D&D‘s co-creator left behind a dragon’s hoard for auction.
Dave Arneson, who worked to create Dungeons & Dragons alongside visionary Gary Gygax, moved on to the Outer Planes back in 2009, but he left a mystery in his wake: What happened to his stuff? Last year, a vast collection of Arneson’s games, correspondence, models, and other ephemera showed up in a Minnesota storage locker. After changing hands through various auction companies, Arneson’s hoard has landed in the hands of The Collector’s Trove, an “online auction agent for game designers and artists.” If you want a chance to own some one-of-a-kind pieces of roleplaying history, the first of many auctions will launch tomorrow, Sunday, May 6, 2012.
As one might expect, Arneson’s collection includes a ton of D&D memorabilia, including first-edition printings of various rulebooks and adventures, models and miniatures, and newsletters written by Gary Gygax himself. In addition, Arneson saved years of correspondence with Gygax, items from his own RPG and wargame collection, and even a goblet with his family crest engraved in the side. Perhaps most intriguing of all is Arneson’s locked briefcase, whose contents are currently a mystery to all but the auctioneers.
The story of how these items came into The Collector’s Trove’s hands is a twisting tale worthy of any D&D campaign, but it began with a storage company uncovering Arneson’s collection. After his next of kin proved unresponsive, the storage company reached out to various auctioneers and resellers. The property changed hands a few times before coming to rest with The Collector’s Trove, a specialized auction site for and by roleplayers – arguably the best organization for the job.
Since the auctions will be split up into many different lots, owning a part of Arneson’s personal library will likely be expensive, but not completely out-of-reach for D&D enthusiasts who have some money set aside. This could be your chance to own a D&D creator’s personal set of dice – those probably have magical powers, right?
Source: Wired
