this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2023
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I just had a moment where I downsized my RPG book collection. Do you ever weed out your collection? I find myself becoming a bit of a headless chicken, sometimes more interested in what the promise is that a book might hold, rather than diving in deep into the ones I already have. This superficial engagement with many books I find very unsatisfying. The books I cherish most are the ones that I have really sunk my teeth into, and I have a feeling that there is still a lot to discover in some of those that I haven't revisited in a while. Master the tools you have, rather than acquiring ever more barely used tools. Just wanted to air my thoughts, quite happy right now with my smaller collection of things I really cherish.

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[–] dracul104@pathfinder.social 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Never enough. When I die I want my kids to be burdened with wondering what the heck to do with dad's dozens of boxes of rpg books.

[–] eerongal@ttrpg.network 1 points 1 year ago

My completely stuffed bookshelf agrees with this.

[–] AmeritrashPanda@ttrpg.network 3 points 1 year ago

I sold off some of my books before, ones that I hadn't used or even looked at in a while.

I regret it so hard.

Ignoring the sentimental aspects (which is significant for me), if I decide I want them back I now have to pay probably double or more what I sold them for.

I will probably never sell anything again unless I have multiples of it.

[–] peto@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

I try to limit myself to only especially nice books these days. If I just want to read the rules a pdf does the job done. So if its taking up shelf space is going to have to look nice and be useful. Aside from that, as long as I'm keeping in my entertainment budget there isn't really such thing as too many.

[–] Gallowglas@ttrpg.network 1 points 1 year ago

The only way you can have too many RPG books is if you're physically unable to store them in your home or apartment.

I get where you're coming from but I refuse to part with the books I've collected over the years, even the ones I don't use often or never made it to the table. The only games I've parted ways with were either games that were stolen from me or physically disintegrated due to heavy use + poor construction, and in almost every case I regret not replacing them immediately. Some of them are long out of print and can't be easily acquired anymore, which is going to be even more common in the future with so many games being published only via Kickstarter fulfillment or as a PDF.

[–] AwkwardTurtle@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've almost certainly go too many books, but for me RPG books are two things:

  • Something I do or plan to use the actual contents of. Whether that be rules, tools, or adventures.
  • Physical objects that are nice to look at and hold.

Happily the indie RPG scene is very good at making books that cover both of those categies. I will once in a while go through the collection and give away books that I both don't think I'll ever use, and also aren't nice enough as objects to be worth keeping around.

I also have a number of magazine bins filled with zines, which I love but also desperately needs to be pared down.

Also because I will take any opportunity to share a shelfie:

Desk RPG shelf of "close to hand" stuff (and also tall books because they don't fit on the other shelves).

Ancillary bookshelf of RPG stuff:

[–] sexybenfranklin@ttrpg.network 2 points 1 year ago

Ah, the Haunted Almanac, a person of taste I see.