Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
Hugh Falk wrote: > > Yes, they repackaged it a couple of times. The original spiral book version > was in 1986. In 1987 they came out with the "small box" version, which is > about 9" tall. I have this for both the Apple II and C-64. There is also a > slightly larger boxed version. It is the same width as the "small box" > version, but for some reason it is 10" tall. I have this for the C-64, but > I don't know the year because it is still in the wrap. Both versions are > shorter than the 12" original. The 10" box was a later run; that must be what I remember from my friend's house. So until we can verify, I think we can assume that the 10" box was used for the PC version, with no spiral-bound manual. -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
RE: [SWCollect] Some questions
Yes, they repackaged it a couple of times. The original spiral book version was in 1986. In 1987 they came out with the "small box" version, which is about 9" tall. I have this for both the Apple II and C-64. There is also a slightly larger boxed version. It is the same width as the "small box" version, but for some reason it is 10" tall. I have this for the C-64, but I don't know the year because it is still in the wrap. Both versions are shorter than the 12" original. Hugh -Original Message- From: Lee K. Seitz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2001 4:46 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [SWCollect] Some questions Hugh Falk boldly stated: > >I do have the original Might and Magic for the Apple. It is a 9" x 12" >spiral bound book and did not come in a box. The "Apple II 64K required" >sticker that would normally be on the outside of a box is placed on the >jacket of the book. > >Hugh So did they repackage it after the initial offering? My Apple II copy came in a box. -- Lee K. Seitz * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/ Wanted: Vintage Pac-M*n necktie ** If you send me spam selling illegal compliations of old ** ** games, I WILL report you to the IDSA! (I hate spam!) ** -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/ -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
"C.E. Forman" wrote: > > I've given suggestions, but it never hurts to restate them. .. Excellent, excellent advice. Warms my heart to see stuff like that on this list. -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
>But don't get them off of ebay -- you need to learn the fine art of >"oldwarezing" (visiting all sorts of thrift shops, used software stores (a >surprising amount of them exist in Illinois), goodwill, and other nooks and >crannies. Or, just be patient and always bid low for something that comes up a >lot, and you might get it. Chris is fond of sharing stories of things like >someone putting up a complete Infocom with a Buy This Now price of $5 (doh!) Actually there's a downside to that story. The cheating weasel bastard who stupidly listed it for $5 never delivered to the winner. Lots of excuses, lots of reasons why "postage to England would be too high, you wouldn't want to pay it". Obviously somebody offerred him a heck of a lot more, and this dickhole sold to them instead. >Chris and Tom, both on this list, are experts in oldwarezing. I have tagged >along with them on one of their runs and learned a lot; Chris, in particular, >has a knack for finding the neat obscure stuff, like Michael Berlyn novels. >Chris, care to spare any advice on finding stuff? Or have you written about >that subject already in the YOIS newsletter? I've given suggestions, but it never hurts to restate them. Obviously checking everywhere is a good start. Software resellers are the ones most likely to have good stuff, but the problem is everybody else checks them too. One thing I do when I go to another city is to find a small restaurant for breakfast/lunch and ask to borrow their phone book while I'm eating. (Most public phone booths no longer have books, and if they do they tend to have the map pages torn out.) I flip through "Computers- Used", "Books- Used and Rare", "Thrift Shops", "Consignment Shops", "Resale Shops", "Pawnbrokers", "Video Games"... any place that might have items from the 1980s. (Antique stores, I've found, don't carry anything that recent.) Comic shops are another good bet, some of them cater to the retrogaming crowd. Find some addresses, jot them down (you did bring a notepad, right?), sketch a quick map and decide on a route to hit all the places you've found. On the way, keep an eye out for sales -- garage, yard, moving, estate -- and be sure to stop at any that look interesting. Once you're there, you have to know exactly what you're looking for, otherwise how will you find it? Keep your list memorized, or bring it with you. With enough practice you'll get really good at sweeping shelves with one quick glance. If you know your way around the place, head straight for the section that's likely to have gameage (for instance, the cassette bins in thrift stores, or an electronics section if it has one). But check the entire place, just in case something got shelved incorrectly. Keep notes on whether or not you found anything interesting. On subsequent trips, this can save you some time, not going to a store that's unlikely to have anything. If you find stuff, *always* ask if they have more (especially at yard sales), or how often they get it in. In addition to letting you know how often you should check the place, the clerk's response can also help you determine how much competition you have: "We had more, but we sold a bunch of it the other day." One thing I've noticed is that games have a tendency to turn up when I'm around. Like some people have a way with animals, dogs and cats just seem to like them? I seem to be that way with vintage games: I don't find them, they find me. B-) >I wouldn't use software as a profit device -- some people do, but tastes change >(and people's IQ goes up and down ;-) and I've never tried to make money off of >it. However, I *know* other people on this list do it, and some do it well -- >maybe they should offer up some advice? While I do buy and resell, technically I don't do it for profit, since it's not my day job, and every dollar I make goes back into buying items for my personal collection. Honesty is important, and if somebody offers $100 for a game that's only worth $40 to me, I'd let them have it for $40. OTOH, on eBay anything goes, and if somebody wants to pay $300 for a Kilrathi Saga, who am I to stop them? When I'm hopelessly outsniped, I get through the disappointment with a simple mantra: "There is always another copy out there." It may take weeks, months, or even years for it to show up, but eventually it will. There are very, very few truly unique (i.e. one-of-a-kind) items when it comes to software collecting. With Neverhood and I Have No Mouth, there are still plenty of people who haven't gotten around to selling their used copies, plenty of warehouses with unsold cases, etc. While they probably won't drop down to the $10 range (unless everybody starts listing them at once), I don't believe they'll stay $60 - 70 forever. Once the high-rollers get theirs and get out of the way, the collectors who don't want to pay as much will get their turn. Look at Infocom's Quarterstaff. When I first started collecting, you coul
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
Hugh Falk boldly stated: > >I do have the original Might and Magic for the Apple. It is a 9" x 12" >spiral bound book and did not come in a box. The "Apple II 64K required" >sticker that would normally be on the outside of a box is placed on the >jacket of the book. > >Hugh So did they repackage it after the initial offering? My Apple II copy came in a box. -- Lee K. Seitz * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/ Wanted: Vintage Pac-M*n necktie ** If you send me spam selling illegal compliations of old ** ** games, I WILL report you to the IDSA! (I hate spam!) ** -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
Hugh Falk wrote: > > I do have the original Might and Magic for the Apple. It is a 9" x 12" > spiral bound book and did not come in a box. The "Apple II 64K required" > sticker that would normally be on the outside of a box is placed on the > jacket of the book. I think that answers the question, then: My memory is faulty. Might and Magic 1 for the IBM PC definitely came in a box. Whether or not it was spiral-bound remains to be determined, but it is not identical to the Apple large spiral-bound manual. Thanks for the note, Hugh! -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
RE: [SWCollect] Some questions
I do have the original Might and Magic for the Apple. It is a 9" x 12" spiral bound book and did not come in a box. The "Apple II 64K required" sticker that would normally be on the outside of a box is placed on the jacket of the book. Hugh -Original Message- From: Jim Leonard [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 9:19 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [SWCollect] Some questions "Stephen S. Lee" wrote: > > I was actually talking about Champions of Krynn, not Pool (never heard of Oh, Krynn! Yes, my friend had this given to him as a gift, and I distinctly remember a poster being included. (IBM PC version) > > I have seen M&M1 for the PC with a spiral-bound manual, although my > > memory says it's a 5x7" manual, not "large". My memory could be > > wrong... but it was definitely spiral-bound. > > Son of a gun ... I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that one, too. You > sure about this? Hugh seems to disagree ... It was a large box, that much I remember. But this was a long time ago. If there is a dispute, I'll defer to Hugh, as he probably owns it. > > Buy now if the price is $9 or less. You can always sell later. That's what I > > do, but I'm not everyone. > > Yeah, but these sorts of games typically go on eBay for $25+. I pick But don't get them off of ebay -- you need to learn the fine art of "oldwarezing" (visiting all sorts of thrift shops, used software stores (a surprising amount of them exist in Illinois), goodwill, and other nooks and crannies. Or, just be patient and always bid low for something that comes up a lot, and you might get it. Chris is fond of sharing stories of things like someone putting up a complete Infocom with a Buy This Now price of $5 (doh!) :-) Chris and Tom, both on this list, are experts in oldwarezing. I have tagged along with them on one of their runs and learned a lot; Chris, in particular, has a knack for finding the neat obscure stuff, like Michael Berlyn novels. Chris, care to spare any advice on finding stuff? Or have you written about that subject already in the YOIS newsletter? > these off at a slow pace -- sometimes the going price on eBay skyrockets > alarmingly, as happened notably with the Sierra collections. I'm just > wondering whether The Neverhood will always be $60-70, or whether it will > be profitable to wait for the price to dip to $25, or whether I should buy > ten copies now and make a mint in a few years. :) I wouldn't use software as a profit device -- some people do, but tastes change (and people's IQ goes up and down ;-) and I've never tried to make money off of it. However, I *know* other people on this list do it, and some do it well -- maybe they should offer up some advice? > > The price of Kilrathi Saga just blows my mind. People who are paying > > those prices (I've seen as high as $500) are incredibly stupid. It's > > just not worth that much. > > Yeah, well, nothing much you can do about the desperate game-players ... I > still want my Wing Commander calendar, though. :) I guess they don't realize that they can purchase Wing Commanders 1, 2, and 3, buy a 486 and a Roland MT-32, and play them all for much less than $500. (The "remastered soundtrack" for the Kilrathi Saga is just the MT-32 soundtrack saved to .WAV files that play during the game.) > > The "film can" release of Wing Commander 3 > > is a hell of a lot more rare and worth a thousand dollars at least > > (came in an actual film can, with extra materials including a > > t-shirt). > > Ah, I don't think it's worth quite so much, otherwise I wouldn't have > gotten a complete copy on eBay for $125. (Absolutely complete; this > almost always shows up missing a part or five.) Huge bugger of a package > (it doesn't all come in the can; the can itself comes in a larger box), > too; not sure how I'll put it on my shelves in the place I'm moving to. Kick ass! I envy you. It's definitely worth more for the simple reason that much less were produced, only about 1500 if memory serves. There were 22,000 Kilrathi Sagas on shelves and probably more in warehouses. > This *was* obtaininable direct from EA until relatively recently, > actually. (Same for the Martian Dreams clue book, sigh.) I wish I had known that! :-( > > > (6) Truly ancient IBM games > > > > > > There are four IBM games I know of that come in a small flat gray > > > plastic folder (this is how the very first IBM games came packaged): > [snip] > > Wow, you're definitely hard-core IBM. :-) Warms my heart to see > > that. Yes, these were the first four entertainment titles for the IBM
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
"Stephen S. Lee" wrote: > > I was actually talking about Champions of Krynn, not Pool (never heard of Oh, Krynn! Yes, my friend had this given to him as a gift, and I distinctly remember a poster being included. (IBM PC version) > > I have seen M&M1 for the PC with a spiral-bound manual, although my > > memory says it's a 5x7" manual, not "large". My memory could be > > wrong... but it was definitely spiral-bound. > > Son of a gun ... I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that one, too. You > sure about this? Hugh seems to disagree ... It was a large box, that much I remember. But this was a long time ago. If there is a dispute, I'll defer to Hugh, as he probably owns it. > > Buy now if the price is $9 or less. You can always sell later. That's what I > > do, but I'm not everyone. > > Yeah, but these sorts of games typically go on eBay for $25+. I pick But don't get them off of ebay -- you need to learn the fine art of "oldwarezing" (visiting all sorts of thrift shops, used software stores (a surprising amount of them exist in Illinois), goodwill, and other nooks and crannies. Or, just be patient and always bid low for something that comes up a lot, and you might get it. Chris is fond of sharing stories of things like someone putting up a complete Infocom with a Buy This Now price of $5 (doh!) :-) Chris and Tom, both on this list, are experts in oldwarezing. I have tagged along with them on one of their runs and learned a lot; Chris, in particular, has a knack for finding the neat obscure stuff, like Michael Berlyn novels. Chris, care to spare any advice on finding stuff? Or have you written about that subject already in the YOIS newsletter? > these off at a slow pace -- sometimes the going price on eBay skyrockets > alarmingly, as happened notably with the Sierra collections. I'm just > wondering whether The Neverhood will always be $60-70, or whether it will > be profitable to wait for the price to dip to $25, or whether I should buy > ten copies now and make a mint in a few years. :) I wouldn't use software as a profit device -- some people do, but tastes change (and people's IQ goes up and down ;-) and I've never tried to make money off of it. However, I *know* other people on this list do it, and some do it well -- maybe they should offer up some advice? > > The price of Kilrathi Saga just blows my mind. People who are paying > > those prices (I've seen as high as $500) are incredibly stupid. It's > > just not worth that much. > > Yeah, well, nothing much you can do about the desperate game-players ... I > still want my Wing Commander calendar, though. :) I guess they don't realize that they can purchase Wing Commanders 1, 2, and 3, buy a 486 and a Roland MT-32, and play them all for much less than $500. (The "remastered soundtrack" for the Kilrathi Saga is just the MT-32 soundtrack saved to .WAV files that play during the game.) > > The "film can" release of Wing Commander 3 > > is a hell of a lot more rare and worth a thousand dollars at least > > (came in an actual film can, with extra materials including a > > t-shirt). > > Ah, I don't think it's worth quite so much, otherwise I wouldn't have > gotten a complete copy on eBay for $125. (Absolutely complete; this > almost always shows up missing a part or five.) Huge bugger of a package > (it doesn't all come in the can; the can itself comes in a larger box), > too; not sure how I'll put it on my shelves in the place I'm moving to. Kick ass! I envy you. It's definitely worth more for the simple reason that much less were produced, only about 1500 if memory serves. There were 22,000 Kilrathi Sagas on shelves and probably more in warehouses. > This *was* obtaininable direct from EA until relatively recently, > actually. (Same for the Martian Dreams clue book, sigh.) I wish I had known that! :-( > > > (6) Truly ancient IBM games > > > > > > There are four IBM games I know of that come in a small flat gray > > > plastic folder (this is how the very first IBM games came packaged): > [snip] > > Wow, you're definitely hard-core IBM. :-) Warms my heart to see > > that. Yes, these were the first four entertainment titles for the IBM > > PC Model 5150. I don't see any more in my catalogs until the later > > "plastic clam-shell" packaging. > > Dude, you've got the catalogs too. Lucky bastard. :) But I don't have the games! Lucky bastard. ;) > > You might be interested to know that there were third-party games for > > the IBM available very closely after the 5150's release (ie. the above > > 4 you list weren't the only "first games available"). Check > > www.mobygames.com for "funtastic" games, for example. > > How hard are the other extremely old IBM games to find? Occasionally I > try to look for a copy of, say, J-Bird, or Czorian Siege, but I have > absolutely no recollection what the packaging looks like for one thing, > and I have no idea how rare it is. I think you just answered your ow
RE: [SWCollect] Some questions
My Death Knights of Krynn (C-64) has no poster. Hugh -Original Message- From: Stephen S. Lee [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 3:50 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [SWCollect] Some questions Hugh was kind enough to respond to this too, so I'll keep his writing in mind here ... On Wed, 11 Jul 2001, Jim Leonard wrote: [snip] > > There is a poster that comes with the game, but I was under the impression > > that it only came with the Commodore versions (both C64 and Amiga). Now > > I've heard of an IBM version that also comes with it, and mentions the > > presence of the poster via a sticker on the box. How easy is this one to > > come by? > > I can't verify it's rarity for sure, but I know that I bought Pools of > Radiance RIGHT when it was delivered to stores in 1988 and I did not > get a poster. It might have been a promotional add-in to help sell > extra copies of the game at a later point in time. I was actually talking about Champions of Krynn, not Pool (never heard of a poster for that one). Apparently the poster is more widespread than I originally though (if the poster also appears in the Apple version). Does Death Knights of Krynn (any system) also have one, or does it not? > > (2) Might & Magic I > > > > Tangent from (1): now I wonder whether there exists an IBM version of the > > original Might & Magic with the large spiral-bound manual. > > I have seen M&M1 for the PC with a spiral-bound manual, although my > memory says it's a 5x7" manual, not "large". My memory could be > wrong... but it was definitely spiral-bound. Son of a gun ... I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that one, too. You sure about this? Hugh seems to disagree ... > > (3) Acquiring semi-recent games > > > > I realize this is somewhat like asking to predict the performance of an > > arbitrary stock, but I'll ask anyway. > > > > Regarding games like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream and The Neverhood > > (games that aren't old, but are out of print, aren't likely to be > > re-released, and are sought after by serious adventure-gaming fans): do > > you think these will get easier or harder to acquire as time passes? I'm > > wondering whether to buy now or to wait. > > Buy now if the price is $9 or less. You can always sell later. That's what I > do, but I'm not everyone. Yeah, but these sorts of games typically go on eBay for $25+. I pick these off at a slow pace -- sometimes the going price on eBay skyrockets alarmingly, as happened notably with the Sierra collections. I'm just wondering whether The Neverhood will always be $60-70, or whether it will be profitable to wait for the price to dip to $25, or whether I should buy ten copies now and make a mint in a few years. :) > > I'm also wondering whether the price of Wing Commander Kilrathi Saga will > > ever come down to earth. With my Killer Retrogaming Rig, I don't need > > this to play, like many of the people who shell out big bucks for this do. > > I'd love to complete a Wing Commander collection, though -- just not for > > $200+ if I can help it. > > The price of Kilrathi Saga just blows my mind. People who are paying > those prices (I've seen as high as $500) are incredibly stupid. It's > just not worth that much. Yeah, well, nothing much you can do about the desperate game-players ... I still want my Wing Commander calendar, though. :) > The "film can" release of Wing Commander 3 > is a hell of a lot more rare and worth a thousand dollars at least > (came in an actual film can, with extra materials including a > t-shirt). Ah, I don't think it's worth quite so much, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten a complete copy on eBay for $125. (Absolutely complete; this almost always shows up missing a part or five.) Huge bugger of a package (it doesn't all come in the can; the can itself comes in a larger box), too; not sure how I'll put it on my shelves in the place I'm moving to. This *was* obtaininable direct from EA until relatively recently, actually. (Same for the Martian Dreams clue book, sigh.) > > (5) Wasteland > > > > Yes, another IBM question ... does the IBM version of this only come in > > the "book" package? I've run into a couple people who want an IBM square > > flat folder, and want to be able to say with certainty that it doesn't > > exist. > > The IBM version only game in the "book" package. You can say with certainty > that the IBM version of Wasteland never came out in folio form. Ah, good. It's always hard to deal with traders who want something that
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
On Wed, 11 Jul 2001, C.E. Forman wrote: > >(1) Champions of Krynn > >I've heard of an IBM version that also comes with it, and mentions the > >presence of the poster via a sticker on the box. How easy is this one to > >come by? > > I've never seen one, but then, I rarely pick these up since I'm not very > into fantasy RPGs and these haven't proven themselves as very prized > collectibles. (Will keep an eye out for the poster, though, now that I know > about it.) I'll probably compile the Grand Master List Of Things I Want and fire it off in your direction in a few months, heh. It is a bit disconcerting finding that a set you thought you had complete actually might not be, though. [snip] > >(3) Acquiring semi-recent games > >Regarding games like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream and The Neverhood > >(games that aren't old, but are out of print, aren't likely to be > >re-released, and are sought after by serious adventure-gaming fans): do > >you think these will get easier or harder to acquire as time passes? I'm > >wondering whether to buy now or to wait. > > Probably more difficult, as the retrogaming movement has already caught up > with these titles, meaning they'll be snapped up as soon as the masses clean > out their closets in a few years. I feared as much. Guess I'll just have the suck it up and shell out the moolah then (or get lucky in a thrift store, heh). > >I'm also wondering whether the price of Wing Commander Kilrathi Saga will > >ever come down to earth. > > I doubt it with this one. I've received so many waiting-list requests for > it that, when I move to the new Shoppe codebase, I'll probably add it to the > set of ultra-rares that I no longer keep a waiting list for (because I'm > never going to find enough for everybody who wants one). It's the 1990s > equivalent of the Starcross saucer. Heh, well, I certainly don't think of it as rare -- it's not hard to find; there are usually two or three (often more) copies of the game (a goodly number of them never opened) floating around on eBay at any given moment. It's downright common, I think. (Certainly more common than, say,.the original IBM Archon where I just recently held off a last-minute sniper attack.) It just so happens that demand for it is very great. Maybe you should disallow waiting-list entries for items like this that are relatively common. I get the impression that lots of these guys just want to get a cheap price and figure they can pay you less. Thanks for the answers, everybody! -- Stephen -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
>(1) Champions of Krynn >I've heard of an IBM version that also comes with it, and mentions the >presence of the poster via a sticker on the box. How easy is this one to >come by? I've never seen one, but then, I rarely pick these up since I'm not very into fantasy RPGs and these haven't proven themselves as very prized collectibles. (Will keep an eye out for the poster, though, now that I know about it.) >(2) Might & Magic I >Tangent from (1): now I wonder whether there exists an IBM version of the >original Might & Magic with the large spiral-bound manual. All I've ever seen is the smaller manual (though that doesn't prove anything). >(3) Acquiring semi-recent games >Regarding games like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream and The Neverhood >(games that aren't old, but are out of print, aren't likely to be >re-released, and are sought after by serious adventure-gaming fans): do >you think these will get easier or harder to acquire as time passes? I'm >wondering whether to buy now or to wait. Probably more difficult, as the retrogaming movement has already caught up with these titles, meaning they'll be snapped up as soon as the masses clean out their closets in a few years. >I'm also wondering whether the price of Wing Commander Kilrathi Saga will >ever come down to earth. I doubt it with this one. I've received so many waiting-list requests for it that, when I move to the new Shoppe codebase, I'll probably add it to the set of ultra-rares that I no longer keep a waiting list for (because I'm never going to find enough for everybody who wants one). It's the 1990s equivalent of the Starcross saucer. >(4) Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders >Another IBM-specific question. Other than the program itself, what's the >difference in packaging between the original version and the >enhanced-graphics version? No difference at all, not even the system info on the box. >(5) Wasteland >Yes, another IBM question ... does the IBM version of this only come in >the "book" package? I've run into a couple people who want an IBM square >flat folder, and want to be able to say with certainty that it doesn't >exist. I don't believe it was... and if Hugh Falk hasn't seen it, it's a safe bet it doesn't exist. >(6) Truly ancient IBM games >There are four IBM games I know of that come in a small flat gray >plastic folder (this is how the very first IBM games came packaged): To my knowledge, the ones you mention are the only four available. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
Hugh was kind enough to respond to this too, so I'll keep his writing in mind here ... On Wed, 11 Jul 2001, Jim Leonard wrote: [snip] > > There is a poster that comes with the game, but I was under the impression > > that it only came with the Commodore versions (both C64 and Amiga). Now > > I've heard of an IBM version that also comes with it, and mentions the > > presence of the poster via a sticker on the box. How easy is this one to > > come by? > > I can't verify it's rarity for sure, but I know that I bought Pools of > Radiance RIGHT when it was delivered to stores in 1988 and I did not > get a poster. It might have been a promotional add-in to help sell > extra copies of the game at a later point in time. I was actually talking about Champions of Krynn, not Pool (never heard of a poster for that one). Apparently the poster is more widespread than I originally though (if the poster also appears in the Apple version). Does Death Knights of Krynn (any system) also have one, or does it not? > > (2) Might & Magic I > > > > Tangent from (1): now I wonder whether there exists an IBM version of the > > original Might & Magic with the large spiral-bound manual. > > I have seen M&M1 for the PC with a spiral-bound manual, although my > memory says it's a 5x7" manual, not "large". My memory could be > wrong... but it was definitely spiral-bound. Son of a gun ... I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that one, too. You sure about this? Hugh seems to disagree ... > > (3) Acquiring semi-recent games > > > > I realize this is somewhat like asking to predict the performance of an > > arbitrary stock, but I'll ask anyway. > > > > Regarding games like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream and The Neverhood > > (games that aren't old, but are out of print, aren't likely to be > > re-released, and are sought after by serious adventure-gaming fans): do > > you think these will get easier or harder to acquire as time passes? I'm > > wondering whether to buy now or to wait. > > Buy now if the price is $9 or less. You can always sell later. That's what I > do, but I'm not everyone. Yeah, but these sorts of games typically go on eBay for $25+. I pick these off at a slow pace -- sometimes the going price on eBay skyrockets alarmingly, as happened notably with the Sierra collections. I'm just wondering whether The Neverhood will always be $60-70, or whether it will be profitable to wait for the price to dip to $25, or whether I should buy ten copies now and make a mint in a few years. :) > > I'm also wondering whether the price of Wing Commander Kilrathi Saga will > > ever come down to earth. With my Killer Retrogaming Rig, I don't need > > this to play, like many of the people who shell out big bucks for this do. > > I'd love to complete a Wing Commander collection, though -- just not for > > $200+ if I can help it. > > The price of Kilrathi Saga just blows my mind. People who are paying > those prices (I've seen as high as $500) are incredibly stupid. It's > just not worth that much. Yeah, well, nothing much you can do about the desperate game-players ... I still want my Wing Commander calendar, though. :) > The "film can" release of Wing Commander 3 > is a hell of a lot more rare and worth a thousand dollars at least > (came in an actual film can, with extra materials including a > t-shirt). Ah, I don't think it's worth quite so much, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten a complete copy on eBay for $125. (Absolutely complete; this almost always shows up missing a part or five.) Huge bugger of a package (it doesn't all come in the can; the can itself comes in a larger box), too; not sure how I'll put it on my shelves in the place I'm moving to. This *was* obtaininable direct from EA until relatively recently, actually. (Same for the Martian Dreams clue book, sigh.) > > (5) Wasteland > > > > Yes, another IBM question ... does the IBM version of this only come in > > the "book" package? I've run into a couple people who want an IBM square > > flat folder, and want to be able to say with certainty that it doesn't > > exist. > > The IBM version only game in the "book" package. You can say with certainty > that the IBM version of Wasteland never came out in folio form. Ah, good. It's always hard to deal with traders who want something that you think doesn't exist. (I remember trying to convince someone that Star Control II doesn't naturally come with the white map and the clue book, to no avail.) > > (6) Truly ancient IBM games > > > > There are four IBM games I know of that come in a small flat gray > > plastic folder (this is how the very first IBM games came packaged): [snip] > Wow, you're definitely hard-core IBM. :-) Warms my heart to see > that. Yes, these were the first four entertainment titles for the IBM > PC Model 5150. I don't see any more in my catalogs until the later > "plastic clam-shell" packaging. Dude, you've got the catalogs too. Lucky bastard. :) > You might be intereste
Re: [SWCollect] Some questions
"Stephen S. Lee" wrote: > > I'm one of those People Who Only Collects IBM Games. (The IBM PC is what > I started with -- my father works at IBM, and he got one for home use > shortly after the PC got introduced.) Eventually, I might branch out to > non-IBM games and packages that flat-out don't exist for IBM, but I still > have my hands full getting stuff for IBM (and probably will for at least a > couple more years). Take heart; I'm the same way. I also collect PCjr-specific and Tandy-specific games (PC, but use and/or require the special 16-color graphics and 3-voice sound on those platforms). I can help answer your PC-specific questions for you. > There is a poster that comes with the game, but I was under the impression > that it only came with the Commodore versions (both C64 and Amiga). Now > I've heard of an IBM version that also comes with it, and mentions the > presence of the poster via a sticker on the box. How easy is this one to > come by? I can't verify it's rarity for sure, but I know that I bought Pools of Radiance RIGHT when it was delivered to stores in 1988 and I did not get a poster. It might have been a promotional add-in to help sell extra copies of the game at a later point in time. > (2) Might & Magic I > > Tangent from (1): now I wonder whether there exists an IBM version of the > original Might & Magic with the large spiral-bound manual. I have seen M&M1 for the PC with a spiral-bound manual, although my memory says it's a 5x7" manual, not "large". My memory could be wrong... but it was definitely spiral-bound. > (3) Acquiring semi-recent games > > I realize this is somewhat like asking to predict the performance of an > arbitrary stock, but I'll ask anyway. > > Regarding games like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream and The Neverhood > (games that aren't old, but are out of print, aren't likely to be > re-released, and are sought after by serious adventure-gaming fans): do > you think these will get easier or harder to acquire as time passes? I'm > wondering whether to buy now or to wait. Buy now if the price is $9 or less. You can always sell later. That's what I do, but I'm not everyone. > I'm also wondering whether the price of Wing Commander Kilrathi Saga will > ever come down to earth. With my Killer Retrogaming Rig, I don't need > this to play, like many of the people who shell out big bucks for this do. > I'd love to complete a Wing Commander collection, though -- just not for > $200+ if I can help it. The price of Kilrathi Saga just blows my mind. People who are paying those prices (I've seen as high as $500) are incredibly stupid. It's just not worth that much. The "film can" release of Wing Commander 3 is a hell of a lot more rare and worth a thousand dollars at least (came in an actual film can, with extra materials including a t-shirt). > (4) Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders > > Another IBM-specific question. Other than the program itself, what's the > difference in packaging between the original version and the > enhanced-graphics version? I've never seen both to compare, sorry... anyone? > (5) Wasteland > > Yes, another IBM question ... does the IBM version of this only come in > the "book" package? I've run into a couple people who want an IBM square > flat folder, and want to be able to say with certainty that it doesn't > exist. The IBM version only game in the "book" package. You can say with certainty that the IBM version of Wasteland never came out in folio form. > (6) Truly ancient IBM games > > There are four IBM games I know of that come in a small flat gray > plastic folder (this is how the very first IBM games came packaged): > > Adventure in Serenia > Microsoft Adventure > Microsoft Decathlon (which I'm still looking for; three copies showed up > on eBay in rapid succession several months ago, but none have shown up > since -- sigh) > Strategy Games (yes, extremely generic, though there wasn't exactly a ton > of competition at the time) > > Do any others exist? I remember an IBM catalog that listed every single > piece of commercial software available for the recently-introduced IBM PC, > but I don't have that any more. I do remember that the "entertainment" > section was relatively paltry. Wow, you're definitely hard-core IBM. :-) Warms my heart to see that. Yes, these were the first four entertainment titles for the IBM PC Model 5150. I don't see any more in my catalogs until the later "plastic clam-shell" packaging. You might be interested to know that there were third-party games for the IBM available very closely after the 5150's release (ie. the above 4 you list weren't the only "first games available"). Check www.mobygames.com for "funtastic" games, for example. -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscrib
RE: [SWCollect] Some questions
I don't have comments on all, but here are a few: 1) I don't have the IBM version, but for what it's worth, the Apple version also has the poster. There is no mention of the poster on a sticker or the box on either the Apple or C-64 versions I have. 2) I doubt it. I've only seen that version for the Apple, which came out in 86. The boxed versions came out in 87. 3) They will likely remain readily available for a while. These games were mass-produced in comparison to the ones from the 70's and 80's. Also, they come on CD so they should last a while. 5) I've never seen an IBM version of Wasteland in the flat boxand I've had a lot of experience with the flat boxes, but I'll keep an eye out. 6) Those are the only ones I've seen. Of course, Microsoft Olympic Decathlon also came out on the Apple in 1981 in a small cardboard folder package. -Original Message- From: Stephen S. Lee [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 5:05 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [SWCollect] Some questions (Yeah, boring subject line, but these are a bit varied.) (1) Champions of Krynn I thought getting the set of the nine standard AD&D Gold Box games would be relatively straightforward (enough that I'd recommend it as a starting point for collecting novices, though Pool of Radiance and Dark Queen of Krynn can be slightly hard to get if you insist on IBM), but apparently it isn't *that* simple ... I'm one of those People Who Only Collects IBM Games. (The IBM PC is what I started with -- my father works at IBM, and he got one for home use shortly after the PC got introduced.) Eventually, I might branch out to non-IBM games and packages that flat-out don't exist for IBM, but I still have my hands full getting stuff for IBM (and probably will for at least a couple more years). There is a poster that comes with the game, but I was under the impression that it only came with the Commodore versions (both C64 and Amiga). Now I've heard of an IBM version that also comes with it, and mentions the presence of the poster via a sticker on the box. How easy is this one to come by? (2) Might & Magic I Tangent from (1): now I wonder whether there exists an IBM version of the original Might & Magic with the large spiral-bound manual. (3) Acquiring semi-recent games I realize this is somewhat like asking to predict the performance of an arbitrary stock, but I'll ask anyway. Regarding games like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream and The Neverhood (games that aren't old, but are out of print, aren't likely to be re-released, and are sought after by serious adventure-gaming fans): do you think these will get easier or harder to acquire as time passes? I'm wondering whether to buy now or to wait. I'm also wondering whether the price of Wing Commander Kilrathi Saga will ever come down to earth. With my Killer Retrogaming Rig, I don't need this to play, like many of the people who shell out big bucks for this do. I'd love to complete a Wing Commander collection, though -- just not for $200+ if I can help it. (4) Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders Another IBM-specific question. Other than the program itself, what's the difference in packaging between the original version and the enhanced-graphics version? (5) Wasteland Yes, another IBM question ... does the IBM version of this only come in the "book" package? I've run into a couple people who want an IBM square flat folder, and want to be able to say with certainty that it doesn't exist. (6) Truly ancient IBM games There are four IBM games I know of that come in a small flat gray plastic folder (this is how the very first IBM games came packaged): Adventure in Serenia Microsoft Adventure Microsoft Decathlon (which I'm still looking for; three copies showed up on eBay in rapid succession several months ago, but none have shown up since -- sigh) Strategy Games (yes, extremely generic, though there wasn't exactly a ton of competition at the time) Do any others exist? I remember an IBM catalog that listed every single piece of commercial software available for the recently-introduced IBM PC, but I don't have that any more. I do remember that the "entertainment" section was relatively paltry. -- Stephen -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/ -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
[SWCollect] Some questions
(Yeah, boring subject line, but these are a bit varied.) (1) Champions of Krynn I thought getting the set of the nine standard AD&D Gold Box games would be relatively straightforward (enough that I'd recommend it as a starting point for collecting novices, though Pool of Radiance and Dark Queen of Krynn can be slightly hard to get if you insist on IBM), but apparently it isn't *that* simple ... I'm one of those People Who Only Collects IBM Games. (The IBM PC is what I started with -- my father works at IBM, and he got one for home use shortly after the PC got introduced.) Eventually, I might branch out to non-IBM games and packages that flat-out don't exist for IBM, but I still have my hands full getting stuff for IBM (and probably will for at least a couple more years). There is a poster that comes with the game, but I was under the impression that it only came with the Commodore versions (both C64 and Amiga). Now I've heard of an IBM version that also comes with it, and mentions the presence of the poster via a sticker on the box. How easy is this one to come by? (2) Might & Magic I Tangent from (1): now I wonder whether there exists an IBM version of the original Might & Magic with the large spiral-bound manual. (3) Acquiring semi-recent games I realize this is somewhat like asking to predict the performance of an arbitrary stock, but I'll ask anyway. Regarding games like I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream and The Neverhood (games that aren't old, but are out of print, aren't likely to be re-released, and are sought after by serious adventure-gaming fans): do you think these will get easier or harder to acquire as time passes? I'm wondering whether to buy now or to wait. I'm also wondering whether the price of Wing Commander Kilrathi Saga will ever come down to earth. With my Killer Retrogaming Rig, I don't need this to play, like many of the people who shell out big bucks for this do. I'd love to complete a Wing Commander collection, though -- just not for $200+ if I can help it. (4) Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders Another IBM-specific question. Other than the program itself, what's the difference in packaging between the original version and the enhanced-graphics version? (5) Wasteland Yes, another IBM question ... does the IBM version of this only come in the "book" package? I've run into a couple people who want an IBM square flat folder, and want to be able to say with certainty that it doesn't exist. (6) Truly ancient IBM games There are four IBM games I know of that come in a small flat gray plastic folder (this is how the very first IBM games came packaged): Adventure in Serenia Microsoft Adventure Microsoft Decathlon (which I'm still looking for; three copies showed up on eBay in rapid succession several months ago, but none have shown up since -- sigh) Strategy Games (yes, extremely generic, though there wasn't exactly a ton of competition at the time) Do any others exist? I remember an IBM catalog that listed every single piece of commercial software available for the recently-introduced IBM PC, but I don't have that any more. I do remember that the "entertainment" section was relatively paltry. -- Stephen -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
