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For those going to GenCon, Goodman Games is offering a trade in value for your old 3E books, Products at the Goodman Games GenCon Booth.
I might just do this with my old 3E books I have no plans on using with PFRPG!
Turn that bookshelf of dusty 3E tomes into brand new 4E sourcebooks and adventures from Goodman Games! Visit us at Gen Con booth #1371 (right behind Wizards of the Coast), and here's how you can save:
- Bring your used 3E books to the Goodman Games booth.
- We will give credit for trade-in 3E books at 10 cents on the dollar.
- You can use this credit toward any purchase at our booth for a discount of up to 50%.
- For example, let’s say you bring in a third edition Player’s Handbook, originally valued at $29.99. We will give you $3.00 off a Goodman Games purchase of $6.00 or more. For a purchase of $5.99 or less, you would receive a discount of 50%.
- Trade-in books must be in decent condition. Some wear-and-tear is okay, but we will not issue credit for books with torn pages, damaged covers, cracked spines, severe scuffing, and other severe damage.
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This is parasitic behavior. And at a 10:1 loss, this seems like a see-through scheme at a time when the value of v.3.5 books is on the rise due to Pathfinder RPG compatibility.
No thanks—if you wish to offer a few bucks off please do so, if not, don't take this opportunity to take advantage of consumers.
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Um...I have to confess, I'm not sure why I'd do this, because with the advent of pfrpg ALL of my 3.5 material remains relevant and useful.
Also, isn't advertising this here a little...I don't know...crass? Maybe not. I'm no arbiter of ethics, for certain. Just didn't leave me feeling shiny.
Which, by the way, has nothing to do with feeling the kind of shiny Sebastian feels in this thread.
This is parasitic behavior. And at a 10:1 loss, this seems like a see-through scheme at a time when the value of v.3.5 books is on the rise due to Pathfinder RPG compatibility.
No thanks—if you wish to offer a few bucks off please do so, if not, don't take this opportunity to take advantage of consumers.
3E, not necessarily 3.5. While 3.5 has held its prices pretty good since 4E came out, 3E haven't. Let's look at amazon real quick:
So it might actually be worth it to some people to trade in their 3E texts, as they might actually come out ahead on them.
As for PFRPG, hell I hope it is a roaring success. Then maybe 3.5E will start pricing like 3E. Then I can get a bunch of 3.5E stuff on the cheap. :D
Yeah this seems kind of jerkish. Goodman games has to know that this board is full of people who are finding refuge from 4E and want to support Pathfinder or 3.5.
There are people here who support 4E but I'm fairly certain that they are the minority here. Maybe this post should have been posted in the 4E portion of these boards so that those people can take advantage of this.
Go to your Friendly Local Used Bookstore. They likely give cash or credit (or both) for those books, and they go back into the community instead of a landfill. (I have never known a used bookstore that didn't do one or the other. The larger ones will give cash.) Does Goodman say what they are doing with those books? I would really like to know. As it stand, Goodman in my standing had already fallen down in a pit. Now they teeter on the ledge of a precipice in that pit which overhangs a yawning abyss.
This is parasitic behavior. And at a 10:1 loss, this seems like a see-through scheme at a time when the value of v.3.5 books is on the rise due to Pathfinder RPG compatibility.
No thanks—if you wish to offer a few bucks off please do so, if not, don't take this opportunity to take advantage of consumers.
3E, not necessarily 3.5. While 3.5 has held its prices pretty good since 4E came out, 3E haven't. Let's look at amazon real quick:
So it might actually be worth it to some people to trade in their 3E texts, as they might actually come out ahead on them.
As for PFRPG, hell I hope it is a roaring success. Then maybe 3.5E will start pricing like 3E. Then I can get a bunch of 3.5E stuff on the cheap. :D
According to the offer you can only use the trade in credit to get Goodman Games stuff and if I recall correctly they no longer produce 3.5 related material and are not producing anything for Pathfinder. So basically unless you play 4E (which you might, I don't know) this offer is useless to you as well as most people who are on these boards.
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Ok..I am do not Work for Goodman Games... I got the Advertisement from them in an email and I am passing it along. Not all 3E books are useful in the PFRPG, for example.. the Core books and some old 3.0 books, those may be worth trading.
Goodman Games did not advertise this here on the boards, I am just spreading the news to people here for those who may find it useful.
Don't shoot the messenger!
With all due respect though, Dragnmoon, this is not just a discount. Just a discount would be Goodman emailing a coupon. This is more than a discount.
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Don't shoot the messenger!
With all due respect though, Dragnmoon, this is not just a discount. Just a discount would be Goodman emailing a coupon. This is more than a discount.
Wrong words... Trade-in.
For some people like me who only other choice is to throw away those old books I don't need for either 3.5 or PFRPG, this is not that bad of a deal.
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Wow... guys calm down...
Don't sweat it. At least a couple of guys who posted are diehard 4E opponents who I always see popping in to say something negative about 4E and anything relating to it. It's nothing personal against you, they just don't like 4E and have enough free time on their hands to let everyone know about it. The only thing I would suggest is that next time you post something like this in the 4E section.
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Wow... guys calm down...Don't sweat it. At least a couple of guys who posted are diehard 4E opponents who I always see popping in to say something negative about 4E and anything relating to it. It's nothing personal against you, they just don't like 4E and have enough free time on their hands to let everyone know about it. The only thing I would suggest is that next time you post something like this in the 4E section.
Was thinking about that... But it has nothing to do with 4E, You can use the the 3E Trade-in to buy any Goodman Game products at the booth, not just thier 4E books.
So since it was about trading in 3E books for anything on thier booth, decided it fit best here *Shrugs*
Edit: I also think it is funny I got this reaction, because on the 4E boards some hate me now to because the read into something that I posted there and thought I said something I did not say! just having a bad posting day here on the boards
Don't shoot the messenger!
With all due respect though, Dragnmoon, this is not just a discount. Just a discount would be Goodman emailing a coupon. This is more than a discount.
Wrong words... Trade-in.
For some people like me who only other choice is to throw away those old books I don't need for either 3.5 or PFRPG, this is not that bad of a deal.
I didn't mean any of my comments to reflect on your behavior, just Goodman's, and I didn't mean to simply pick on your words. I don't like the "book trade-in" ploy when I don't know what is going to happen to the books. Of course, I may not like it when I do know what it is going to happen to the books. People can enjoy playing and selling 4e (or whatever else Goodman sells these days) all they want without this kind of deal, so I am left wondering why anyone would use this kind of tactic.
EDIT: No hating from me, Dragnmoon. Have a good posting day!
EDIT2: And by "anyone," I don't mean individuals, but companies.
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That's true, however this phrase
Was thinking about that... But it has nothing to do with 4E, You can use the the 3E Trade-in to buy any Goodman Game products at the booth, not just thier 4E books.
Turn that bookshelf of dusty 3E tomes into brand new 4E sourcebooks and adventures from Goodman Games!
seems to indicate that they are trying to push their 4E line. That's what makes a lot of people twitchy. Personally I have lots of stuff I'd like to trade to get credit on Castles and Crusades books, but that's just me.
Edit: I had a dream last night that I finally found a group to play Second Edition with. It was a good dream.
That's true, however this phrase
Was thinking about that... But it has nothing to do with 4E, You can use the the 3E Trade-in to buy any Goodman Game products at the booth, not just thier 4E books.
Turn that bookshelf of dusty 3E tomes into brand new 4E sourcebooks and adventures from Goodman Games!seems to indicate that they are trying to push their 4E line. That's what makes a lot of people twitchy. Personally I have lots of stuff I'd like to trade to get credit on Castles and Crusades books, but that's just me.
Makes me think they must be getting desperate if they need such gimmicks to lure players of older editions into buying their 4e stuff. ;-)
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Makes me think they must be getting desperate if they need such gimmicks to lure players of older editions into buying their 4e stuff. ;-)
They very likely are, but not because 4E is not doing well. I would say that WoTC is glutting the market right now by putting out one new book about every month. Most people can't sustain that kind of buying in the current economy and with Wizards attitude that everything is core, many people feel the need to buy everything they put out. the means thet the 3pp end up suffering as a result.
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That's true, however this phraseTurn that bookshelf of dusty 3E tomes into brand new 4E sourcebooks and adventures from Goodman Games!seems to indicate that they are trying to push their 4E line.
I can see that, but A few lines down it says this
You can use this credit toward any purchase at our booth for a discount of up to 50%.
Which indicates any product at the booth.
Non 4E books include
Age of Cthulhu
Systems-Neutral RPG Supplements
Castles & Crusades
Eldritch Role-Playing System
Etherscope
Dungeon Crawl Classics Miniatures
Card Games
They very likely are, but not because 4E is not doing well. I would say that WoTC is glutting the market right now by putting out one new book about every month. Most people can't sustain that kind of buying in the current economy and with Wizards attitude that everything is core, many people feel the need to buy everything they put out. the means thet the 3pp end up suffering as a result.
Makes me think they must be getting desperate if they need such gimmicks to lure players of older editions into buying their 4e stuff. ;-)
Interesting. Seems my opinion that tpps should avoid 4e like the plague has basis in good business sense then.
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I don't have a problem with Drag posting it and sharing it. I mean if someone finds it useful more power to them. I just don't think it is a good deal is all. Maybe locally it is different, but where I live they have a local game auction by the local game store chain. 3e and 3.5e stuff the past year has gone for near or cover price at the auctions.
So from that point of view it looks like the trade in deal is a bad deal.
I ain't tradin' in my guns!
Yeah, Jonathan. I'd buy plenty of 3.x books at 10 cents on the dollar.
Dark Mistress, how can we assess Goodman's offer until we know what it is intended to do? From this perspective, loss leader items at a grocery store don't make sense, but they are apparently a good business practice.
The email was clear that the books had to be in decent shape. I'll be interested if they give an answer.
Director of Brand Strategy
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I don't really play 4e, but I have several friends who have written two Goodman books (both Forgotten Heroes supplements) and I'd love to be able to support them. This gives me a chace to pick up those books in exchange for my Sword & Fist, Tome & Blood and other obsolete 3e books that are just taking up space. That said, I will take the advice of lettuce-head and see what I can get for them at the local used bookstore. If it's more than $0.1:1, I'll take the cash and then buy the books from my FLGS and avoid lugging everything to Indy.
Edit: I also think it is funny I got this reaction, because on the 4E boards some hate me now to because the read into something that I posted there and thought I said something I did not say! just having a bad posting day here on the boards
I don't hate you, Dragnmoon.
As for offer: It seems to me that even the most die hard 4E hater/Pathfinder lover is going to have, at the very least, a 3.5 PHB and DMG they might be interested in getting rid of come Gencon. The reaction here is just another reminder that some people are actively looking to take offense. Don't take it personally.
I still think there may be a failure here to understand, but I'm feeling less optimistic that if so, it can be cleared up.
Pulls fistful of leaves out by the roots.
They very likely are, but not because 4E is not doing well. I would say that WoTC is glutting the market right now by putting out one new book about every month. Most people can't sustain that kind of buying in the current economy and with Wizards attitude that everything is core, many people feel the need to buy everything they put out. the means thet the 3pp end up suffering as a result.
Makes me think they must be getting desperate if they need such gimmicks to lure players of older editions into buying their 4e stuff. ;-)
Nonsense.
During the 3e rein, WoTC put out 2 hardcovers a month plus minis plus maps plus other bits. This was essentially done until the end of 3.5. More product than now.
Note that this did not impact 3rd parties at all during the 3e phase. The 3.5 switch over and the implosion of one of the distributors is what really kicked a lot of 3rd party companies in the lower regions.
Note also that WoTC will be experiementing with formats including doing some softcovers in 2010.
The 3E PHB is going for $5 - $7 on ebay.
I think this is a deal for suckers....
He "buys" it for $3 and sells it for $7. Not bad (for Goodman)...
And, of course, since he only gets 50% (ish) from sales through normal retail outlets anyway, he's actually losing absolutely nothing - although he may be undercutting the game stores he's so known to defend....
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The 3E PHB is going for $5 - $7 on ebay.
I think this is a deal for suckers....
He buys it for $3 and sells it for $7. Not bad (for Goodman)...
3.0 or 3.5?... and is $5-$7 selling on ebay? just because it is listed for that price on ebay, does not mean it is selling.
I wonder if they will take my Turkish Version of 3.0 PhB :-)
3.0 or 3.5?... and is $5-$7 selling on ebay? just because it is listed for that price on ebay, does not mean it is selling.
There's one (3.0) out there now with 3 bids, currently going for $7.
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Yeah, Jonathan. I'd buy plenty of 3.x books at 10 cents on the dollar.
Dark Mistress, how can we assess Goodman's offer until we know what it is intended to do? From this perspective, loss leader items at a grocery store don't make sense, but they are apparently a good business practice.
I think it is a good idea for Goodman, it is a lose leader to get people to buy their products and if good they can hook them. I think it is smart on Goodmans part. I think it is a bad deal for the person trading stuff in. I think they are honestly more often than not getting ripped on the value of most of the 3e books. For example the last local auction even the 3.0e PHB where going for 5-10 bucks and the 3.5 ones for around cover price. Just as a example.
I think it is a good idea for Goodman, it is a lose leader to get people to buy their products and if good they can hook them. I think it is smart on Goodmans part. I think it is a bad deal for the person trading stuff in. I think they are honestly more often than not getting ripped on the value of most of the 3e books. For example the last local auction even the 3.0e PHB where going for 5-10 bucks and the 3.5 ones for around cover price. Just as a example.
Yeah, I'm with ya -- depending on what Goodman is doing with them, and what effect they can have on their customer base (or growing that base), maybe it will be good for them. I don't think it will be good for most consumers, or for consumers as a whole, but what do I, with my dusty tomes, know...
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Wow... guys calm down...Don't sweat it. At least a couple of guys who posted are diehard 4E opponents who I always see popping in to say something negative about 4E and anything relating to it. It's nothing personal against you, they just don't like 4E and have enough free time on their hands to let everyone know about it. The only thing I would suggest is that next time you post something like this in the 4E section.Was thinking about that... But it has nothing to do with 4E, You can use the the 3E Trade-in to buy any Goodman Game products at the booth, not just thier 4E books.
So since it was about trading in 3E books for anything on thier booth, decided it fit best here *Shrugs*
Edit: I also think it is funny I got this reaction, because on the 4E boards some hate me now to because the read into something that I posted there and thought I said something I did not say! just having a bad posting day here on the boards
Don't sweat it dude. You didn't do anything wrong. I thought you worked for Goodman, to tell the truth. *group hug* S'all good. This may very well be useful to some people. Thanks for trying to be helpful.
And, of course, since he only gets 50% (ish) from sales through normal retail outlets anyway, he's actually losing absolutely nothing - although he may be undercutting the game stores he's so known to defend....
I don't think he could possibly sell enough at GENCON to come close to undercutting brick & mortar stores. You're really reaching with that one ;)
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Just email them... I asked
What are you going to do with the old 3E products? and can they be 3E products from any Company? Can I get the discount for any product at your booth and not just the 4E products?
Got a Reply from Goodman Games, Here is what they said.
The offer applies to all 3E material -- 3.0, 3.5, Wizards of the Coast, and every third party d20 publisher that ever existed. What happens to the books depends on what we get -- there are a lot of people who want 3.5 Players Handbooks, but almost nobody who wants a lot of the year-one 3.0 d20 supplements. But we won't be selling it at our booth at the show. The credit can be used toward any current Goodman Games product. Hope that helps.
Some people that really care, should stand near by with a handful of ones. Anytime someone is going to trade in a good book, they should offer $3 dollars for it (the most you'll get from Goodman). That way you could make sure they are not destroyed by the evil "Good"man.
Just email them... I asked
What are you going to do with the old 3E products? and can they be 3E products from any Company? Can I get the discount for any product at your booth and not just the 4E products?
Got a Reply from Goodman Games, Here is what they said.
The offer applies to all 3E material -- 3.0, 3.5, Wizards of the Coast, and every third party d20 publisher that ever existed. What happens to the books depends on what we get -- there are a lot of people who want 3.5 Players Handbooks, but almost nobody who wants a lot of the year-one 3.0 d20 supplements. But we won't be selling it at our booth at the show. The credit can be used toward any current Goodman Games product. Hope that helps.
That doesn't score too high on the "direct answer" scale.
Pres, I'm sure you'd get run off for that kind of behavior. Not that I wouldn't be caught trying, depending on the book in question...
But it's actually a moot point for those of us who will not be attending.
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I'm going to be honest, I did have a visceral, somewhat irrational reaction to the email and it wasn't a good one. In reality, it was a message through Facebook, but that doesn't matter I suppose. The message I received stated:
"Trade up to 4e!".
According to the same message certain publishers net you more money:
3E books from the following publishers will receive trade-in credit at 10 cents on the dollar: Wizards of the Coast, Goodman Games, Green Ronin, Troll Lord, Fantasy Flight, Alderac, Sword & Sorcery (including all imprints), Kenzer, Pandahead, Fiery Dragon, Mongoose Publishing.
Other publishers will net 5 cents on the dollar:
3E books from all other publishers will receive trade-in credit at 5 cents on the dollar.
Not sure why there is a difference but surely there must be a reason.
I am currently DMing a 4e game. I don't mind the system. I don't love it but I certainly don't hate it. I also don't see the value in edition wars. But I do take exception with the idea of "trading up". I understand marketing speech but I don't see the need to undermine current 3e publishers or give the impression that Goodman's system neutral products are off limits. Heck, even their 4e books have a good deal of fluff that a 3e fan might have interest in, so why risk alienating that potential clientele.
Joe Goodman works for a top Fortune 50 company. He knows the power of words. So I can't imagine he just cranked something out to advertise the sale without thinking about what he was saying.
That said, I don't think there is any "big conspiracy" going on. But the email did make me reassess how I felt about Goodman. Like I said, very visceral reaction.
Some of that might have roots in the fact I will be DMing a Pathfinder game in the Fall and I am very excited about it. That kind of marketing speech is likely to leave a very bad taste in my mouth as a result. Some of it might also derive from my support of 1/2 price bookstores, where you will likely get a better price for those books in any case. I am not saying he lost a customer or that he is the source of all evil. But I didn't feel good about the email after it arrived in my inbox.
Ultimately, if he is just going to turn around and sell those books himself. Well, I am not entirely sure how I feel about that either. It isn't intrinsically bad, I suppose. Just feels odd. But I am having trouble expressing why that would bother me exactly, so take that with a grain of salt.