Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread • Page 110 • Collecting General • The Acaeum

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Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread
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sauromatian
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:53 am

http://www.utexas.edu/news/2013/08/12/c ... om-center/

The sacred manuscripts are now two miles from my home, at a library which also holds an actual copy of the Necronomicon.

benjoshua
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:01 pm

mbassoc2003 wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:My thinking is two-fold.

First and foremost, instability in the EU banking systems may result in faster than normal depreciation in the value of the GBP in my pocket. I don't see hyper-inflation in the good old German sense of the word, but it is feasible that inflation will be increased artificially in an attempt to stimulate growth or provide a semblance of stability, and it is also feasible that people will begin to remove funds from their accounts in a perceived response to the reality that their money in the bank is just an intangible number that could be taken from them if the government of the day sees fit.

This of course takes us to Jason's point. There is nothing to stop governments seizing assets (gold) if they see fit, as its purchase in bullion form appears to be registered and recorded in the UK, and those records could easily be requested by the government should they wish to seize assets from the public. We do not live in a guns & ammo society, and the liberty to defend what we work for is something we do not have.

Secondly, I see little evidence in the past of major declines in the value of gold pieces over any 3-5 year cycle, so I am wondering is it is a commodity that is destined to continue to rise (or to be more accurate, I am wondering whether it is a benchmark against which all other assets are destined to depreciate).

But I don't know anything about this field, and it seem complex. I am looking for an active and informed forum. Sadly, the one resource UK newbies tend to turn to first is moneysavingexpert.com, but sadly all threads relating the purchase and trade of bullion appear to have been deleted following the sale of the site to the banks.

NOW is a good time to invest in gold in my opinion, however, I will be quick to add that I am no expert.

Good luck!

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

throwi
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:47 pm

cdenham wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:Ok, I'm sure I'm not (hopefully) the only one to hit this problem.

How do you guys catalog your collections? Is there a good program or database? If so, what all information do you track? Publisher? Game version? Year? Amount you paid for it? Rarity?

I have a lot of items and not nearly enough time. Any pointers on getting a meaningful grip on things would be greatly appreciated!!

I'm an Oracle database administrator by trade, so I've built a database with a PHP front end. I'm in the middle of a rewrite of the application to allow for better searchability, and another pass through the entire collection to enter more useful info.

Used to use excel before I had the time to write code for the database app. Wish I knew enough about phone apps to build it for my phone! ;-)

~throwi

cdenham
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:59 pm

I'm not sure about the rules on posting a link to a site on here is so I'll refrain but a simple search for Zotero will turn up a handy looking program.

It is an online database designed for reference material storage for research but looks to be well suited for using a simple book catalog. There is also an app for cell phones that will allow you scan the ISBN number and automatically import the information into your database. It also allows for importing PDFs and images.

Since it is online, you will have access to your database anywhere you have an internet connection or on most cell phones.

I'm trying to give it a test run now to see how well it really works.

Carpe DM!

throwi
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:32 pm

cdenham wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:I'm not sure about the rules on posting a link to a site on here is so I'll refrain but a simple search for Zotero will turn up a handy looking program.

It is an online database designed for reference material storage for research but looks to be well suited for using a simple book catalog. There is also an app for cell phones that will allow you scan the ISBN number and automatically import the information into your database. It also allows for importing PDFs and images.

Since it is online, you will have access to your database anywhere you have an internet connection or on most cell phones.

I'm trying to give it a test run now to see how well it really works.

That may beat my own version, using the cloud to store the data is better than trying put security on my home server to get at it on my phone! :-)

Let us know how it goes!

~throwi

cdenham
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 5:05 pm

Curiosity has finally had gotten the best of me.

Who here should make the who's who list of the D&D gaming world? I can't pick out a few that make me go hmmmm, but other than those that wish to remain anonymous, who are the more well renowned members lurking about?

Just curious and hoping to actually meet a few some day.

Carpe DM!

benjoshua
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:47 pm

cdenham wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:Curiosity has finally had gotten the best of me.

Who here should make the who's who list of the D&D gaming world? I can't pick out a few that make me go hmmmm, but other than those that wish to remain anonymous, who are the more well renowned members lurking about?

Just curious and hoping to actually meet a few some day.

I guess it depends on what you deem, or what most people deem, important in terms of who's who. Usually such lists are determined by value, power/influence, and/or prestige/fame. There are some people on these forums with massive/expensive collections. There are some people who have numerous publications to their credit. And there are some people on these forums who are well known in this community and way beyond. I know at NTX I was able to meet Erol Otus, Jeff Easley, Ken St. Andre, Jeff Dee, Frank Mentzer, James M. Ward, Steve Winter and Mike Badolato......., and I was thrilled.

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

Badmike
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Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 8:05 pm

benjoshua wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:
cdenham wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:Curiosity has finally had gotten the best of me.

Who here should make the who's who list of the D&D gaming world? I can't pick out a few that make me go hmmmm, but other than those that wish to remain anonymous, who are the more well renowned members lurking about?

Just curious and hoping to actually meet a few some day.

I guess it depends on what you deem, or what most people deem, important in terms of who's who. Usually such lists are determined by value, power/influence, and/or prestige/fame. There are some people on these forums with massive/expensive collections. There are some people who have numerous publications to their credit. And there are some people on these forums who are well known in this community and way beyond. I know at NTX I was able to meet Erol Otus, Jeff Easley, Ken St. Andre, Jeff Dee, Frank Mentzer, James M. Ward, Steve Winter and Mike Badolato......., and I was thrilled.

My only claim to fame is that I know and have met all the other people listed. :mrgreen:

Mike B.

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
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"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
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NTRPGCON

dbartman
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Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 12:45 pm

This is a high price for an average Dragon #1. Looks like the valuations might be creeping up on the early Dragon Magazines. We'll have to see with the next round of pricing updates on the Acaeum.

** expired/removed eBay auction **

stratochamp
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:46 pm

cdenham wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:Curiosity has finally had gotten the best of me.

Who here should make the who's who list of the D&D gaming world? I can't pick out a few that make me go hmmmm, but other than those that wish to remain anonymous, who are the more well renowned members lurking about?

Just curious and hoping to actually meet a few some day.

Of our regular posters, we have one D&D who's who member: Frank Mentzer. There are other people who post less frequently, but whose name would be above the marquee (Tim Kask for example), and some for whom visits have dried up (Rob Kuntz, Erol Otus). There are many others here who have made fine products, some distant (Bill Owen) and some current (Bill Barsh, Chris Clark, Bill Webb, Jeff Talanian, Allan Grohe, Jon Hershberger, RC Pinnell). And of course Jon Peterson, the chronicler of our roots. There are numerous other people who impact our hobby in other ways who I'm not listing (Paul Stormberg for his auctions, Doug Rhea & Mike Badolato for hosting NTRPG Con to name but three ) because I'm not sure exactly what question you're asking. But I thought this would be a start for you. This little list of mine is in no way comprehensive, if others would please fill in my omissions.

Shrink is not a condition

throwi
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:36 pm

Making it's way around the Facebook threads.

Fun times.

Vintage Dungeons & Dragons Commercial - YouTube

~throwi

benjoshua
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:53 pm

I finally have an avatar! And what do you know, it's a dragon in a dungeon.

Ah! Another thing checked off the bucket list!

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

mrmanowar
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Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 12:02 am

Ha! That's awesome, heh, doesn't beat the Manowar cover art, but still that's a cool one!

benjoshua
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Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:56 am

benjoshua wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:I finally have an avatar! And what do you know, it's a dragon in a dungeon.

Ah! Another thing checked off the bucket list!

And now, thanks to Foulfoot, I have background-transparent version of my avatar! Ooooo! Ahhhhh!

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

Chucho68
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Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:14 pm

Today I had the joy and the privilege of visiting the unofficial FRPG museum in Arlington Heights, IL: stratochamp's (Bill) house.

I was treated as an old friend by Bill and his wife, which speaks volumes about them. I thank them for their hospitality and will definitely be back for more. Bill's an old gamer and I needed to re-connect with that part of my life.

However, I must stress the real reason I was there: a pilgrimage to see Bill's collection. From the Acaeum photos, it seemed mythical; I was afraid that, like with some movie trailers, maybe I had over-hyped it in my mind. Couldn't have been more wrong.

Words and images fail to really describe it: i guess only awe-inspiring comes close. It is everything imagined and more.

Bill's goal is simple: preserve the decades-long FRPG ouvre for all time. Collecting preferences are as varied as collectors, but the elegant simplicity of "one-of-each, the best copy available, with some unique items and important duplicates mixed in" is unassailable. It is a gargantuan task (it's taken more than 20 years to get here and he isn't finished), and a noble one. I loved to see it, to be told some of the stories behind unique items, to know how Bill got some one-of-a-kinds, to touch R7-R10...oooh. I left sated and wanting more.

Thank you, Bill; not only for the visit, but for the effort. If there is a place where FRPG deities come to chat, it must be your living room. See you again soon.

Hector

Habent sua fata libelli

stratochamp
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 12:01 am

you are welcome Hector, it was our pleasure to meet you. stop by again soon!

Shrink is not a condition

cabala
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 4:13 pm

I finally got the pleasure of finding some archive photos of stratochamp's collection and it is truly awe inspiring. Even if people balk at the thought of one person having so many woodgrain sets and white box sets, I think it is a stunning spectacle and am glad to see such history preserved in a beautiful collection!!

Chucho68
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Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:07 pm

cabala wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread: Even if people balk at the thought of one person having so many woodgrain sets and white box sets

Who would think such a thing? :lol:

Hector.

Habent sua fata libelli

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