D&D - Original Woodgrain Box (2nd Printing)

A gem of this renown hardly needs an introduction…

This is it, the end-all be-all of gaming collectibles, a 1st edition, 1st printing copy of the original fantasy roleplaying game: Dungeons & Dragons. Only about 1000 were reported to have been produced and each one was hand-assembled in Gary Gygax’s kitchen in Lake Geneva back in 1974. There is quite simply no other item that better captures a collector’s devotion than owning one of these small, unassuming brown boxes.

This printing features the horizontal box striations seen only on the original 1974 printing and the interior covers of all the books have no printing notices of any kind; The classic hallmarks of the true 1st printing. Other noteworthy features of this printing include the references to Hobbits and Ents on page 9 of the Men & Magic book, and the "homage" that the cover art of the box and the Men and magic book paid to Dr. Strange issue #167. Truly this collector's piece offers every talking point you could wish for to impress all audiences from seasoned collectors to the newest of neophytes.

Condition Notes:

The entire item has a pervasive sweet smell throughout, it is noticeable, but not overbearing.

Box - Fair – This box must rate as Fair due to heavy tearing, staining, and pen marking on the cover sheet and the presence of multiple other tears and gouges on the box surface. However, in a surprising stroke of luck, all four box corners on both the top and bottom half of the box are still intact, a rarity for this item.

Book #1 - VG+ – This book is in particularly nice condition given its age. While there is some discoloration and scuffing on the cover of the book and a few small pen marks on the back, the page edges remain crisp and their surfaces clean, save for a few stray marks. The staples show little to no signs of rust.

Book #2 - VG – Much like the first volume, this book has some scuffing and a few small stains on the cover, but is largely clean and mark free with nice crisp page edges. The center page (19-22) is loose from the top staple, but not the bottom.

Book #3 – Fair+ – The cover shows wear similar to the other two volumes with small stains on the back and slight scuffing throughout. Unfortunately, this volume's center page (17-20) is completely loose from the staples, but is included.

Reference Sheets - Fair+ - Have significant staining across their surface and a stray blue marker stain at the bottom of the pages.

While the condition is far from perfect, this item’s rarity more than makes up for it shortcomings. With each passing year, this item only becomes rarer, so seize the opportunity to make it your own now, lest the chance of a lifetime pass you by…