Collector's Trove selling Dave Arneson's personal library

[Rafael]

http://www.thecollectorstrove.com/site- ... ement.html

The Big Announcement!
SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2012 AT 9:01PM
Hello Everyone,



Exciting news at The Collector’s Trove! We have recently contracted to auction the Dave Arneson collection. The new owner of the collection has authorized The Collector’s Trove to begin auctioning items from the legendary game designer’s collection spanning over 50 years of amateur and professional involvement in war games, strategy games, card games, board games, and role-playing games.

The Collector’s Trove contacted Dave Arneson for the first time in 2005. At that time the possibility of auctioning off his collection was discussed. The conversation continued off and on over over the next several years, the last time about 3 weeks before Arneson’s death in 2009. He informed The Collector’s Trove that the management of the collection would now be in the hands of his heirs and that he would pass along our services to them. Unfortunately, there was no word from Dave’s heirs in over two years.

Then, in an unforeseen turn of events, the management of the collection apparently became too much for Dave’s heirs to handle and they abandoned it in a storage locker. While the owner of the storage facility made numerous attempts to contact the heirs, they did not respond and left the fate of the collection in the hands of others. Like an episode of Storage Wars or Auction Hunters, the owner of the storage facility followed the business’ standard protocol of auctioning the lockers contents. A local auction company won the bidding for the locker and took possession of the collection. Again, however the enormity and eclectic nature of the collection proved to be too much to manage, certainly beyond the scope of the company’s operations. They ultimately contacted Michael Cox, long time owner and operator of the The Dragon’s Trove an online gaming store with a long history of selling collectable RPGs.

Michael then contacted The Collector’s Trove, the premier online auction house that specializes in handling the collections of RPG games designers and artists, and the two agreed to team up to rescue the collection. After, three hours in an unheated garage, on a cold Minnesota afternoon, the collection was evaluated by The Collector’s Trove and a buy-out offer was tendered and accepted. A few days later The Collector’s Trove returned with an empty cargo van. All 114 boxes and various loose items were loaded into the van with nary space for the driver and passenger to move. As darkness fell the pick-up team climbed into the van for a long drive.

The team drove through the night arriving at home base the next morning. Later that day the unloading and processing began.



The collection comprises some 10,000 items ranging from Dave’s 1959 game of Risk to game designs he was working on up until his death in 2009. Dave was a creative genius and designer, devising game after game, poring over military history books, maps, and documents, refining and tinkering his designs way beyond the ken of even the most meticulous game designer.

Now, The Collector’s Trove, in cooperation with Michael Cox of the The Dragon’s Trove, will seek to preserve the intellectual property of the collection while trying to carry out Dave’s wishes to have a portion of its value go to his heirs. Through a combined effort of scanning, documentation, and auctions it is hoped that we may achieve both goals. In the process Dave’s fans and collectors alike will have the opportunity to support this effort and have a chance to own a piece of gaming history. Likewise, the gaming community may yet get a chance to see Dave’s unpublished game designs come to fruition.

If you wish to keep apprised of this and the many other exciting, once in a lifetime auctions at The Collector’s Trove use the 'eMail Notifications' link in the right column under 'My Services' or click here for Email Notification. Those who do so will receive a special preview list of each upcoming auction and exclusive preview pictures of items in each collection.

Otherwise, standard updates of web site news may be received by clicking on the 'RSS Subscription' link in the right column under 'My Services' or by simply checking back in on the website as often as you like.

The first Ebay auction will be launched next Sunday evening, May 6th and will include nearly 200 items including several rare wargames, Call of Cthulhu, Empire of the Petal Throne, Blackmoor, Dungeons & Dragons, and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Highlights of the auction will include inscribed and autographed copies, editorial and review copies, author's and comp copies, Dave Arneson library copies, and personal play copies! Among many special items are a series of Empire of the Petal Throne books and journals autographed by the late M.A.R. Barker.



Futures Bright,



Paul Stormberg

The Collector’s Trove

http://www.thecollectorstrove.com



Michael Cox

The Dragon’s Trove

http://www.dragonstrove.com

Thanks to grodog for the info.


I personally will not bid on any item, though.
Given the time that I have spent trying to understand Mr Arneson's way of thinking, I feel it would be a little bit morbid.

If I was a real collector, I'd probably take the chance, though.

[Havard]

Thanks for sharing this!

If only I had the money...

-Havard

[finarvyn]

Yeah, I expect that prices will be inflated because Dave owned something and not because it has particular value of its own. At least, that's what happened with much of Gary's personal collection. :?

[Rafael]

From, ENW:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/news/32261 ... ction.html

There are about 10,000 items in total, and the series of eBay auctions will begin on Sunday, May 6th.

His original gaming dice.
His original Dungeons & Dragons and Blackmoor campaign manuscripts.
His first printing, woodgrain boxed set play copy of D&D.
Letters from Gary Gygax.
Other letters, notes, documents, artwork, photos, cartography, rare wargames and hand-made models and miniatures.
Published games, game accessories, periodicals, and books.
Arneson’s Smith Corona: Mark IV typewriter.
A set of lead crystal goblets etched with Arneson’s family heraldry.
A model ship made of metal.
Unpublished manuscripts that did not make it into the final draft of Dungeons & Dragons that date as far back as 1973.
Older items from 1971 and 1972 “dealing with the Blackmoor campaign and the Castle itself,” which may reveal secrets about the game’s origins.
Runs of Gygax’s Castle & Crusade Society and Domesday Book newsletters.
Arneson’s Corner of the Table newsletter which discusses his various campaigns, including his Blackmoor exploits.
Arneson’s personal copy of a book he created called “Dungeonmaster’s Index,” an index of all monsters, spells, rules, and magic items, which was published under his own name and without a license.
Arneson’s locked briefcase (contents unrevealed).
Arneson’s 1959 game of Risk.

[RobJN]

Is that the pitter-pat of Havard drooling I hear?

[Havard]

Is that the pitter-pat of Havard drooling I hear?

Indeed! 8)

There are alot of things on that list that I would love to see the contents of. Sadly I doubt I could afford any of it. Hopefully whoever buys these things is someone we can talk to and perhaps learn some of the details of the contents...

-Havard

[finarvyn]

I've seen links to the big announcement, but no links to actual auctions. I know they are supposed to start tomorrow, but it would be nice to know where to go to look around.

[Havard]

GeekDad has more details on the contents of the "collection" with pictures: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/05/ge ... -revealed/


The Hill Cantons has some interesting comments on what it mean if much of this information will be kept from the eyes of the public: http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2012/05 ... omain.html

-Havard

[Havard]

First batch of the auction is up: http://www.ebay.com/sch/the_collectors_ ... 513&_pgn=1

Its actually pretty interesting to see which items Arneson owned. Some of them surprise me. For instance I like that he was buying BECMI stuff as late as in the 1990s

-Havard

[Rafael]

Indeed. Thanks, noble viking!

However, it seems it's really a collector's collection, mostly. Some of the items are shrinkwrapped, even.

That, or Mr Arneson really didn't like Harnmaster. :wink:




Don't know how to say it better, but really, this feels like looting a corpse to me.
I appreciate that the content is made public, but unless there's really a dream item there that I'll use for actual play, I think I will skip.

Though I have to confess that I smiled broadly when I learned that the master played MERP.