TheRPGSite

So as not to derail Melan's excellent thread (http://www.therpgsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8733), thought I'd spin this off into its own thread.

Quote from: MelanThere is the illusion of no free time and no creativity, but I believe both of these to be minor hurdles. Even with a job and the rest, most people can manage to keep a good campaign going; we just have to shake off the urge to accumulate books we will never use, or even read (is is just me, or are most game books totally boring?) It doesn't have to be the world's most ambitious campaign; in practice, the sense of ownership and involvement makes even those more entertaining than something you buy from the store.

The question(s) is (are):

-Have you culled your book collection recently?  

-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

The one thing I know is:

The best scratch-build-modellers have the largest collection of commercial plastic model kits.

I think the same is true for RPGs.

I'll give it a go first:

Quote-Have you culled your book collection recently?  

Actually, I did one in early '07/late '06, so I'm sorta good for now.  I plan a monster one this spring, though, to coincide with spring cleaning, I guess.

Quote-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

I ended up getting rid of quite a bit of d20 stuff, sinceI had been tinkering with that system for a long time. Dumped a lot of 3e Forgotten Realms supplements, a lot of 3.x supplements, too.  I also got rid of some indie games I'd tried and missed with or had expended, including The Mountain Witch and

I kept all my Palladium stuff, all my Traveller stuff, my old D&D stuff, my ICE stuff, anything from my core of favorite smaller-press guys (Kent, Chris, clash, Bill, Brett, I'm looking at you here), and a few other books, including Chronicles of Ramlar, FASERIP, Amber, Earthdawn, Risus Companion, A/State, Burning Wheel, Lacuna, GURPS 4e core books, True20, and the D&D 3.5 core.  There were a few others, but I'd estimate 50% of my collection went out the door.

Quote-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

Well, aside from having two lovely daughters and a job change, which in and of itself made my gaming budget near-$0 most months, I would say that having been burnt on looking at so many wonder systems and flavors of the month definitely made me much more leery of buying any product right off without a ton more research than I'd have originally done.  It also made me stick a bit closer to some of my go-to companies, and more cautious overall in my purchasing habits.  I've also been buying more accessories as of late, including paints, minis, maps, counters, and the like.

And I look at demos, previews, and quick-starts a hell of a lot more than ever before.

Quote-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

I'd say that a book really has to knock my socks off nowadays rule-wise.  I have a lot of games I'm comfortable with, and find that books I can use for fluff inspiration are more of a draw right now.  I still love looking at different mechanics, but generic and/or easily portable sourcebooks and rulebooks look really good to me.  Actually, anything that has good ideas, fluff or crunch, I love to mine.

Quote-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

If you'd asked me that in late '06, I'd say perhaps 50%.  With that cull, and even with a few purchases I shouldn't have made, I'd say I'm in the neighborhood of 80%, which means I'm not done yet!

Bullshit. I run shitloads of campaigns, and I have long since made it a policy to never get rid of any gaming book, regardless of how little I think I'll use it. I learned one too many times the hard way that getting rid of gaming books always comes back to bite you in the ass, sooner or later.

And whether you get the impulse to play or not has nothing to do with whether you have a lot of accumulated books or not.

RPGPundit

I recently gave away almost all my AD&D books to the guys in my gaming group. I kept a very few - like the green covers and Basic D&D. That's it. I have no interest in running AD&D any more. I may give away my Basic D&D too, now that I have FtA!.

-clash

I like books. Period. So all the books in my collection, including RPG books, are here to stay.

I do, however, buy a lot less RPG-related books than I did say 10 years ago.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabeI like books. Period. So all the books in my collection, including RPG books, are here to stay.

I do, however, buy a lot less RPG-related books than I did say 10 years ago.

Hmmm... I buy a lot more.

-clash

Quote from: Zachary The First-Have you culled your book collection recently?

Yes, and I intend to do a second round this year.

Quote-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

I got rid of a lot of books I never used and either never got enjoyment out of or just didn't like anymore. This meant most of my 2nd edition AD&D stuff, some WoD material I got because I was curious, and some miscellaneous books like Amazing Engine games and generic fantasy supplements.

I held onto books which have nostalgic value to me (e.g. my 2e rulebooks) and anything that was cool (e.g. Warhammer, Stormbringer, etc.).

Quote-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

As above, yes, quite a lot.

Quote-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

I am mostly looking for small, interesting "old school" modules to inspire me. Maybe if something else really catches my attention, I may buy it too.

Quote-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

Recently, about 80-90%. Some time ago, it was lower (probably 50%); I bought them out of a habit. In comparison, in the mid 90s, it was close to 0%.

i did a cull back in the early 90's (not too much) but absolutely regret it now.  some star frontiers, 1e gamma world, cthulhu dreamlands, some d&d.  so everything stays, from now on.  :mad:  :(

i'm definitely buying less now than before.  it's either got to be for a game i'm intensively playing, something i ref, or something i plan to run.  very little is bought just for inspiration or source material.  i've already got enough of that.  i do cruise ebay for cheap deals on stuff, tho.  either source material or some of the things i lost in the badwrongcull.

Quote from: RPGPunditBullshit. I run shitloads of campaigns, and I have long since made it a policy to never get rid of any gaming book, regardless of how little I think I'll use it. I learned one too many times the hard way that getting rid of gaming books always comes back to bite you in the ass, sooner or later.

I'm on a gaming budget, with limited cash, and if I can make a good trade or sell gaming books I do not use for books or accessories I will, well, then that makes sense to me.  Are you saying that's bullshit? :confused:

QuoteAnd whether you get the impulse to play or not has nothing to do with whether you have a lot of accumulated books or not.

RPGPundit

I wouldn't argue.

Quote from: Zachary The FirstI'm on a gaming budget, with limited cash, and if I can make a good trade or sell gaming books I do not use for books or accessories I will, well, then that makes sense to me.  Are you saying that's bullshit? :confused:



I wouldn't argue.

I think he's saying that since such an insane number of people wind up regretting culling their book collection, that it's not the best idea to do it. But hey, if people want to give me their gaming books, cull away! :haw:

Quote from: Sacrificial LambI think he's saying that since such an insane number of people wind up regretting culling their book collection, that it's not the best idea to do it.

I think you definitely have to be careful doing it.  I have books I know I'll NEVER give away.  But I'm definitely happier with my RPG collection now with all the trades and selling I've done than I was at this point two years ago.

QuoteBut hey, if people want to give me their gaming books, cull away! :haw:

Give?  No. But perhaps we can discuss some trades... :D

I've had two big purges.

First Big Purge -  1995
I got rid of nearly all my RPG books by 1995 when I went off to college.  At the time, I think I only brought Earthdawn, a few WoD books, and some Rifts books.  

The rest of the stuff was in pretty poor condition by then, and most of it I hadn't played in years.  This included such greats as various basic D&D rules, AD&D 2e and 1e books, Cyberpunk 2020, Shadowrun, WHFRP, CoC, Star Frontiers, Gamma World, Top Secret, etc.

The reason was simple - I was driving 2000 miles away to college and neither my car nor my dorm room were that big.  Plus, my family was in the middle of moving houses at the time, so I knew that I wouldn't be able to store anything back home.


Second Big Purge - 1998-1999
It wasn't too long at college before I found people to game with (my first night there, as a matter of fact, because a junior with a big gaming collection lived in the adjacent dorm room).  The collection quickly built up again.

WW was all the rage at college my first year.  I must have spent over $500 on WoD products that year alone.  I had the world's biggest stack of Vampire and Wraith books.  But by the end of the year, I decided I didn't like it and the next year I switch to a different group of friends and played mostly Earthdawn, AD&D (which I didn't run), and CoC (which I had bought again).

But by senior year, no one was interested in RPing anymore.  I got tired of moving the books around, and dorm rooms only hold so much.  This time, everything got tossed (eBay was not noticed by me at that point).


Since I started gaming again in 2004, I've slowly been re-buying up old RPG books.  So, in some ways I regret the purges.  But the truth is, space was at a premium in those early years, and I don't think I could have avoided the purges, even if I would have wanted to.

Quote from: flyingmiceHmmm... I buy a lot more.

-clash

Well, there are PDFs now. They replace books and they are more affordable.:D So RPG book purchasing for me is waaaaaaayyyyy down.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabeWell, there are PDFs now. They replace books and they are more affordable.:D So RPG book purchasing for me is waaaaaaayyyyy down.

Ah! If we count pdfs, my buying is WAY up! :D

-clash

My policy is simple: I never give away the core rulebook for a game I've actually played a campaign of. Gaming isn't a hobby which generates much in the way of physical keepsakes if you're not GMing; often all I'll come away from a campaign with is my old character sheet and my copy of the rulebook, and perhaps a few of the GM's handouts. Keeping hold of them is an excellent way to remember old campaigns - just flipping through the book is enough for me to remember fun sessions. That's why, for example, I'm not about to let go of my Weapons of the Gods book, even though I no longer care for the system - too many memories attached to it. If I GM a game, I may feel similarly about particular supplements or adventures, for similar reasons.

However, if I've never actually used a book in a game it's fair game for being eBayed if I decide I'm deeply unlikely to ever use it. I'm usually more willing to get rid of supplements and adventures than I am core rules, however; you never know when someone in your social circle will get the itch to run something obscure.

Quote from: Zachary The First-Have you culled your book collection recently?  

I was laid off in late '06 and many books found their way to Half Price Books to pay the bills.

Quote-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

If it wasn't rare it went away. If it was rare but I had a pdf copy, it still went away.

Quote-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

I get a lot more pdfs these days, but still get hard copies of the major/core books.

Quote-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

Hard copies are restricted to core books for now. That may change if Scion's upcoming non-cores are good, and/or if 4E is good and has nice splats.

Quote-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

Hardcopy: 100%
PDF: 50%, with plans to one day use 100%.

Whoops - accidental double post. Ignore plz.

-Have you culled your book collection recently?  

In the process of doing so... I have about 8 boxes worth of games that im getting rid of (15+ linear ft)

-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

anything I havent touched in several year, they have been sitting in the garage anyway. at one time I was planning on opening a game store, so there were also a few duplicates

-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

I buy less, instead I buy books like Time/Life series to give me ideas for the games I already play

-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

source material followed closely by complete RPG.

-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

sadly less than 25%

Quote from: Zachary The First-Have you culled your book collection recently?

Nope, and I won't.  I'm a bibliophile and I keep my library intact, be it gaming or otherwise.  I don't get rid of gaming books...I read them all the time.

Quote from: Zachary The First-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

I buy less than I did ten years ago.  I'm more discerning...but I have been buying PDFs of late.

Quote from: Zachary The First-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

Source material or because I want to read it.

Quote from: Zachary The First-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

If by "SOME use" you mean enjoyment, 100%.  If you mean by "SOME use" you mean at the table...probably 5% or so.

-Have you culled your book collection recently?  

Yes, very recently.  

-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

I got rid of my whole 1st ed Exalted collection that I never once played.  I also dumped a small mess of Warhammer books (yes, I know -- not quite RPGs), and a variety of other things that, quite frankly, I can't recall just a week later, which, I suppose, is precisely why I sold them.

-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

Yes, I'm buying less and less.  When I do buy anything, it's almost exclusively core rules -- no supplements.  Also, most of my purchases for the last year have been RPG books for my son, not me.

Oh, and, now that I think of it, virtually everything that I've bought in the last couple of years have been either books that I once owned and bought again out of nostalgia, or were games that had been on the market for a couple of years already.  No brand-spanking-new games without real market-tested reviews.

-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

As I stated above, almost all purchases have been core rules, much of which comes with built-in source material.  No setting supplements -- I'm through with that crap.

Hey, wait!  I just remembered one of the items I sold off last week, something I bought within the last calendar year -- Martin Dougherty's Traveller: 1248 sourcebook.  I guess that puts the lie to my previous statements.  Anyway, I was curious to see how he brought all the disparate post 5fW-Traveller developments under a single umbrella.  I thought some of it was interesting, but it was largely rubbish.  It was someone else's Traveller campaign, not mine.  Which goes back to saying that I'm through with someone else's sourcebook supplements.

-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

Over all, or just within recent history?  I'm embarrassed to figure out what my play-to-purchase ratio would be for my entire RPG-ing career, but I'd guess at something less than 10%.  Okay, easily less than 10% -- probably something like 5%.  In the last coupe of years it's gone up significantly, largely by virtue of buying far, far fewer books, and buying only books that I think I'm likely to play.  Of the four new game systems (yes, four actual new games) that I've bought in the last five years, I've played with two of them.  Those are greatly improved numbers.

!i!

-Have you culled your book collection recently?  

I got rid of a few books when I moved my office into the basement last year.

-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

Got rid of a few 2E D&D books. That's about it. I don't have much stuff to begin with: one box full of old modules, binders, notebooks, PC sheets, etc., and one shelf of an IKEA book case filled with mostly hardcovers.

-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

I bought very few RPG books between about 1989 and 2001, and my collection was small to begin with. When 3E came out, I bought some Necramancer Games books - maybe two or three a year.

Then in the last two years, as my regular D&D group fell apart, I started exploring other RPGs out of curiousity. So I bought the core rules and one or two supplements each for Talislanta, Ars Magica, Paranoia, Warhammer, and Earthdawn.

-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

There are two kinds of products I buy:

Adventures/sourcebooks for D&D (any edition)

One-book RPGs I think I may play in the future, along with a supplement or two to give me something to work with.

I have no interest in rules expansion for any RPGs I buy; I find I prefer to cull rules from the core books of games I play, rather than seek out even more stuff my players will never use.

-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

Depends on what you mean by some use. I read 90 per cent of what I buy. Maybe 60 per cent generates some kind of campaign or adventure ideas that I enjoy working on. About 20 per cent gets used in actual play (although I never buy something without at least the intent to use it in actual play).

Reading about people culling their book collections always freaks me out a little bit. I'm a notorious pack rat, just like my father, and have difficulty letting things go. So when I see someone saying they're about to get rid of their entire Conan collection, I feel a bit like a greedy little kid eating french fries; I just wanna grab 'em all for myself.

Anybody have any books they wanna cull from their collection? :haw:

Have you culled your book collection recently?

No.  I've replaced lost books with purchases from Ebay.

Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years? If so, what was the impetus behind it?

I've started buying older books on Ebay, Second Hand stores, Flea Markets, etc.  Because I don't like the direction many games have gone recently.

Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

I'm more likely to buy a module, a complete RPG, or a gamebook (Fighting Fantasy).  I'm unlikely to buy a "splat book" or campaign setting.

What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

I make sure my purchases are either free / cheap (3.x D&D), or very worthwhile (B/X D&D).  I get some use out of all my purchases -- even if it's just seeing how a system works (eg. Heroes Unlimited).

-Have you culled your book collection recently?  

No.

-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

Yes. My influx of books has dropped somewhat, due to:
1) disappearance of third party D20 offerings, and
2) decreasing satisfaction with WotC books (even such ballyhooed titles and Tome of Magic and Book of 9 Swords were failures AFAIAC).

-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

Are you asking objectively, or as a trend?

I still am more likely to buy new books for source material or rules than a complete RPG.

But last year marked a spike in my purchase of complete RPGs.

-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

I try to get some use out of every book I buy. But time constraints see little actually see play. I'd guess 40% (new games are in no way exempt from this. In fact, they are very typically worse.)

-Have you culled your book collection recently?
Not exactly. I've always culled every so often, so I have a pretty tight collection of about a dozen or so games. The last thing I got rid of was WEG Star Wars (2e rev exp); along with a couple of its supplements. I knew I was never going to play it again.

-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?
See above for last purge. I know I'll never sell off my collection of Gloranthan material or my Pendragon collection, both of which I may well use. I've got a few games I can't see playing again, but I hold on to for some reason, like Toon, Stormbringer and Wild West – games with some sort of individual quirk.

-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?
I used to buy very little except new stuff for HeroQuest or Pendragon. In the last few years I've also been buying some of the Forge games, which have pretty much rekindled my long-term interest in RPing

-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?
I'd have to say I'd be more interested in buying a complete game (whether 'micro' or not). I haven't actually bought the last few Gloranthan supplements, which is very unusual for me. I might buy the Great PD Campaign book one day, or the BW Japanese book.

-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?
All of them...eventually. I've always tried to buy RP books with an eye to use.

Quote from: Zachary The First-Have you culled your book collection recently?

Nope. I have more or less everything I started out with about 20+ years ago. Some books I gave away/lent .....but most of it I still have.  

Quote-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

A few TSR books. Not core rules but campaign fluff.

Quote-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

Yeah, I'm a more cautious buyer now. For instance, I bought every Mage supplement out there (and I have no regrets).....these days I'm really picky about what I purchase. There's just too much stuff out there. Most of it, not to my taste.

Quote-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

Depends. I'm not really interested in rules, more of a setting kind of gamer, but if something (system) looks interesting and after a lot of consideration,I'd buy it. This normally means I'm late to the party.

Quote-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

These days if I buy a product, it means that I'd definitely use it.

Regards,
David R

Quote from: JohnnyWannabeI like books. Period. So all the books in my collection, including RPG books, are here to stay.

I do, however, buy a lot less RPG-related books than I did say 10 years ago.

I'll just copy and paste cause thats my answer as well.

And like the Pundit, I've screwed up by getting rid of stuff before only to get bitten in the ass later and buying it again.

Quote from: The Evil DMAnd like the Pundit, I've screwed up by getting rid of stuff before only to get bitten in the ass later and buying it again.

A friend of mine burned all of White Wolf books because he went through a period of religious zealotry.  His cautionary tale has always tempered my indecisiveness when confronted with selling off my of my collection.

Plus, there's always hope I'll run something again.  The only games I own that I have never run are Grey Ranks and Blue Planet.  Mortal Coil never got off the ground, so that's three of about thirty that I haven't tried.

I am a bibliophile but I only get rid of books usually if I run one game and don't find it bears further usage. I also often give away books in the hope that the person I'm giving it to will actually run a game with it. (Most often games I like, but am unlikely to run, regularly.)

As for purchasing habits, I buy or trade for games with the intent to use them, more and more I find my own works more suitable for any given theme, or style of play than many games I own, or could buy. My players for example demand regular games of H&S or my FRPG (High Valor.)

I like running other games beyond my own, but regular campaigns, reliable groups, and so on, make switching games less and less common except for one shots or short diversions, and the expense of games makes that less fiscally responsible.

 I can write a sufficiently workable RPG for my group in 24 hours. Sure I wouldn't sell or publish it without years of additional work, but mechanics, and setting bits sufficient to start playing is easy.  Making it  suitable for playing long term, and explaining to OTHER Gm's beyond myself is what takes the real work.




I don't tend to buy supplements either, just core rules with either a good setting, or with a suggestion of a setting sufficient to make it work for me. (Spirit of the Century for example.)

Quote from: Zachary The FirstThe question(s) is (are):

-Have you culled your book collection recently?  

Not so much recently, over the past two years though, yes, heavily.  I am still trying to cull many more, but basically there is no second hand scene in the UK and I lack the time to list over a hundred books on ebay which is making it surprisingly tricky to accomplish (I'd rather not just throw them in the bin when others might enjoy them).

Quote from: Zachary The First-If so, what sort of books did you get rid of, and which did you keep?

Simple, I asked the following questions?  Have I run this and if so am I likely to want to run it again in consequence?  Do I want to run this and credibly expect to be able to run this?  Has this some nostalgic value that makes it worth keeping regardless?

Essentially, although I am a bibliophile with many shelves of books games to me are manuals, operating texts.  They are tools to be used to deliver a game in play, and as such are not items I buy for the pleasure of reading them.  If they haven't seen play and aren't likely to see play then save for a very few exceptions (much like Droog's actually) then they go.

Quote from: Zachary The First-Have your purchasing habits for RPGs changed in the past year or few years?  If so, what was the impetus behind it?

I purchase far less.  A few years ago I bought a copy of Gurps Far Traders, when I got home I discovered I already owned it and had forgotten.  I created a database of rpgs I owned to avoid that happening again, and entered as a field whether each book had seen use in actual play or not.

I hadn't realised how few had, when I saw that fewer than one in ten saw actual play (including one shots), I decided to cull my collection.  As I did so, I came to feel that the very term collection is problematic, games are for play, I am not a collector.

Quote from: Zachary The First-Are you more likely to buy a book/product now for source material, new rules, or for a complete RPG?

Complete rpg.  I can use BRP for most anything so it has to bring something to the party that for me BRP does not do well.

Quote from: Zachary The First-What is the percentage of RPG books you purchase that you'd say you get at least SOME use out of?

Historically less than one in ten, nowadays still less than 50% I suspect.  I have a long way to go yet and intend to cull many more, if I can find somewhere to offload them to.

Quote from: RPGPunditBullshit. I run shitloads of campaigns, and I have long since made it a policy to never get rid of any gaming book, regardless of how little I think I'll use it. I learned one too many times the hard way that getting rid of gaming books always comes back to bite you in the ass, sooner or later.

And whether you get the impulse to play or not has nothing to do with whether you have a lot of accumulated books or not.

RPGPundit

I found that having loads of books I didn't play rather depressed me, and made it harder to come up with ideas as I got distracted by the range of system options instead of thinking about what would happen in actual play.

Also, I've not once regretted getting rid of a single book I decided to get rid of (though I have regretted losing those I left in storage with my parents which I had no intention of getting rid of but which they helpfully disposed of anyway).

I find when speaking of human experience, it is frequently useful to speak of one's own, it is generally not useful to extrapolate from that and then to speak for others.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabeI like books. Period. So all the books in my collection, including RPG books, are here to stay.

I do, however, buy a lot less RPG-related books than I did say 10 years ago.

QFT.

Same here. I just don't see any RPG books that I want to buy anymore. The only thing I might pick up is the upcoming Warhammer 40k RPG (mostly so that I can rip out all the fluff and items to use in another system).

Other than that, the only things I would pick up are old game books that I don't have.

Quote from: SettThe one thing I know is:

The best scratch-build-modellers have the largest collection of commercial plastic model kits.

I think the same is true for RPGs.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabeI like books. Period. So all the books in my collection, including RPG books, are here to stay.

Quote from: RPGPunditAnd whether you get the impulse to play or not has nothing to do with whether you have a lot of accumulated books or not.

I agree with the above posts. I've got no problem, though, if some of you want to cull some books in my general direction. I might have things worth trading (likely the only way I'll willingly be rid of them). Actually, I've got little money after the Christmas season and may seek trading for the first time evar. We'll see.

In terms of my buying habits, I'm a bit of a system buff and a combat monster. Currently hankering for something relatively simple/flexible/non-gimmicky and on the gritty side. I'm currently going through a phase where I'm more into brand new games than sourcebooks and supplements. Still just looking for my go-to game.

Also, what's a guy got to do to find decent pre-published adventures?

I'm planning on lining my coffin with my RPG books. Maybe I'll finally get around to playing Alternity.

Quote from: The Evil DMI'm planning on lining my coffin with my RPG books.

If your collection grows too large, perhaps they can be your cause of death, too, when your shelves collapse and bury you. :)  Heck, your family could save money on the coffin if they just left you buried beneath the books.

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaIf your collection grows too large, perhaps they can be your cause of death, too, when your shelves collapse and bury you. :)  Heck, your family could save money on the coffin if they just left you buried beneath the books.

!i!

they would find me under a pile of books. the only means of identyfying me would be one arm in view, holding a bunch of 6-sided dice.

"He must have been looking for a GURPS supplement."

Quote from: The Evil DMMaybe I'll finally get around to playing Alternity.

I ran Dark*Matter a few times.  It was a pretty cool game.  Very clunky by today's standards, though.