Well after being an Acaeumite for 125 months, I thought I should finally dip my toe in the water and finally start a thread....

I hadn't paid much attention to the changes in the descriptions of the Brown Boxes on the site, but a couple friends have asked me questions about the Alpha/Beta/Gamma delineations, so I thought I'd take a look. I thought Foulfoot (and others) would like to know what I own, which in some cases contradicts the information listed in the Rares section. I have 8 1st print Brown Boxes.
1.) NM condition, a thing of beauty. Alpha
2.) VF Brian Blume's personal copy. Alpha
3.)      Tim Kask's personal copy. Alpha
4.)      Rob Kuntz's personal copy. Alpha (the books are notated and beaten; just think what adventures they witnessed)
5.)      Terry Kuntz's personal copy. Alpha
6.) Fine condition. Alpha
7.) Good-/Fair+ condition. Beta
8.) VG- condition. Gamma

The assembling of the Brown Boxes was an inexact science to say the least, the small stickers sometimes going on the left side, sometimes the right, and some were undoubtedly messed up. Well Rob Kuntz was getting a set to play with, he didn't care that his lacked the large front sticker, best that all the sets that had the big sticker be sold.

Some folks have seen the exterior of Rob's box and I guess assumed that it was a Gamma based on the lack of a large front sticker, but nobody ever asked me, so I thought I'd correct the misconception.

Do any of the TSR employee sets (Blume/Kask/Kuntzes) have notes written in them? Corrections, Clarifications, Rule Additions?

Even if we can't tell when the notes were made it would still be neat to hear about them.

I love the pictures floating around somewhere on the forum of stratochamp's vault. It will put you through a range of emotions (    to    to    to   to   )

Eight!  

Eight of them and I can't seem to scrounge just one.  It isn't fair. Not fair at all.    

Two 2nd print, three 3rd print.

To Zenopus: Yes there are lots of interesting notes there, modifications to Charts & Tables and Spells and Magic Items, etc. etc.

Zenopus wrote in 1st Print Brown Boxes:Do any of the TSR employee sets (Blume/Kask/Kuntzes) have notes written in them? Corrections, Clarifications, Rule Additions?

Even if we can't tell when the notes were made it would still be neat to hear about them.

Rob's set of books are heavily annotated---Bill graciously allowed me to peruse the set while I was visiting with him on the way to GaryCon a couple of years ago.

Getting a list of all of the annotations in Rob's set (and the others, if they're similarly annotated) would be quite valuable!

stratochamp wrote in 1st Print Brown Boxes:Two 2nd print, three 3rd print.

Tsk; not enough space left after the 1st prints have claimed first rights? (Almost back down to that number after reuniting several boxes with their original/previous owners.)

Its not just an amazing feat to get 8 copies....its freaking 8 copies from legends in the industry...hold on to that set buddy you can sell those down the road to buy Neverland soon.

Impressed and jealous to say the least.

--Thor