The Crown Jewels: The 3 AD&D Core Books

Greetings fellow D&D warhorses! The topic today: My 3 AD&D core books. Creeping up on 40 years that I've owned these books...they're the cornerstone of my collection. I have some 1st prints, original D&D art, hard to find & expensive pieces in the collection...but these are the dearest to my heart. This is going to be a long-winded entry, with a plethora of pics, so get ready! Let the story begin...

I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home...so when the D&D explosion happened, followed soon after by the "Satanic  D&D Scare", my folks weren't too keen on my participation in the game.
I probably got into D&D around 1979...it took a couple of years for the hysteria around the game to die down...my Dad realized it was "just a game", and VIOLA! I was gifted the 3 core books for Christmas 1980! 

In retrospect I lucked out: 2 of the 3 books must have been sitting on the shelves a bit...they have the older Wizard logo as opposed to the newer TSR logo that you can see on my Monster Manual!

 My MM is the 4th edition from 1979, PH a 6th printing from 1980, and the DM Guide is the "revised Edition" also from 1979!
I still own my original copies...even after stopping gaming for decades I was never tempted to get rid of them or sell them off...and I'm damn glad I didn't!

One thing I did do back then...the AD&D "Coloring Album" was out...and that encouraged me to color in my books as well! Kind of wish I hadn't now...but it also makes mine unique to me...I'd be able to pick my books out of a roomful! Let's go thru the pics of each book...some well colored, others are kind of sketchy at best!

The Monster Manual

Some basic, some pretty outstanding for a young teen...and the two full page works by TRAMP I wisely left uncolored!

The Players Handbook

To this day I can't remember/understand what reason I had to color the Bone Devil in "A Paladin in Hell" hot pink! Baffling to say the least...but indeed "unique"!

A tiny bit of color to an iconic work by TRAMP...just the magic mouth needed coloring!

The Dungeon Master's Guide

 I seemed to color most of TRAMP's drawings! He was always my favorite D&D artist!

This gem by Darlene has always stuck in my head...as a work of art as as sound philosophy! 

The drawings of Will McLean add a bit of "comic relief" to the book! Really fabulous stuff!

TRAMP's Satyr is an outstanding drawing...and one the better coloring jobs be yours truly!

The Iconic "Emirikol the Chaotic" by TRAMP. Kind of regret coloring this magnificent piece...by just look at that incredible magical horse! 

It occurred to me as I was looking thru my books....I'll have owned them 39 years this Christmas day. I'm proud that I've kept them in good shape...no loose pages, no torn pages, no mangled covers...
More so than any other D&D product that I own...these are my "Crown Jewels"...I hope that you treasure yours as much as I do mine! 

Do you still own your original copies of the 3 core books? Did you color them like I did mine? I hope they've brought you as much enjoyment as mine have to me!

'till nest time...EXCELSIOR!