Knights & Knaves Alehouse

Nerelas wrote:Can someone tell me if the bindings are stitched/sewn or glued ("perfect")? I've read one review that assumes that because there is a cloth headband at the top of the spine that the books are stitched, but that isn't necessarily the case. Anyone ? Thanks in advance.

In the link in the review thread Bill says they're stitched. There's a picture of the binding too.

These books look great! How soon before we know how sales are?

I don’t think they’re stitched. I’m not sure, though.

rredmond wrote:

Nerelas wrote:Can someone tell me if the bindings are stitched/sewn or glued ("perfect")? I've read one review that assumes that because there is a cloth headband at the top of the spine that the books are stitched, but that isn't necessarily the case. Anyone ? Thanks in advance.

In the link in the review thread Bill says they're stitched. There's a picture of the binding too.

Yeah, Bill's review is the one to which I was referring. The presence of a header band doesn't indicate one way or the other whether the binding is stitched, which he doesn't seem to realize. I seriously doubt if they are sewn; if they were, it'd be the first time since around 1981 that an AD&D hardcover has been so well constructed. It might sound odd, but my entire purchasing decision hinges (pun unintended, but I'll keep it ) on the matter.

Looking at my copies and talking it over with co-workers, it looks thermal bound. They are still really awesome.

I received my copies from Noble Knight today. They were packed well, and WotC did a fabulous job with the reprinted books.

I am extremely pleased with my purchase.

I got mine today - they look good and, something that has not been noted, they smell good. All in all, a good job.

Oh yeah, they do have that new book smell!

While flipping through Jon's DMG today, I noticed a flaw on page 81, where the printed text of "grant" at the right-edge of the page was obliterated. The art's considerably darker in several places, and where there was fine detail (as with the hex grids in the campaign section, for example), that's nearly completely gone now. Also noticed that the GenCon ad at the back of the index was missing, too....

So, my intent to purchase these had a crushing encounter with reality when I did the mental math and realized how much they would actually cost: approx. $128, including tax, for the full set of three. If I'd been able to actually peruse them and flip through the pages and feel the texture of the leatherette covers that might have pushed me over the edge, but just looking at the shrink-wrapped copies (one of each - not sure if that's all the store ordered or all that they have left) I couldn't bring myself to do it. Couldn't escape the feeling that I'd be paying a pretty significant amount (anything over $100 feels like "real money") for what is, bottom line, a pretty facsimile of something I already own the real version of (several copies, including near-mint copies). If they ever make these available at amazon with a nice, steep 25-30% discount I'll probably still buy them, but unless I, like, suddenly come into a bunch of extra $ by surprise, I can't see paying full MSRP (+ 9.75% CA sales tax) for them

That's why I just got the PHB. I always need more for gifts anyway.

T. Foster wrote:So, my intent to purchase these had a crushing encounter with reality when I did the mental math and realized how much they would actually cost: approx. $128, including tax, for the full set of three...Couldn't escape the feeling that I'd be paying a pretty significant amount...for what is, bottom line, a pretty facsimile of something I already own the real version of (several copies, including near-mint copies).

That's where I'm at with these, too. I think they're cool, I applaud WotC for offering them, and I hope they sell ALL of them and demand is such that they decide to reprint them every once in a while. But for me, well, I'd like to have them but I just can't justify the purchase.

Philotomy Jurament wrote:

T. Foster wrote:So, my intent to purchase these had a crushing encounter with reality when I did the mental math and realized how much they would actually cost: approx. $128, including tax, for the full set of three...Couldn't escape the feeling that I'd be paying a pretty significant amount...for what is, bottom line, a pretty facsimile of something I already own the real version of (several copies, including near-mint copies).

That's where I'm at with these, too. I think they're cool, I applaud WotC for offering them, and I hope they sell ALL of them and demand is such that they decide to reprint them every once in a while. But for me, well, I'd like to have them but I just can't justify the purchase.

I bought two sets and unwrapped them both. My main motive was just to have new books at the table and maybe give my 70's books a rest. I didn't care about any potential "collectible" value in the future. I also thought maybe my son would want a set some day (even though he already has LL & the AEC) so that is why I got the second set. My wife asked, "are you going to leave a set wrapped up?" and I told her "I bought them to be played with".

Yeah, if I bought them I'd definitely use them at the table. But that's just it: I already have multiple copies, so I don't need these at the table, and even though I think they're cool and I'm jealous of you guys that have them, I don't want/need them bad enough to shell out the bucks. That's not a criticism of anyone who does value them enough to shell out the bucks; it's just the way the price point works out, for me.

(Actually, if I were interested in them as collectibles, I'd probably be more likely to buy them. But I'm much more of a gamer than a collector, so that's not the case.)

Three games ago my wife was flipping through an orange-spine PH to look up a spell and she accidentally tore the page a bit. She looked at me with horror and I said, "those aren't the 70's books". You are not wrong about the price though. I see Monster Manuals on Amazon for 11 bucks. I am not sure the condition or what version...but quite the difference. I would probably bring the newer ones to Gary Con next year (I plan to go for the weekend instead of a half day like last time) because this may sound harsh to some...but if the reprints were stolen or soda spilled on them, I would be way less heart broken than having my 70's versions suffering the same fate.

Wizardawn wrote:this may sound harsh to some...but if the reprints were stolen or soda spilled on them, I would be way less heart broken than having my 70's versions suffering the same fate.

Makes sense to me.