FAQ, Some Tips for Mail Order Buying, And Policy on Want Lists

Frequently Asked Questions

• 1)What module did "________" appear in? As much as I would like to try to answer these questions, I just don't have the time to research the materials. If I don't know the answer of the top of my head, I can't do the research for you. I get too many e-mails, and have a hard enough time keeping up with orders as it is. I do recommend you post to the rec.games.frp.dnd newsgroup, or if it is a non-TSR related question, the rec.games.misc newsgroup. There are also newsgroups for mecha, Games Workshop, superhero and a host of other games. Do a little searching and you will come across the appropriate one.
• 2)Can you give me a desciption of the contents of an item so I can be sure I want to buy it? Along the same lines as the above question, but I am a bit more tolerant of this. If it will help you in making the purchase I will try to answer, but to be honest, I don't have time to often deal with this. If I can do it, I will, but don't take offense if I can't get to it. If someone were to make a repository for this type of information, I would certainly contribute.
• 3)How do I order? Click here to see about placing orders.
• 4)Do you take things in trade? You bet! All the time.  In fact I want your old stuff so much I am willing to put my money where my mouth is, and I do not low ball on offers hoping to get someone who does not know what it is worth. Click here for info on my trade in policy.
• 5) Can you contact me the next time you get in "_______"? See my policy on want lists at the end of this page for an explanation why this is not something I can do.
• 6)Do you buy or carry old computer games or hint books? No and no. I don't have any plans to expand into this area at this time.
• 7) Can I pay you once I receive the item? See my terms of sale, but accepted internet practice is that cash must be paid up front. The only time I did not follow this rule I got burned, and it will NOT happen again. One bad egg spoiled it for the rest of you. Besides, it is easier for you to check whether I am legit, than for me to check on you.
• 8)Do you carry card games? I don't normally stock them, but will sell boxes I can get from my distributor at full retail only. I do not sell singles or packs individually, it is just not worth it for that small of an order, especially once you figure shipping in. For singles or packs, support your local shops or I can recommend you go to a few internet places who do good jobs at selling such items, just ask.
• 9)Will you give a bigger discount for more items? It never hurts to ask, and if it is something not in demand then it may happen. You must remember that it is tough to find stuff no longer in print, and I may often have only one copy of something which may have many people looking for it. On larger orders I may throw in free shipping, but I have no set policy on this. The more often you order, the more likely this will happen.
• 10)Do you have a storefront I can come visit? No, I run a vitual store. There is no real location to see all these items at, since they are in storage until needed. I do meet with people occasionally, but this needs to be set up ahead of time and only if you are local. I am one of the owners of The Gamer's Realm, in Cranbury, NJ and the brand new location in Cinnaminson, NJ in case you want to visit a well stocked game store. I tend to pop in quite often and may see you there. INVENTORY LISTED ON THE DRAGON'S TROVE IS NOT PART OF THE INVENTORY OF THE GAMER'S REALM.
• 11) Can I make a link to your web page? Sure you don't need to ask permission.
• 12)What issue of Dragon (or other magazine) did such in such article appear in (or other requests for information on magazine articles)? My index is based on the one that appeared in Dragon #112. If it is after that issue, odds are I don't know. See #1 above for some recommendations. I am not trying to be rude, just telling you that my situation prevents me from really researching these types of questions as much as I would like to.
• 13)How much is module I just found at a garage sale worth? I know many comics/collectible dealers who get bombared by similar questions, to the point they hate to talk about the knowledge that took them years to gain. I recommend only asking this if you can not find any information on the item elsewhere. Look on my listing for what I would sell it for. I will not buy it for that, but it will give you an idea. Look at the listing of items I do buy and what I pay or give in credit for them. Check what that item sold for on e-bay in past auctions (though e-bay prices tend to be high for the market). I really get too much e-mail and don't have time to answer these types of questions. The only exceptions are if it is a very rare item, if you are going to trade items in, or if you need to have your collection valued for insurance purposes, then send me an e-mail and we can talk about it. If it appears you did some legwork in searching for information, or that it is something that is hard to get info on or we are talking trades, I am more than happy to talk with you about it.
• 14)What world do you recommend starting a campaign in? This is a valid question, but everyone's tastes are different. I am an old-school gamer (Greyhawk) and generally only get to play a little Battletech or a miniature game occasionally. Therefore I can not give you an in-depth view into the different worlds out currently. Your best bet is to ask in the rec.games.frp.dnd newsgroup for TSR worlds. You will get a lot more opinions, and often they will be very detailed. I just don't have the time to play all the worlds to give you the information you need.
• 15)Can you list all the modules with who wrote them, the levels of players needed, etc? This is a lot of work folks, and as much as I would like to have this information on my pages, I can't do it myself. If someone were to organize a kind of clearing house where people could send in contributions, I would happily contribute some missing info. See the second question above for a more thorough answer.
• 16)Who is better, "_____" or "_____"type of character? Please don't send me these kind of requests. They don't come in often, but they do occasionally.

Mail Order Shopping

I am constantly asked by people new to buying over the internet what guarantees that they have they will not be ripped off. Generally, some simply precautions on your part will help you avoid being ripped off, and I have assembled some recommendations to follow as good buyer practices. And feel free to follow them if you are thinking of buying an item from me, I will not be offended.

• 1)References - Anyone who has been selling over the internet should be happy to provide as many references as you desire. Now these have to be taken with a grain of salt, since they will more than likely give you people who have dealt with the person and had no problems. It is also possible that they are their friends or the same person under different accounts, but this is rare. Along these lines, place a message in the newsgroup that the seller uses and ask if anyone has dealt with them. You will get both good and bad opinions then. If the person is a new seller, and can not provide references, then you certainly run a greater risk, but everyone starts somewhere. If the person is unwilling to provide references, then that is a major warning sign. Just asking for them is not enough, REMEMBER TO CHECK THEM!
• 2)Is the seller and established dealer or someone dumping their collection? If it is an established dealer, then odds are they will be on the up and up, since they can not afford to have their rep damaged and still do business (though I can think of one case where this did not matter to the individual). You run a greater risk when dealing with an individual dumping their collection and then disappearing forever. In watching the rec.games.frp.marketplace newsgroup, most of the cases where people have been ripped off have fallen into this second category. In many cases you will get a better deal buying from a private seller, but be aware you run a greater risk. You pay a bit more from an established dealer, but that is offset by the fact you will get what you pay for. Established dealers tend to grade items a little more harshly than an individual will as well.
• 3)Know who you are buying from - Odds are you will see who the good sellers are if you watch postings in the newsgroups for a while, or ask around. Recommendations by other customers will certainly be a good indication of the type of person selling. Personally I rarely post to the marketplace, and most of my customers come in by word of mouth.
• 4)Payment - Pay by credit card, but this is not always an option unless it is a larger dealer (this is more of a cost factor than lack of a desire to take credit cards. This is very expensive to a merchant, even more so if you do not have a storefront, and you as the customer would never see this). In that case, pay by US Postal Money Order, and send it by certified mail, return receipt requested. This will give you proof of payment by US Mail and mail fraud is a crime. If you fail to get your items you can either dispute it with the credit card company, or you can file a Mail Fraud claim with the Postal Inspector. When a pattern develops, they do take notice. They will always contact the person about the claim though. You can also contact the National Fraud centers' web site, and file a claim. This will be forwarded to the sellers states' Attorney General's office. It takes time, but I have seen results from it.

Policy on Want Lists

By far, this has been the most difficult thing to deal with. What seems like a simple request "Keep me in mind when you get such and such item in" can quickly turn into a monstrous undertaking. There are certain items that I get weekly (sometimes several a week) requests from different people, all wanting to get the next copy that comes in. Some items would have a waiting list of dozens of people. The maintainece of such listings is no small undertaking, and I have opted to put my resources into getting the items, rather than maintaining the list of people who want them. Short of auctioning items constantly (a logistical nightmare, and I would rather set a fair price and sell it rather than auction it for more money with a slower turnaround) I have not had a better idea to approach this problem.

Requests - if you have a request for an item that you do NOT see in my catalogs, send an e-mail to info@dragonstrove.com with the word "Request" in the Subject line and I will do my best to find it for you.

Keep looking at the new items just in section of the pages. Set a bookmark to it if you want. I generally post new listings once a week as long as I get in enough to make a list. The items get picked over there first before being moved into the regular catalogs, so you will see lots of stuff come and go quite quickly. Those rare items everyone wants generally never make it to the regular catalogs because of this. The most current two postings are always listed there.

I don't discourage want lists though. If you want to send me one, by all means do so. It does help me in my buying, as I will often pass over an item in a collection unless I know someone is looking for it (especially for odd-ball stuff). I just think you should know what will happen when you make a request. I will be honest and tell you that the people who tend to be regular customers and make requests have those requests filled more often since I recognize the names and will keep it in the back of my head. In other words, it may just help your chances if you have bought from me before and thus your name stands out among the requests. That is a fact of life no matter where you do your business. As I sort through pile of items, I am more likely to set aside something a previous customer has requested than risk getting something for someone who has never ordered from me before asked about and then no longer wants when I track them down.

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The Dragon's Trove
Quality New and Used RPG's
Michael Cox - owner
order@dragontrove.com