High demand and perceived rarity = sell for more. It's not unlike the "oh-so-impossible-to-find" Deities and Demimunchkins with El Cthulnibone.

serleran wrote:High demand and perceived rarity = sell for more. It's not unlike the "oh-so-impossible-to-find" Deities and Demimunchkins with El Cthulnibone.

At least "Der Cthulhuzeit" editions are interesting.

High demand?  I guess I can see that.
Perceived rarity?  It was published in 1990, right?
Wonder how such perceptions happen?

Not rare, but as was said, demand is pretty high.  That keeps prices up.  I sold mine a while ago and I'd be happy to use Dark Dungeons were I to play BECMI/RC again (hey - free is good).

Mars wrote:I think another factor is that most people looking for it, know what it is - a compilation of the boxed sets and a good all round set of rules.  If you were going to buy all of the boxed sets individually, it would probably run you about $100 for a cheaper set.  So many people don't mind spending $40 or so for a copy.

If you have a budget of $25 just keep at it and you will eventually get one if you can outbid Simrion who is building a wall out of these.

I bought a .pdf of the RC off "rpg.drivethrustuff.com" - I think it was about $5 and is a pretty good .pdf - may be an option ?

Mars wrote:
I thought WotC pulled all of their PDF sales off the market.

Aye, I bought it a while back - I just checked and no longer on that site ... glad I got it when I did ... I went mad and got all the 'harder to find" ones in .pdf.  Bit annoying as you got "5 downloads" of each but thats gone now GRRR

JohnGaunt wrote:The Rules Cyclopedia is the only collection of Dungeons and Dragons rules.  It is not a collection of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons rules.  Everything needed for D&D is contained in a single hardback volume.  No messing around with different softcover D&D rulebooks.

I do not know how large the Rules Cyclopedia print run was, but I do not believe that it was anywhere near the print runs of the AD&D DMG, PHB, and MM.

I worded my post poorly.
I did not mean to imply RC was a compilation of AD&D.

What puzzled me, though, were the higher prices for the newer RC.
I'd assumed RC would've been less popular than 1E AD&D.
And I assumed it would've had a higher print run than the 1E books.
But I was wrong on both counts, which is nothing new.
My wife tells me that all the time.

Keith the Thief wrote:What puzzled me, though, were the higher prices for the newer RC.

*headscratch*

Do you mean the 3.5 Rules Compendium?

JohnGaunt wrote:*headscratch*

Do you mean the 3.5 Rules Compendium?

Er, um, let me start over all over again:

Why is the 1991 D&D Rules Cyclopedia so expensive?

:-)

ExTSR wrote:I bid 'em all up to maintain my infamous reputation.

Frank M

As an impartial observer (I've never read nor owned the Rules Cyclopedia), I'm gonna put Keith out of his misery, here. Hope you don't mind .

Keith,

Frank (the previous poster) is the author of said compendium, which as you probably know compiles most (correct me if I'm wrong) of the the rules from the 1983 edition of the Basic and Expert D&D rules, along with the additional Companion and Master rulesets.

As a Moldvay, etc. era D&D player and then AD&D gamer, I never purchased said rules, but they are nearly universally accorded high esteem (i.e., it's good stuff ), and that is likely why the RC hardcover commands such high prices. I have no idea whatsoever how many were printed, but it's likely a supply and demand thing. That is, it's good so it's in high demand, and there aren't that many of them out there.

Wait long enough, and you'll see one for a decent price on eBay..