600 books of my collection over the last 2 years. Now I'm down to about ~100.
haven't missed anything yet.
Agh, I forgot an important bit.
For those like mcrow who are doing this, what triggered it? What made you decide to cut down?
Quote from: BalbinusAgh, I forgot an important bit.
For those like mcrow who are doing this, what triggered it? What made you decide to cut down?
Mine was a very large bookshelf that collapsed creating an avalanche of RPGs that nearly took me and my computer out. :D
bastards had to go after that.
plus I didn't want to buy another bookshelf, so I started to thin out my keepers from the others. by time I was done I realized "holy shit, I buy way to many crappy games and don't play enough of the good ones!". Knowing I would never have time to use all of them I sold of the ones I was less likely to use.
I have a lot of old RPG stuff stored in my parents' basement, and there is no way that I would ever sell it, even if 99 percent of it will never see play again. I just enjoy the nostalgia rush whenever I visit my folks and head down to the old shelves.
As for RPGs that I have with me in my current flat, I try to keep things to a single shelf. I've generally been pretty good with that, although some bloat over time is inevitable.
Last time I moved I had about six 3.5/d20 books that I knew I would never use again. I gave them to the members of my old group for free -- I just can't be bothered to try to sell such stuff. It's not in my nature (despite being part Scottish).
I live in quite a small flat so for the last 5 years or so I've had to be ruthless with my use of space. This means that my DVD and book collection are pared to the bone... nothing I don't think I'll rewatch of re-read or refer to.
So essentially I make 2 or so trips to the post every week with my eBay and Amazon sales.
I have, however, managed to accumulate a backlog, particularly of old RPG stuff I'm never going to use and school books and sci-fi paperbacks. I'm currently in the process of sticking all sellable uni books on Amazon and I'm going to start batching and selling on all my sci-fi novels.
The RPG stuff I need to look into though because I'm always horrified how much RPGs go for.
Quote from: McrowYeah, I sold off something like 600 books of my collection over the last 2 years. Now I'm down to about ~100.
haven't missed anything yet.
600?
:jaw-dropping:
You know, for me, I don't feel any great need to dump any of my RPGs. The closest I've come to that is backing up a lot of my downloaded pdfs onto multiple disks to free up room--basically, a bunch fo stuff I won't use any time soom. But I'm pretty happy with what I have, print-wise.
Where I HAVE made a change is in the length of my "to-buy" list. A year ago, it was a very long list. Today, there are maybe ten-twelve items on it, and some of those are for games that don't have release dates until mid next-year. I find myself buying much less, through a circumstance of being happy what I have, a lack of titles that interest me, and getting burned one too many times on internet "darlings", so to speak.
EDIT: 600, Mike?! :eek:
Quote from: JongWK600?
:jaw-dropping:
yeah, thats about 2 books a month for about the last 15 years + my yearly Palladium Chistmas deal.
oh, and I bought a good sized collection from a friend @ one point, so that made up about a third of it.
Quote from: BalbinusAnyone here done anything similar?
Nope. I only own one RPG that I'd part with despite having two bookcases worth of them (maybe more). Why? Because I've been role-playing for almost 30 years now and I never know what I'll want to read, reference, or use again later. For example, I have a ton of old D&D stuff that I never used, some from the late 1970s. I dusted some of it off to run my recent D&D campaign, which was loosely based on the A series of classic AD&D modules. Same with D&D and all sorts of other books. Never know when I'll use them again.
I do find this rather ironic in light of what people were saying in the growth of Indie games thread concerning the resale of games and their replay value, though.
I am finally getting rid of the 60 or so boxes of books I've been keeping since I worked in publishing in the late 1980s, early 1990s. So far, I've given at least a dozen boxes away and I'm at the point where I might just throw out a few dozen more if I can't give them away.
Quote from: BalbinusFor me it was when I created a database of all the rpg books I owned, and put in a field for whether I had used them in play or not. When I saw the results, I decided to get rid of most of my collection.
Hell, calling it a collection shows in a nutshell exactly where I had gone wrong.
Nothing wrong with having a collection for reference. Heck, I've never played the vast majority of games I own. I do, however, continually reference all sorts of games for setting and systems ideas for the homebrew games that I play.
[Added: Part of it is that my tastes in rules and settings change over time. Games that I don't care much about at one point can become very important to me at another point and vice versa.]
I have gotten rid of a bunch of my game stuff and I still have some games to get rid of.
I got rid of the games because they arent being used/wont be used and for me if they arent being used/wont be used they go. It frees up space and money, money that can be used on other things.
I think unlike many here and at the other major gaming fora, my "collection" is a mere one bookshelf wide. Nevertheless I've culled it in the past and I mean to do so again.
The real problem is all the wargames and books, but I have similar intentions for them.
The reason is simply that we're running out of space and I'd like to get some use out of the spare bedroom as something other than a storage room.
QuoteGames are meant to be played.
As an internet wargaming acquaintance said, a great deal of what's wrong with the hobby could be solved if people would restrict themselves to buying what they play, and playing what they buy. Unfortunately the amateur designer in all of us justifies a lot of "research acquisitions". However I try to restrict those to items poached inexpensively from used book stores and eBay.
But now that this subject has come up I think I might be more likely to choose PDF over print format even for games I do intend to play. Goodness knows I could probably sell my entire RPG collection and rely entirely on free games available over the Internet, for both "traditional" and "hippy" designs. Harder to do with boardgames, though.
Quote from: Zachary The FirstEDIT: 600, Mike?! :eek:
yup, I kept everything I bought and received for gifts since 1989 or so. to be fair there were a lot of small suplement and such in there, but still a lotof books.
Quote from: Elliot WilenAs an internet wargaming acquaintance said, a great deal of what's wrong with the hobby could be solved if people would restrict themselves to buying what they play, and playing what they buy. Unfortunately the amateur designer in all of us justifies a lot of "research acquisitions". However I try to restrict those to items poached inexpensively from used book stores and eBay.
This is what made me sell many of the games I have sold. I adopted that mindset about buying what you play and getting rid of the stuff that sits and isnt used and/or will never be used.
Quote from: Elliot WilenAs an internet wargaming acquaintance said, a great deal of what's wrong with the hobby could be solved if people would restrict themselves to buying what they play, and playing what they buy.
If everyone did that, I suspect the commercial part of the hobby would collapse. I suspect that large numbers of the role-playing books that get bought never get played. Remove those sales and I suspect a lot of FLGSs and smaller RPG companies would go over. Heck, I don't know if I'll ever play DitV but I bought a copy to see what it's all about. If I wasn't willing to do that, that would be one less Indie sale.
The whole industry is built on the assumption that gamers buy books they'll never actually play. Which is one of the reasons why that whole "freeloading gamers" shit they tried to pull a while back was so utterly craven and dishonest.
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalThe whole industry is built on the assumption that gamers buy books they'll never actually play. Which is one of the reasons why that whole "freeloading gamers" shit they tried to pull a while back was so utterly craven and dishonest.
:confused: I think I missed this...
Quote from: Zachary The First:confused: I think I missed this...
It was about 2 years ago.
Essentially within a period of maybe a week, three different game designers posted to RPGnet about how they'd had it up to here with these "freeloading gamers" who only buy one rule book for a group of 6 players.
It was funny because the term came out of nowhere and in a very organised manner. I think it was an example of an industry meme attempting to implant itself in gamer consciousness.
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalIt was about 2 years ago.
Essentially within a period of maybe a week, three different game designers posted to RPGnet about how they'd had it up to here with these "freeloading gamers" who only buy one rule book for a group of 6 players.
It was funny because the term came out of nowhere and in a very organised manner. I think it was an example of an industry meme attempting to implant itself in gamer consciousness.
:roofle:
Are you comfortable naming names? Because everything else being equal, I'd REALLY VERY MUCH like to avoid these designers.
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalIt was about 2 years ago.
Essentially within a period of maybe a week, three different game designers posted to RPGnet about how they'd had it up to here with these "freeloading gamers" who only buy one rule book for a group of 6 players.
It was funny because the term came out of nowhere and in a very organised manner. I think it was an example of an industry meme attempting to implant itself in gamer consciousness.
I would but I seriously can't remember.
EDIT : It was funny though "Hey, let's try and guilt-trip people into buying more copies of the same book!"
To answer the thread...
I'm a notorious, but recovering pack rat. Having gone through several moves, I've developed a half-assed Buddhist attitude of "the more things you own, the more they own you," so I've purged the library several times -- coincidentally, just before every move.
I now just limit my collection to immediate D&D3.5 items -- particularly adventure modules because I've found I get more ideas and inspiration from a good Necromancer Games or Goodman Games module than a big campaign setting...and they're much smaller and lighter to pack and carry.
Some other untouchable odds and ends are my Tekumel collection and a couple of the dreaded Forge games.
Freeloading Gamers thread (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=48911)Probably had some antecedents which didn't come up immediately.
I prefer games that mesh with my general assumption that only the GM needs to know the rules thoroughly, and players won't be handicapped excessively by being taught. Of course this doesn't excuse players who can't be troubled to learn.
You guys are sick.
Treasure your books!!!!!1111one1!! :D
Good searchin' there Bunny.
Bruce Baugh eh? I thought I remembered a Lobo Bianco involved.
I sold off and gave away a metric ton of RPG stuff when I moved from Boston to Seattle. The sad thing is, I doubt that I could even list the books I got rid of without the help of a distributor catalog or something along those lines.
I purged almost everything except for: AD&D, D&D, Dying Earth, Warhammer FRP, Feng Shui, Talislanta, some of the indie games I own, and a few OOP games (classic TSR games like Gamma World).
Everything else, including about 90% of the d20 stuff I ever bought and a ton of author's copies, went out the door.
Since then, the only RPG books I've bought aside from Dungeon Crawl Classics and some indie games have been Exalted 2e, Ptolus, Shadowrun 4e, and Hollow Earth Expedition.
"Freeloaders" are awesome for the hobby. They transform a lone dude with an RPG and an urge to run it to an active GM with a gaming group. One of the major strengths of RPGs is that, for casual players, it costs $0 to participate.
Quote from: mearls"Freeloaders" are awesome for the hobby. They transform a lone dude with an RPG and an urge to run it to an active GM with a gaming group. One of the major strengths of RPGs is that, for casual players, it costs $0 to participate.
Amen.
This is the norm in Uruguay, as getting books for everyone can be hideously expensive. I know many groups that choose to get one core rulebook, and pool their money for sourcebooks. More bang for the buck, and more players into the hobby. Win-Win! :cool:
I've long since stopped trying to "get rid" of my gaming books. When I was younger and foolish I periodically purged books this way; but I stopped when inevitably I ended up regretting not having access to some gamebook I'd been "absolutely sure" I'd never have any use for.
So now, even if its a game I'm 99% sure I'll never play, or a book I'm 99% sure I'll never use, I keep it.
RPGPundit
Quote from: John MorrowIf everyone did that, I suspect the commercial part of the hobby would collapse. I suspect that large numbers of the role-playing books that get bought never get played. Remove those sales and I suspect a lot of FLGSs and smaller RPG companies would go over. Heck, I don't know if I'll ever play DitV but I bought a copy to see what it's all about. If I wasn't willing to do that, that would be one less Indie sale.
True now, but it wasn't always so.
Also, while that may be good for the industry, the industry is tanking anyway. I've seen numerous industry insiders post about it now, and even from the outside it's hard not to spot the companies going under. If one follows Ken Hite's columns the collapse of the commercial side of the hobby is a frequent topic.
And the thing is, I'm not sure in this case good for the industry is good for the hobby. I'm in it for the hobby, and the hobby is not improved by companies being incentivised to put stuff other than actual play as a priority in their designs.
Personally, I think the industry is screwed anyway so I'm not too worried about that, but even if not I'd happily see the industry tank if the result was a healthier hobby.
I also note though, that the preeminent game out there is DnD and that is all about the actual play. So I even wonder if the current received wisdom on game design is right, the best selling game on the market is designed to be played rather than read which is why the John Wick rant about it looking like a textbook utterly misses the point. DnD is a manual designed to help you play a game, it doesn't need to be interesting because it understands that interesting belongs to the game, not the book.
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalGood searchin' there Bunny.
Bruce Baugh eh? I thought I remembered a Lobo Bianco involved.
I was pretty sure it was Bruce. Although generally I like the guy, he was talking crap on that occasion and the very idea that players are freeloaders for not buying stuff they don't actually need to play is insulting and frankly stupid.
There is no moral obligation to buy product, product should sell itself on the basis of being quality stuff that is useful to the buyer.
Huh, I see I posted to that thread on freeloading. Well, I still think everything I said there was correct, the notion that a friend using a book I own is freeloading is offensive crap.
One of my players borrowed my Space 1889 book to read up on the rules, I can see no sense in which that is freeloading. It's just normal human discourse.
Although I don't agree with him, Matthew's posts to that thread are funny as hell.
Bizarre tangent when one guy says that the poor should be harassed out of gaming if they can't afford the books. Way to blow his own argument.
Quote from: BalbinusFor me it was when I created a database of all the rpg books I owned, and put in a field for whether I had used them in play or not. When I saw the results, I decided to get rid of most of my collection.
Hell, calling it a collection shows in a nutshell exactly where I had gone wrong.
What have you got left to shift? Is that link still current, I have only about 12 shelves of gaming stuff, RPGs only (boxed games and wargames are in the garage) but I am looking to justify a 4th bookcase.
I'll probably take the Blue Planet stuff off your hands for £50, where abouts in the UK are you?
Erm on topic.....
Dumb my shelves? Are you crazy I just bought a bigger house with a double garage for my gaming habit. Stuff that was in storage in the loft is now on shelves.
The link is still current, I'm in London but can post anywhere pretty much.
£50 and the BP books are yours. £53 if you're paying by paypal to cover the paypal costs (which are way variable incidentally, sometimes the 50p per book covers it and sometimes it doesn't, I must read up on the way they charge to work out howcome).
With the link, always scroll down to my most recent post to see what is still about and what isn't.
I've just notice you are interested in getting hold of a copy of Justice Inc.
I've a copy I'ld be willing to trade, the box isn't in great condition (what with it being so old).
What sort of credit will that get me?
How does £40 plus Justice Inc and paypal charges if relevant strike you?
Resonable depending on how much it costs me to P&P Justice Inc.
Quote from: BalbinusHuh, I see I posted to that thread on freeloading. Well, I still think everything I said there was correct, the notion that a friend using a book I own is freeloading is offensive crap.
It's funny reading one's own posts. I'm amazed at how polite I was in that thread, I must have been enjoying my RPGnet at that point because anyone who takes issue with someone describing themself as a "terrible cunt" and then proceeds to suggest a plan through which the poor might be culled from the hobby not only IS a cunt but deserves to be beaten with a pool queue until he gets detached retinas.
On the topic of freeloading:
I once started a thread that mentioned how I buy more books for my players, even gifting them some books that I wanted to see in play.
One poster gave me the fifth degree about how improper it was that I was gaming with people beneath my station and how I'm not living up to the selfish capitalist expectations (well, he didn't use those words, but that's the jist of it) and that I needed to find new friends to play with because these folks just were psychological trouble in the brewing.
I wish I could find it again. It was truly amazing to me.
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalIt's funny reading one's own posts. I'm amazed at how polite I was in that thread, I must have been enjoying my RPGnet at that point because anyone who takes issue with someone describing themself as a "terrible cunt" and then proceeds to suggest a plan through which the poor might be culled from the hobby not only IS a cunt but deserves to be beaten with a pool queue until he gets detached retinas.
I did think it funny that the same chap who objected to rude language thought it ok to advocate driving the poor from the hobby.
Very moral majority though, regardless of nation that type always seem more keen on the outward signs of decency than actually being decent to people.
To Caesar :
How funny... were you perchance talking to some regency dandy? "By Gods sir, think of your station! You cavort with people little better than staff!"
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalTo Caesar :
How funny... were you perchance talking to some regency dandy? "By Gods sir, think of your station! You cavort with people little better than staff!"
If we all spoke as if we were Regency dandies the world would be a far finer place.
By gad sir, the impudence of your proposed solution is such as to leave me quite breathless, I would kindly ask you in future to keep your narrativist ways away from this place and would suggest that should you wish to engage in such activities you might find some of your colonial friends more amenable. I think that reads much better than say "nah, I'd rather stick to a more traditional rpg".
I think it does one's spirit good to occasion game with the unwashed masses and be reminded that not all can be as fortunate as one's self. (Hence I attend conventions :D )
Quote from: Caesar SlaadOne poster gave me the fifth degree about how improper it was that I was gaming with people beneath my station and how I'm not living up to the selfish capitalist expectations (well, he didn't use those words, but that's the jist of it) and that I needed to find new friends to play with because these folks just were psychological trouble in the brewing.
Someone was clearly jerking off to Atlas Shrugged a little too often...
RPGPundit
I've got a trade list in that thread; made some good trades, getting some stuff I was interested in but not really wanting to spend money on. I've got waaaaaay too many games that I picked up on the cheap that in retrospect I'm never going to run and/or play, and that I need to get rid of to clear out some space, so I might as well get something in return for them.
I'll be updating that list probably next week. When I do, if anyone here wants to trade for something they want, let me know.
Quote from: KnightskyI'll be updating that list probably next week. When I do, if anyone here wants to trade for something they want, let me know.
As promised...
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?p=6391664&posted=1#post6391664
I`m a pretentious pick when it comes to buying. But once I decided upon buying something, I'll keep it till they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
Especially as a specialize on "mining material".
Quote from: RPGPunditI've long since stopped trying to "get rid" of my gaming books. When I was younger and foolish I periodically purged books this way; but I stopped when inevitably I ended up regretting not having access to some gamebook I'd been "absolutely sure" I'd never have any use for.
So now, even if its a game I'm 99% sure I'll never play, or a book I'm 99% sure I'll never use, I keep it.
RPGPundit
I got rid of my entire RPG collection when I got into my late teens in this sorely misguided attempt to become more "grown up". After I actually grew up, I srongly regretted it. About half of my acquisitions are made in an attempt to replace those long-gone books.
I absolutely love books of all sorts, RPG and otherwise, and normally I keep them unless it is something I utterly despise. I don't see what is wrong with collecting games, honestly. Couldn't it be said that even those folks who collect them but never play them are supporting the hobby in their own way? I'm fortunate enough to have a local group, but some people aren't that lucky.
Quote from: mattormegCouldn't it be said that even those folks who collect them but never play them are supporting the hobby in their own way?
Well no... they're supporting the industry, which is not the same thing.
Running a game using a rule system that's been dead for 20 years is supporting the hobby as you're helping others to play, buying books you're never going to use simply feeds the industry. The industry could burn up and blow away and the hobby would still be healthy.