Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I am conducting a bit of a purge right now when it comes to my gaming collection, and as I sort through things to sell I am rediscovering some neat items that would hold next to no value for most gamers, but would interest that small section of the gaming community who are avid collectors of the minutia of their favorite games.

What I am talking about are things like pre-production items, original art work, editor's drafts of source books, prototype miniatures and those sorts of "collectibles" that would not elicit more than a "heh, neat" response from most players, but would absolutely floor the die-hard fans who want to delve into every facet of the games they are passionate about. To be clear, I am not making a judgment about one group or another, and am merely commenting on the observations I have made of the different levels of interest member of this community have for the wargaming hobby. Some of us seem to wisely keep the hobby in check, others go a little nuts and try to acquire anything and everything they can. I definitely fall into that second category.

Using myself as an example, I collect anything and everything related to Battletech. And I mean everything. I have copy paper boxes filled with production notes and drafts of some FASA-era Battletech setting books. I also have artwork spanning from the mid-80's FASA days on up through the contemporary pieces put out by Fanpro and Catalyst Game Labs. I also have a style guide from the Battletech cartoon, and story boards from the ill-fated Blackstone comic series. Hell, I even have some kiddie temporary tattoos for Battletech released sometime in the 90's that remain one of my oddest collection pieces. If there is a legitimate item (read: not home made or counterfeit) even remotely associated with Battletech I am interested in adding it to my collection.

Another example is Warmachine. During the MK 1 days I was very much a fan of Warmachine and the entire Iron Kingdoms setting so I tracked down artwork and even bought a studio army featured in one of the rule books.

I think I do all of this because in some way holding onto those "artifacts" enables me to enjoy a game's setting on a different level than just reading the books or assembling the miniatures. Knowing I have something that directly influenced the creation or expansion of my favorite settings is special, but as I have learned over the years, it is special only to me and the occasional like-minded soul who I happen across. Most of my closest friends, who are themselves gamers, really don't give these special items much thought. If I show them some of my collection I'll get the aforementioned, "heh, cool" as a response and that is about it. Often my friends are more excited to look at a new release than a piece of artwork or a studio model. Which is totally fine. I am not buying these items to impress people, I am buying them because they resonate with me, but I am always left wondering who else out there shares this level of passion sickness that I do? Surely I am not alone, right?

So, what's up, Dakka? What are the items in your collection that are special, that are one of a kind, or limited in some other fashion which get your excitement level pumping but failed to evoke the same response from those around you?

The rarest things in my collection currently is



and a few other LE big box stuff. nothing too special unfortunately :/

Edit: these are not my models. mine are unpainted pewter still.

I've sold most of my super rare items already. At one point in time I had 3 of the unreleased Necromunda miniatures, including the ugly ass Matriarch.

I have a shoulder patch for a space marine terminator captain that I've had since around 1990. I used it on my paintball camos for ever and now it's velcroed on my figure case.

It's not a GW item, but I suppose it counts.

I have a first printing AD&D DM's Guide that was signed by Gary Gygax. He was at a Dallas based gaming convention I attended in the early '90s and I had him sign my book.

As to rare GW stuff, I have the only army sized accumulation of Space Slaan figures I have ever seen anywere.

Do those count?

TR

I have tons of miniatures of companies that were around only a short time, but they are all stored in my home-country.

The one i have pictures off are these



The 2 on the left were knock offs that GW successfully put out of business, the 2 on the right are limited edition Christmas marines from citadel from the RT era.

I sold off most of my recent LE GW stuff (games day/anniversay minis etc), but still have:

A few Chaos Dwarfs inc Sorceror & Codex
The LE mini from the first Warlord Games Day
Signed EOTD, Hail Caesar & Bolt Action
3 of the Wargames Illustrated Foundry Diorammas, the 300th anniversary edition.
A couple of Salute! minis.
Random selection of LE Foundry minis (Miss Heaven & Hell, Rat catcher, etc).

Edit: and almost all of my non-plastic IG is OOP.

I have a 2nd Edition IG Griffon, a RT Dreadnought, and a RT Ork. Those are three models that I'll continue to hold onto forever.

I have that legion of the damned special character

My 2nd Edition cardstock stand-up dreadnaught

My 2nd Edition cardstock stand-up dreadnaught

Awesome

I still have this knocking about somewhere

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:Codex_army_lists_fc.jpg#.U6Rt4rGmU40

I think it had rules for Genestealer cults and Squats iirc.

 inquisitorlewis wrote:
I've sold most of my super rare items already. At one point in time I had 3 of the unreleased Necromunda miniatures, including the ugly ass Matriarch.

Awesome! How did you come about those unreleased miniatures?

 Trench-Raider wrote:
It's not a GW item, but I suppose it counts.

I have a first printing AD&D DM's Guide that was signed by Gary Gygax. He was at a Dallas based gaming convention I attended in the early '90s and I had him sign my book.

As to rare GW stuff, I have the only army sized accumulation of Space Slaan figures I have ever seen anywere.

Do those count?

TR

Brilliant! Having a 1st printing of a DM Guide signed by Gygax is a great gaming artifact. Do you have any pictures of the Space Slaan collection? I would imagine that would cause a few jaws to hit the floor.

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
I have tons of miniatures of companies that were around only a short time, but they are all stored in my home-country.

The one i have pictures off are these

Spoiler:

The 2 on the left were knock offs that GW successfully put out of business, the 2 on the right are limited edition Christmas marines from citadel from the RT era.

Is that Marine on the far right holding a tankard of ale and firing into the air? That is amazingly cool!


Great responses from everyone in the thread so far!

Mysterious Pants wrote:My 2nd Edition cardstock stand-up dreadnaught

Hmm, I've got 3 of these.

Most of the things I had that were rare were sold. Lots of Rogue trader minis, Asterix Cleopatra (in the blister!), Metal Magic Sardaykin, 3 Citadel Blanfords Warriors, etc, etc.

Things that aren't terribly common, but I like them
-LE games day sgt,
-Shockforce 2nd edition rules
-Rogue Trader Rulebook, Compendium and Compilation
-Outlanders

Things that are pretty rare
-All 5 of the original Battletech "House" series sourcebooks, including the "Star League" sourcebook
-Battletech "The Sword and the Dagger" novel. Not a great book, but uber-rare.
-Four Original Talisman metal minis

Things that are definitely rare, but not overly valuable.
-High Command "Protectorate Officers" http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2012/02/miniatures-youve-never-seen-high.html
-Original style Ral Partha Hexatrix riders (if you have any, I'd love to buy some more)

Do you have any pictures of the Space Slaan collection? I would imagine that would cause a few jaws to hit the floor.

I do not.
I need to take some and post them some day. Actually something like 80%+ of the 13 40k armies I own are made up of Rogue Trader era figures. But i suspect the Slann and the Squats would be of the most interest to people.

TR

I have the first GenCon program signed by Gary Gygax. got it at a garage sale for 5 bucks along with a wooden ork cup the guy got many moons ago at I forgot which convention. Not sure if it official or fan made but it's cool.

I own a black lotus magic card.

I have every single issue of Game trade magazine, scrye, inquest, gaming unplugged and wargames magazine. Not rare but interesting.

I have a rare Hell Dorado miniature from when Asmodee carried it. Before the official release, Asmodee had a demo set, there was a different Arquebusers that was kneeling than the current one. ONly about 40 of these exist, and I own one of them

I own a resin version of Augustinus Raimond that was sold at a french convention, it is slightly larger than its metal counterpart.

I had a number of rare malifuax items but all were lost in the flood. Along with it was a rare alternate dark age state card, gone forever.

A bunch of RT beaky marines and RT Eldar Guardians. A female guardian is now sporting an axe and shield and is with my Xenos Inquisitor.

Greens that cannot be legally reproduced.

 Cyporiean wrote:
Greens that cannot be legally reproduced.

cool which ones and from what line of miniatures and how did you get your hands on them?

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
I have tons of miniatures of companies that were around only a short time, but they are all stored in my home-country.

The one i have pictures off are these

Spoiler:

The 2 on the left were knock offs that GW successfully put out of business, the 2 on the right are limited edition Christmas marines from citadel from the RT era.

I've got a ton of those knock-offs in a tub of metal figures. If anyone wants to trade for them I'd be more than happy, as long as postage costs don't get out of hand (they're heavy!)

My own stuff is three unopened copies of the WAR collectors' edition game (with that Orc shown above) and a few unreleased 40k marine figures, as well as a huge collection of old RT/WFB3-era lead models - as well as the books from that era - not OOAK or especially rare these days, but still cool from my perspective. I basically just have those things by virtue of having been around when they were "off the shelf" models and a few lucky eBay sales.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Reaver83 wrote:
I have that legion of the damned special character

I also have Centurious. I forgot to mention him.

 Piston Honda wrote:

 Cyporiean wrote:
Greens that cannot be legally reproduced.

cool which ones and from what line of miniatures and how did you get your hands on them?

Was to be a line of minis for the RPG 'OZ The Dark & Terrible'... but the company has gone under/vanished into the warp. Haven't heard a peep from them in 3 years. I've got 2 flying monkies and a tin man.

So it is obvious the gaming gods wish for you to produce these miniatures and bring the game to light.

Lots of old stuff from the RT era, fully reconditioned to current 40k standards RT01 box set, all beakies, with some parts replaced with mix and match stuff from mid 90s era space marines - I game with these, they're the 30 troop backbone of my space marine army, along with 20 lead early 90s Mk7 space marines. Boxes full of old figures from 1989-1992 or so, old lead figs, squats, early IG, early eldar, inquisitor in terminator armor that I need to paint (nice gift from a friend). Full terminator set of 8, all lead. Rogue Trader paperback rulebook, wouldn't sell that for anything, I love that book, so nostalgic and precious to me. My preshuz!

Some old-ass ral partha D&D figures.

Old RT era dreadnought, the one with stubby legs, awful model, not even worth repainting, but it'll stay in my collection forever.

Citadel Combat Cards, 1989-early 90s era?, completely terrible game. No one would ever play it with me, lol.

Traveler RPG box set, with Fire Fusion and Steel. Crap game, too much math and spreadsheet-style rules, but it was an engaging idea that I like. Always will have a spot on my shelf. Once people saw all the math and tables and charts, they suddenly had something better to do than play this game, lol.

No true one of a kind models, but in my collection of OOP FW stuff I do have Shadowsword #098, from back when they used to be all-resin FW kits with a numbered certificate. IIRC I've seen later ones with numbers of 1000+, so this is a pretty early one.

I have a couple of the Shark Lascannon Havocs, and I vigourously collect Guitar Noise Marines. I had the female commisar, but I painted it up for a friend's gift. I even have a few of the old school necron destroyers. I really care about my dice though. My next polyhedral acquisition is going to be a set of carbon fiber d6s and a d20. Dice, Dice Baby!

Forgot to mention my squats. Notable models include squat with AK47 and Squat with eldar Shurkien catapult.

Quite a few really.

Gave away two of this guy to friends.

I have this guy, the Necron Lord, Possessed Champ, Cadian Standard Bearer, Mohawk Marine, limited Lictor, Ultra Standard Bearer, FW Siege Marine, Bonesinger, Title Belt Marine, Female Commissar, Female Catachan, Iron Father, and even the At Ease Cadians.

The crown jewel of it all though, is the complete set of Skullz Adeptus Mechanicus minis. I love those guys.

Plus lots of old stuff like an original Land Raider, Rogue Trader era-Terminators, original Adeptus Astra Telepathica minis, virtually every Warhammer Quest model ever made (the prices they go for on eBay... yikes!), almost every original Necromunda model, plastic Genestealer Hybrids - even 12 or so of the tiny Genestealer Familiars! Those guys are great.

Oh Christ, where to begin...!

I collect (and play) RPGs, so here's a few of the rarer bits:
Shrink wrapped Horror on the Orient Express boxed campaign for Call Of Cthulhu
Mint Temple of Elemental Evil
Unpunched Cities of Mystery (took me bloody ages to track one down)
Silent Death - Unleaded
Shadowrun - DMZ
Shadowrun - Harlequin

As for GW stuff:
Full run of original 'imperial army' minis (the named ones)
Original Genestealer Patriarch on throne
Staffer's messenger bag (the black one with the chrome Imperial Eagle plate)
Mint copies of both RoC books
Full run of RT ere books, including Chapter Approved
Signed Xenology book
Signed Sabbat Worlds campaign background book
Signed 1st printing of the IIUP

That's just what I remember off the top of my head.... There's a bloody room full of stuff!

Not much in the way of war/board gaming stuff.

-A complete copy of warhammer quest along with most if not all the additional WD content, and expansion content. I'm missing some of the extra character minis but I have most there papers.

-I have a copy of space hulk second Ed. Hardly amazing but I love it all the same.

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
I have tons of miniatures of companies that were around only a short time, but they are all stored in my home-country.

The one i have pictures off are these

Spoiler:

[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

The 2 on the left were knock offs that GW successfully put out of business, the 2 on the right are limited edition Christmas marines from citadel from the RT era.

Is that Marine on the far right holding a tankard of ale and firing into the air? That is amazingly cool!

Yep!

White wolf put out a set of clan glasses. I have most of a set. I also have 4 of the Toreador champagne flutes.

My collection of shadowrun, 2nd Ed forward is complete...and most of 1St Ed as well.

The D&D pantheons book with the Christian and lovecraftian gods.

I have a d30, not sure what it would go to, but I got it in a pound'o'dice I bought many years ago.