Where to sell our board games?
May 22, 2017 8:33 AM   Subscribe

Hi MeFites, we have an abundance of board games to sell. Like 3-4 bookcases worth of games. They are posted on Board Game Geek but many of those people want to trade and we need to actually sell them. Where should we do that?

We were using a local game store to sell inventory but it closed, so we are left with lots of new or barely used, very loved games that we no longer have space for. These are not the kind of board games you might see at a typical yard sale. These are (often) euro style strategy games, cooperative and not, sometimes rare finds. We want them to find good homes where they will be appreciated.

We are also unsure of the best way to handle shipping cost. I know there are many games on AskMeFi so if you have solved the problem of shipping please share!
posted by crunchy potato to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (13 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Perhaps there's a reason you're not going with the obvious, but what about eBay? I've bought out-of-print board games there in the past.
posted by Johnny Assay at 8:38 AM on May 22, 2017 [4 favorites]


have you tried your local resources like Nextdoor? I sell all my stuff on Nextdoor now.

(I've noticed something strange though: almost always, of late, I get people dickering with me, even when I've priced very generously. It's gotten... embarrassing, and ubiquitous. Anyway, if you have a price below which you won't be comfortable, don't quote it in your listing: list something 10-20% above it, so the inevitable dickering will make your buyer feel like they won, and you'll still be ok.)
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:45 AM on May 22, 2017 [1 favorite]


A friend has been using Facebook marketplace lately and she loves it.
posted by soelo at 8:55 AM on May 22, 2017 [1 favorite]


I'd also be interested in a link. Love those euro style games. I got my copy of Iron Dragon off craigslist, so maybe try that too?
posted by monologish at 9:03 AM on May 22, 2017


There are some BGG guilds in the Florida area. I'd find a few near you and post a link to your trade list there, emphasizing that you're looking to sell.

(I am also interested in your BGG list; please post a link! ;) )
posted by homodachi at 9:12 AM on May 22, 2017 [1 favorite]


If you have a Half Price Books nearby, they will typically take board games. I was pleasantly surprised at how much they paid for my most recent haul, which included quite a few fancy board games similar to what you're describing.
posted by augustimagination at 9:44 AM on May 22, 2017 [3 favorites]


I've sold board games on Amazon FBA. They've got a hefty commission, but some of the out-of-print games go for a hefty price. There are price trackers if you're interested. (There's a bit of overhead/learning curve to set up an account, though.)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:46 AM on May 22, 2017


Sometimes conventions will have a flea market. Also, consider putting a price/game list together and asking if it is okay to share to local game groups - offering to bring any games folks might be interested. It is a long slow process unless you are willing to find a convention with a flea market and sell them off at 'deep discount'.

I've found that selling through BGG is difficult in large part because of the shipping costs killing many otherwise reasonable deals.
posted by meinvt at 10:03 AM on May 22, 2017


I've sold to Noble Knight Games in the past.
posted by maurice at 10:43 AM on May 22, 2017 [1 favorite]


eBay, for sure. Use the Buy it Now option and they should go pretty quickly.
posted by anastasiav at 12:12 PM on May 22, 2017


On BGG, you can try putting up a thread in the forums, instead of in the Marketplace. Also, you might get more action if there's a gaming event happening soon in your town.

(I'd also be interested in your BGG link, and have several collector friends as well.)
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:13 PM on May 22, 2017


Mod note: Couple comments deleted -- sorry, AskMe isn't a marketplace/classifieds situation, so no listing-for-sale of the games here.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:15 PM on May 22, 2017


Should you end up with games that don't sell and are age appropriate, local elementary and middle schools are always looking for donations of board games (you can write it off at the end of the year). They need stuff for kids to do when they can't go outside. Another option, is the Child Life Department at your local hospital.
posted by dancinglamb at 3:03 PM on May 23, 2017


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