Casting Shadows

Today’s prompt in bold is secondhand and the original question from 2014 asked us to weigh in on and evaluate our secondhand RPG purchases in order to choose one (or so) to enthuse about. Due to the nature of RPG publishing, I have found that despite my genetic predisposition for new books, getting them used is often the only way I will ever be able to read their contents and play them. Certain trusted vendors, therefore, have made those quests easier on me.

Day 22: What is one of your best secondhand purchases?

Looking back over my Under the Hood playlist which records the unboxing, packaging, and print quality videos I have been known to make, I see that 10 years ago I started a flurry of activity getting copies of cool stuff from a variety of vendors. This was a reaction to a shipping experience with Amazon where a newly released RPG book and two replacement copies of the book were identically damaged by the packaging process. My quest to find a careful, well-stocked, and communicative vendor for used RPGs was fueled by visions of that damage. There was no way I was going to rely on Amazon’s oversight to vet a reseller of what might be the only copy of a used game available.

My quest ended up with great experiences from two vendors, but the one that I want to share today (again) is Wayne’s Books.

That my library is as joyfully replete with titles important to me and to my understanding of the growth and evolution of the hobby is in part due to my age and constant purchasing of products as they come out, and to Wayne who is an active seeker of treasure unbitten by the need to hoard the horde of historical documents in his hoard. Better yet, being a gamer himself, he has the wit to outwit the cruel soldiers of the enemy in the postal wars who seek to fold, spindle, and mutilate books and box sets in transit, and the passion to keep his skills honed.

Wayne’s commitment to his customers and his skill at tracking down important items to fill his shelves has made quite a few of my dream purchases possible. Couple that with trust that things will arrive safely? It’s an unbeatable combination.

But wait! There’s more!

Wayne also maintains a photoblog of old games to help us understand what is and is not available, what was and was not included, and what variation we should and should not expect. As items pass through his shop from old gamers to other gamers young, seasoned, travel-worn, worn-out, and old, he records them for posterity and edification.

All of that makes my secondhand purchases a pleasure~