WoeRie: Have I mentioned before to you that I have been to Heidelberg? A few years ago some friends and I were there as a part of a big "Eurotrip" vacation. Very cool place. I almost bought a huge, hardback Shadowrun Germany Sourcebook there that was, of course, all in German - and I couldn't read a lick of it. Funny, huh.
Substance is always what is ultimately going to get me to play a game, but like Thos said, good-looking books will reel people in and I, too, buy books just for the art. (Alpha-Omega is one, but I also bought that because it is POST-APOCALYPTIC - and love me some PA.)