Often asked, very hard to answer.

For newer items, it typically means just adding the item to the next order with my suppliers. Depending on the company, there may or may not be extra product available for reorder. It’s getting harder and harder to restock some lines, as companies move to a model like Print on Demand, Print to Order, or because distributors aren’t willing to put much, if any shelf stock beyond what was initially ordered by retailers. But when an item goes out of print, then the real hunt begins.

If you see the item listed on our web site and it is out of stock, every item should show a button on it to be alerted when it is back in stock. Just add your e-mail and it will let you know when there is an update to the availability.

The older the item is, the less likely there are copies to just be reordered. Gone are the days of many regional distributors, and by calling around you might find one who may still have some copies left. Odds are once it sells out with one supplier, they are all going to be sold out.

For long out of print items, it’s likely to only find an item as part of a collection or possible being sold off individually. Since it rarely works out that I can buy single pieces and still be able to price them to make a profit, the main source of used items is a collection someone has put up for sale. You take the good with the bad.

Over the years, I’ve noticed a few significant trends when used product re-enters the marketplace. In no particular order:

• Gamer has left the hobby. Generally, it will be a smaller collection, might be made up of a couple of different systems. For whatever reason, they are no longer interested in holding onto the items.
• Gamer got married, spouse wants those books out of the house. This one is rough, I’ve seen large collections be put up for sale. Even worse a few times I’ve seen the seller attempting to replace their beloved books after the marriage didn’t work. Heartbreaking when that happens.
• Spouse puts up deceased partners collection for sale. I always treat these with great care. A spouse usually wants them to go to someone who will appreciate the collection as much as the former owner did but doesn’t want a lot of hassles that come with selling it off piecemeal. I make it a matter of honor to be beyond fair in these dealings. I don’t want any bad karma coming my way. If you are looking to prepare your loved ones to handle this issue, please take some time to view my video on preparing a proper estate plan for your collection.
• Gamer has Real Life issues (health, kids, bills) that necessitate selling off part or all of their collection. Usually they are at peace with it, but not always. Generally, they peel off the layers of the collection that mean the least to them or are no longer actively playing. This can be an ongoing process.
• Upgrade system/format. I’ve seen quite a few people who start a new edition of a game sell off all their old books. Often it depends on the system, and the edition. I have seen this when a gamer moves to PDF versions of books as well, choosing to sell of their dead tree editions. Games Workshop has perfected the model of forcing people into the next edition.

In the early 2000s, people dumped their 2^nd edition AD&D books to jump into 3.0. That lasted up until 2008, roughly around when Gary Gygax passed away, when suddenly people started seriously looking for 1^st and 2^nd edition books again and the supply really dried up. When 5th Edition came out, I started seeing more and more 3.0 and 3.5 being sold off (4^th Edition never really had much demand as a secondary market, but it has slowly been picking up). And now we are starting to see the oldest members of the RPG hobby, leaving it completely (due to health or other reasons). If they don’t have a family member to pass their collection on to, then those 1970s and 1980s books are starting to trickle back into the market through various means. Rare items that hadn’t been seen for years are popping up more frequently. Conversely, the people who cut their teeth on 3rd edition are now in their high-income earning years and have been filling out their collections. What was common to have in stock in the early 2010s is now in enough demand that finding a book is often a real unknown. 

Invariably, it comes down to finding that seller looking to find a home for the 12 boxes of old gaming books that their Uncle X left them and making a deal that makes everyone happy.  Hopefully the book you need is in that next collection that comes through here.