Gemstone Publishing has announced The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Tabletop Games, the newest entry in our “How To” line. Written by Gemstone’s resident gaming expert, Carrie Wood (The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Video Games), and Game Trade Media’s Richard Ankey (a gaming veteran and host of multiple shows on GTM’s channel), the 224-page, soft cover, full-color volume will feature popular titles, different styles of games, profiles on companies and artists, and interviews with collectors and industry pros. Scoop talked with Wood and Ankney about the book, the tabletop gaming market, and its community.

Scoop: What made you want to write a book on tabletop games?
Rick Ankney (RA): The sustained resurgence in tabletop gaming! We thought that there was enough content and games out there to really highlight the tabletop industry as viable collectibles, and we were definitely surprised at what we found.
Carrie Wood (CW): The rise in tabletop gaming as a hobby as well as collectibles has been very noticeable. I attend a lot of gaming conventions focused primarily on video games, and it’s been really obvious to see this huge comeback of analog gaming there, as tabletop-focused areas have been getting a lot bigger there over the last few years.

Scoop: What’s the market like for tabletop games?
RA: The market is wide open; regardless of your interests, there are games out there that can satiate any hunger for a good, fun game. Also, with the introduction of crowdfunding avenues, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, we are seeing even more collectability in tabletop games occurring in the form of “Exclusives.”
CW: I think the biggest thing is that they’re more accessible now to newcomers than ever before. It’s easier than ever to walk into a general bookstore and find roleplaying guides, or to head into a big box store like Target and pick up popular card games or board games.

Scoop: Let’s talk titles. What games will you cover in the book?
RA: We will be talking about the old classics for sure, like Monopoly, The Game of Life, and, of course, Dungeons and Dragons. But we will also be talking about some of the more recent games on the market that are immediately falling into rabid collectability due to many factors which we will discuss in the book.

Scoop: Can you tell me some titles of newer games that’ll be included?
RA: Some of the newer games we will speak on will be games like Munchkin, Clank!, Zombicide, HeroClix, Magic the Gathering, and the current new releases of older games such as D&D.
CW: Newer titles like the ones that Rick mentioned have been really leading the way as far as the resurgence in tabletop and board gaming. So while we intend to show appreciation for the classics, I think it’s just as important to highlight the new games that have piqued gamers’ interest.

Scoop: Are you going to write about game companies and/or developers?
RA: Absolutely. Much like comic books, games are more desirable sometimes based on who is producing them, or who the game designer is, or who sculpted a certain piece, or who painted or did the art work for any given game.
CW: Having the historical context for who has been publishing these games, who came up with them to begin with, and how they’ve come to be what they are today is really important. So, we intend to provide that kind of context, for sure.

Scoop: Are you covering other topics aside from these?
RA: For sure! We will be delving into what makes a game collectible, where to find old games, and what to look for in new games. I am sure there will be even more we talk on as well, but you are going to need to get the book to see.
CW: The initial outline that we came up with for this project has already changed a lot, even though we’re still in the early development on it. As we’ve talked with people about this book, the kind of insight as far as what people actually want to hear from us on has been really valuable.

Scoop: Will you provide a synopsis on how the games are played?
RA: Though we won’t talk specifically as to how games are played in this book, we will touch on the different mechanics of play and whether or not those mechanics impact the game’s collectible value.
CW: We’ve already learned that a lot of collectors are going to be drawn to collecting certain games just based on the mechanic of the game itself – deck-building, dice-rolling, strategy, and so on. But we’re not here to tell anyone how to play, specifically – especially given that so many RPG fans will come up with their own homebrew rules, anyway.

Scoop: Will the book include information about art and artists on the game boards, cards, boxes, etc.?
RA: Absolutely. Again, much like comics and artists building fandoms, artists of games, and game components build followings as well, and we will for sure be highlighting this in the book.
CW: When I was a kid collecting Pokémon cards, I definitely went out of my way to pick up certain cards because of the artwork itself, not so much based on what the card actually did in the context of the game. So, it’s a subject I really want to explore in this book.

Scoop: Rick, you’ve posted videos of painting game pieces. Will you provide tips on that side of the hobby?
RA: I don’t think I will talk about the painting side of the hobby. But we will definitely discuss the collectability of miniatures in tabletop gaming. Touching on Kickstarter exclusives, rare and older collectible miniatures.

Scoop: Are you going to include interviews with collectors and/or game developers?
RA: What is a book on collecting if we don’t go to the sources and the fans? We have already had some fun interviews with collectors, publishers, and designers. Readers will not be disappointed by the field of experts we have talked to.
CW: So far, collectors and industry pros alike have been our greatest resource as far as getting research together on this book. The interviews that we’ve done already have been super fun to do, and have gone a long way already to show the kind of positive community that tabletop gaming is.

Scoop: Carrie, you mentioned gaming conventions earlier in the interview. Will you provide some details on cons for collectors who may be interested in attending the events?
CW: Oh, for sure. I mean, Gen Con just celebrated its 50th convention! That’s a pretty big deal. While Gen Con is certainly the go-to as far as tabletop gaming conventions, we’ve seen others, such as PAX Unplugged, start up recently as well. The rise of newer conventions in this arena is definitely a phenomenon worth investigating. I also hope to touch on other shows, like MAGFest, where while the main focus isn’t necessarily on tabletop gaming they’ve still managed to include a significant tabletop area at the show.

Scoop: What’s your goal as far as informing new collectors?
RA: I think our biggest goal is to let the new collectors know that regardless of where you start or where you are in the hobby of collecting tabletop games, there is so much out there. We might be able to give them some new insights on where they can take their hunt to find new games and gaming components to their collections.
CW: I hope that the book is able to provide an insightful commentary on why tabletop gaming has been booming in the fashion it has been, as well as provide resources to new collectors as to where they would be able to get started.

Scoop: What will appeal to the collectors who’ve already been a part of the hobby?
RA: I think the nod to the tabletop fandom itself is going to appeal to the long-time collectors, and we hope that we do their hobby justice in this book. I’m looking forward to getting feedback from the veteran collectors and I hope they know we did this out of our passion for something we all love.
CW: Given that we’re going to be covering three different main topics here – RPGs, card games and board games – I think even some veteran guys will be able to learn something new about the industry. Someone who collects board games but has only dabbled in card games or RPGs will definitely learn something new, for example. We’re really going to be delving deep into the history of the hobby, too, so I hope people will be able to give their collections some context and a greater importance based on what they read from us.

Scoop: There’s been a significant increase in new board games over the past few years. Has that affected board game collecting?
RA: It really has! With so many games being published on so many different platforms, people who may have played games with their families when they are younger are finding themselves returning to the game table. And in that they are not only playing new games, but seeking out the nostalgia of the games they played in their youth, and thus making many games more collectible due to that nostalgia.
CW: Rick touched on it earlier, but crowdfunding campaigns on platforms like Kickstarter have seemingly been a huge boon to the industry. It’s allowed game creators who otherwise wouldn’t appeal to a mass market still have their product get made by appealing to a very specific audience. Some of these crowdfunded titles have gained a lot of popularity after the fact, meaning that people who missed out on the Kickstarter but still want the title are driving prices up on those sorts of things.

Scoop: When will the book be available?
CW: Assuming everything goes according to plan, it should hit store shelves next summer.
RA: It is our goal to have this book available to all fans and collectors of board games at Gen Con 2018.