let's see, in rough order of acquisition:

moldvay B/E d&d:  started with that, around '82.
ad&d 1st:  moved to a different town and that's what they were playing.  later got the UA & other survival guides, but didn't care for 'em.  stopped playing d&d & switched to traveller
3.0: PH comes out, looks interesting.  roughly the same time S&S's creature collection hits the shelves.  strangely, the combination sucks me in.  end up getting stuff like dragonstar, CoC d20, skull & bones, dragon lords of melnibone, maybe a few other d20 stuff (which i'd consider "variants").  then shocked when suddenly arrives--
3.5:  our small group wanted to stay "up to date" for some inane reason (things were going fine as they were), so got the core again, and a few more supplements.  once they introduced the new actions i felt a strange M:tG flashback and quit.  did get both the warcraft and WoW lines (all of the former, only core & more magic for the latter) tho.  

during my 3.5 period i found the companion set and RC on ebay, more for nostalgia than anything.  if i had to run something again i'd probably just use moldvay, just to dust it off again.  

probably won't have any money for 4E, since (maybe) BRP will be out, and new traveller, and there's still a bunch of MRQ books i want :haw:

About Holmes D&D: this is essentially a kind of Basic AD&D, yes? OD&D without the supplements and only going to 2nd or 3rd level? If so, is there a reason to look into it? IIRC the art is better than in B/X, but that's about it?

My D&D versions so far:

AD&D 1st
BECM(I pending, does pdf count?)
Palladium Fantasy
Black Box Basic
RC+WotI
AD&D 2nd
D&D 3.5

D&D Boardgame (parker)

Pierce: I'm no expert on Holmes, but off the top of my head the initiative rules are Dex-based, you can make scrolls from level 1 providing you hand the time and money, the monster selection is different, and the sample dungeon is intriguing.  IMHO there's not eneough difference between Holmes, Moldvay, and Mentzer to justify tracking down all three unless you're a collector or some sort of obsessive D&D freakazoid.  For the record, I consider myself in the latter category moreso than the former.

Quote from: jrientsFor the record, I consider myself in the latter category moreso than the former.

Me too. This would not be so bad, but I'm also a pristine-box fetishist. Sigh.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityAbout Holmes D&D: this is essentially a kind of Basic AD&D, yes? OD&D without the supplements and only going to 2nd or 3rd level? If so, is there a reason to look into it? IIRC the art is better than in B/X, but that's about it?

Simpler than the Moldvay basic edition, in that the rules are lighter. Yet, strangely, much harder to follow.

Quote from: CabSimpler than the Moldvay basic edition, in that the rules are lighter. Yet, strangely, much harder to follow.

That's two strikes, AFAIAC.

I do like the dragon on the cover.

Quote from: grubman-AD&D 1st ed.  Nostalgia.  Seriously I have little use for these books anymore, but I just had so many good play years with so many good people I just can't seem to part with them.

-Moldvay/Cook Basic & Expert.  A mix of Nostalgia and a hope that I will one day be able to run a campaign using these much loved rules.  Whenever I write D&D or run a one shot I use these rules.

-RC.  Sort of a supplement to my basic set.  I really don't care for the RC much, too many goofy rules and such that overcomplicate the beautiful Basic and Expert set.  Still, there are a few little tidbits that are handy to have, so for now I still keep it handy.

-3.5.  Because this is what my group plays.  Now that 4th ed is coming out I'll probably sell off my mint DMG and MM

I should've just waited and copied grubman's post.

3.5 is it so far. I started fairly recently. Also, I saved moneys by mooching supplements (I know... I'm despicable) so I'm not all bemoaning the new set of core books for 4.

Most folks I know got into it in 3.5 and somehow own just about every supplement. These folks seem more likely to stick with 3.5 for DnD and (surprisingly) pick up a bunch of third party stuff knowing that their income isn't set aside for new WotC releases. It's crazy.

Quote from: GunslingerI should've just waited and copied grubman's post.

But...but...wait...wouldn't that mean grubman would have been posting to a thread that wasn't even there...?! :eek:

My D&D purchase history has rarely made any sense:

* My first D&D purchase was the Moldvay Expert set, because I was 6 or 7 and didn't grasp the concept.

* My next purchase was Moldvay Basic, but it was for a friend's birthday present (although primarily so I could play it, LOL).

* I later went back and bought the Metzner Basic, and used it in conjunction with my Moldvay Expert set.

* At some point, I purchased the AD&D 1e Monster Manual I, II, and Fiend Folio along with some modules.  Up until a month ago, I never owned the 1e Player's Handbook or DMG (which I bought for nostalgia's sake).

* When I actually got into AD&D, 2e was already out.  I used the 2e Player's Handbook with the 1e Monster Manuals.  I never did buy a DMG (the 2e one looked useless to me) or a 2e Monstrous Compendium (I didn't like the loose-leaf pages).  Once again, I've only recently purchased the 2e DMG and Monstrous Manual for collecting purposes.

* At some point, I bought the Red&Black box set for a reason that I no longer recall, and switched to playing that for a while.

* Several years ago I bought the Rules Compendium book out of nostalgia.

* I played in a D&D 3 campaign for a couple of years, but never bought a book because I didn't care for the new "feel" of the game.

Now, my Moldvay and Metzner books died a long time ago as the victims of excessive usage.  And I don't have a clue what happened to the red/black box set.

So all I have now are: RC, AD&D1, and AD&D2.  And my answer to 3e, C&C; though lately I've found myself writing yet another D&D heartbreaker set of homebrew rules for some reason - likely my distaste of the direction 4e is taking.

Quote from: KenHRBut...but...wait...wouldn't that mean grubman would have been posting to a thread that wasn't even there...?! :eek:

wha...
brain...hurts

that's one crazy tale there, jgants :eyecrazy:

Quote from: jgants* At some point, I purchased the AD&D 1e Monster Manual I, II, and Fiend Folio

The Monster Manual was the first AD&D book I purchased too.  My sister and I went through and changed all the stats to be compatable with Basic /Expert.  At the time $12 was a huge purchase for us (we each chipped in $6) so buying all the AD&D books was totally out of the question.

Seriously, that first year of playing was the best!  Whenever I get to play D&D with my sister again (rare as it may be these days) it feels the same, so I know it's not just Nastolgia.  She is really the only totally like minded gamer I've ever met...to bad she sort of "grew out" of the "hobby" some time ago.

I've a Basic Set (Mentzer), and the Expert, Companion, and Master rules books.

That's it.