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RPGNow, Paizo, or somewhere else?
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:15 pm
by Flambeaux
I'm thinking of filling out some of the gaps in my out of print PDF collection (classic modules, etc).
I know I've bought from both in the past, but it's been a few years since I bought any PDFs from either company.
Has anyone had recent experience, pro or con, with buying the out of print TSR PDFs?
I've seen there is about a $1 US price difference between the two sites per item. Does anyone have an idea as to why?
Thanks.
Re: RPGNow, Paizo, or somewhere else?
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:08 pm
by jgbrowning
Flambeaux wrote:I'm thinking of filling out some of the gaps in my out of print PDF collection (classic modules, etc).
I know I've bought from both in the past, but it's been a few years since I bought any PDFs from either company.
Has anyone had recent experience, pro or con, with buying the out of print TSR PDFs?
I've seen there is about a $1 US price difference between the two sites per item. Does anyone have an idea as to why?
Thanks.
I'd choose Paizo. It's less expensive and they don't raise their rates for companies that sell product at their website unlike rpgnow/drivethru/OBS.
joe b.
Re: RPGNow, Paizo, or somewhere else?
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:07 am
by Piper
Flambeaux wrote:I'm thinking of filling out some of the gaps in my out of print PDF collection (classic modules, etc).
I know I've bought from both in the past, but it's been a few years since I bought any PDFs from either company.
Has anyone had recent experience, pro or con, with buying the out of print TSR PDFs?
I've seen there is about a $1 US price difference between the two sites per item. Does anyone have an idea as to why?
Thanks.
I use paizo and I've been very happy with them.
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:08 am
by Matthew
Paizo or YourGamesNow.
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:30 am
by Flambeaux
Matthew wrote:Paizo or YourGamesNow.
I didn't think YGN was offering the PDFs of the out of print TSR stuff.
Joe Browning, isn't YGN one of your operations?
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:33 am
by Matthew
Whoops, my mistake. I thought that they were.
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:35 am
by jgbrowning
I wish we were.

I need to approach WotC at GenCon and see if they'd be interested in selling product at YGN, but as we're a cooperative I suspect they will not be. Alas, I'd love to have the catalog.
joe b.
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:49 am
by Matthew
That would be good. Best of luck.
Just a quick off topic note, Labyrinth Lord doesn't appear on the System Page, but the search engine shows there to be four products available. Just thought I should let you know in case this is an oversight.
[Edit]
Ah, found the products in the 'other system' section.
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:53 pm
by Mordenkainen
I've used RPGnow and Drivethrurpg around 30-40 times for 1e D&D PDF's and have never had any problem with DLing them, per se. I think the prices are kinda reasonable. But it is well-known that the quality of the scans of the PDFs majorly suck.
All I ask is that they are legible.
If I knew how to start a petition to WotC for them to reup just the 3 core rulebooks in HQ, I'd do it in a heartbeat!

*sigh* Here's to hoping...
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:36 am
by PapersAndPaychecks
IIRC the way those .pdfs were produced was to ask the fans to scan in their old 1e rulebooks, and then post the scans.
So if someone with a rulebook re-scans them...

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:02 am
by Brad
Serious question about PDFs: why should I pay money for a PDF of a book that I already own? For instance, I own something like 15 copies of the PHB. To spend another $5 on a PDF seems ridiculous under "fair use". I do realize that there is some time required to scan them in, but every single 1st edition PDF I've seen has lacked in quality, and thus isn't even worth the $5. If someone has a legitimate legal argument for buying the PDF, I am interested to hear it. Up until now, my personal policy was to pay for PDFs of books that I don't physically own, and not pay for ones that I do own.
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:01 am
by Deogolf
I wouldn't purchase a pdf of core rule books. The books can be found readily enough from Amazon, eBay, and used books stores. I would (and have) use them for the adventures that might be a bit harder to track down or expensive.
Alot of times you can track down the PHB or DMG for about the same price as a PDF and you can actually read it!!
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:05 am
by Piper
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:07 am
by Flambeaux
I bought PDFs of the core rules several years ago, before I discovered how inexpensive they were in print. Now, I'm following Deogolf's suggested course of acquiring the OOP modules & supplements in PDF when I can't find them easily, or as inexpensively, in print.
The scans aren't very good, but for several years it was better than nothing.
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:29 am
by Deogolf