Archive August 15, 2002

The 2002 Gen Con Game Auction set new records across the auction spectrum!

Hopes ran high for a large turnout at the 2002 Gen Con Game Auction. Many factors converged to make this one of, if not the greatest game convention auctions ever! Gen Con was under the new ownership of Peter Adkison, the former CEO of Wizards of the Coast. This was to be the last Gen Con convention in Milwaukee, moreover, the last Gen Con in the state of Wisconsin for the foreseeable future. The auction was finally given its due by being moved into the Midwest Express Convention Center after years of being two blocks away in Kilbourn Hall. All these factors contributed to the overwhelming success of this year’s game auction!

Here are some of the unreal statistics:

• 870 total registered participants (buyers and sellers)
• 36 regular auction staff volunteers working the auction
• 11,007 items consigned to the auction or auction store
• 8,228 items sold in the auction or from the auction store
• $105,284.00 gross sales amount
• $12.80 average selling price per item
• 49 hours of live auctioneering in just over three days!
• Friday night’s collector session runs until 3:00am Saturday!
• The “traveling Kriegspiel” with full provenance sells to William Griffin, age 7, to a standing ovation as the last item sold at a Milwaukee Gen Con game auction!

The top valued items sold:

1. $1600.00 C2: Ghost Tower of Inverness (original tournament module) by TSR
2. $1350.00 C1: The Lost Tamoachan (original tournament module) by TSR
3. $ 800.00 S4: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (pre-release manuscript) by TSR
4. $ 750.00 Dungeons & Dragons (brown wood grain box set) by TSR
5. $ 530.00 Rahasia by Daystar West
6. $ 525.00 Quest for the Fazzlewood (2nd) by TSR
7. $ 480.00 RPGA1: Rahasia by TSR
8. $ 450.00 RPGA2: Black Opal Eye by TSR
9. $ 380.00 Magic: The Gathering Revised Ed. Sealed booster display by WOTC
10. $ 375.00 The Ringbearer by Little Soldier

What a fitting goodbye to the City of Milwaukee for the many years of great service to the Gen Con game convention! What a terrific lead-in to Indianapolis in 2003! Hope to see you all there!

The 2002 Origins Game Auction was another huge success!

After organizing the last six Origins Game Auctions (1997 to 2002), The Weekend Warrior Game Company and the Auction Staff, thank all the many buyers and sellers who continue to make the Origins Game Auction one of the featured events at the entire convention.

After placing the Origins National Gaming Convention at the wonderful Columbus, Ohio Convention Facilities in 1996, GAMA and the host operations groups have continued to grow the convention into one of the premier events in the Adventure Gaming Hobby.

This year, GAMA selected to organize and administer the convention directly without subcontracting the tough job to another company. Luckily GAMA had “Super” Dave Radzik, a well-known name in the industry and experienced convention organizer at the operational helm. Dave did his usual “super” job!

As for the auction…

• 422 total registered participants (buyers and sellers)
• 2612 items consigned to the auction
• 2583 items sold at the auction
• $36,325.00 gross sales amount
• $14.08 average selling price per item

The top valued items sold:

1. $725.00 “Meteorite Dice” Set of 5 (virtually unique) by Crystal Caste
2. $470.00 “Command Magazine” Issues #1-#44 complete, unpunched
3. $360.00 “Talisman” 3rd edition set with expansions
4. $350.00 “Origins Special Package- Warhamster Wiz Kids Style”
5. $270.00 “Innocence Abroad” Parker Brothers
6. $220.00 “Campaign for North Africa” SPI unpunched
7. $220.00 “War Between the States” SPI unpunched
8. $200.00 “Flying Fortress” Poultron Press
9. $170.00 “War in Europe” SPI
10. $155.00 “Korsun Pocket” People’s War Games