This is the most useful video from you for me in a while. Not because I don't get anything out of most of your videos but I'm actively needing to cull my collection. It's not that big at just over 200 base games but I find myself with extremely limited space and many Kickstarters still on their way. When I go through my collection I find reasons not to take them off and put them in a cull stack. This idea of removing them and waiting a few days will likely be the key to helping me move past games that I will never or rarely play. The biggest hinderance to my gaming right now is that I don't remember the rules to have my collection, so the games simply remain on the shelf because as a single parent, I simply don't have the time to constantly review rulebooks for games that may or may not get played at the next game night. As always, I really appreciate what you have to say!
Your other video about keeping a lean collection revolutionized my attitude about my possessions. As a result, I did major purge of my stuff and feel much better about it now. THANK YOU, Alex!
OH Boy! I listed my condo 18 months ago and a lot of games when into storage to stage the home. I have been itching to get them back and see what I have missed. We move into our new build in 19 days and this activity is going to be a joy! Thanks for the video and cheers!
Haha, "technically I was in both of them". That makes me so happy, haha. I love that idea of the gamification of culling the collection, because it's so true. I was so skeptical about culling, because I had spent so much time acquiring a large collection that is the envy of many of my friends (and yet I still look at "larger collections" as something I'd love to have the space for), my thought was, I certainly can't reverse this process! I have so much invested in this. But even just that initial purge makes me want to purge more, and has actually translated into a lot of other things in my life - because if I can get rid of something from the category of "things I love a whole lot", it becomes easier to let go of something else, something like clothes that I no longer wear, that aren't in that "things I love a whole lot" category but are simply in the "things I need to have so I'm not shunned by society as I go to the grocery store completely in the nude" category. A niche category, but a relatively important one I have found.
My biggest problem with deciding which games to drop is that I have a video gamer's mentality that sealed games (primarily collector's editions) only go up in value over time. I quite frequently buy both board and video games, playing whatever I feel like at the time and leaving products sealed until I do so. This has led to soft investments of hundreds of dollars and anything CMON, especially the addons, always do well in that respect. Furthermore, video games don't get reprints unless it's a remaster/remake so even like new complete games can still fetch hundreds depending on their rarity. The point being, this doesn't translate 1:1 with board games despite the fact that their components themselves are definitely worth far more but often go for far less if the game is just mediocre. In essence, a pile of minis isn't worth jack if there's no gameplay worth using them for. So the dilemma I have is I scrutinize reviews, such as yours to gleam if I would enjoy it enough to crack without truly knowing for sure. Otherwise they stay sealed and I've often turned on a dime with games that look gorgeous and I love to death, but I know would end up being worth more on eBay and not in my collection. I believe that's the hump you explain needing to get over, because inherently we want to own it all but often forget that we can curate a collection that is equally as badass with only the cream of the crop in it. A criterion collection of our own.
Thank you for making this video. Great idea, I literally made a stack of games during the video. Thanks for getting me started. I will keep you posted.
Have been watching all of your videos on this topic from over the years. As a non-creator and an acknowledging this will probably be a hobby with a finite life-span for me... after a year of purchasing and backing games (and with c. 14 still to come) it's time for me to stop buying, start culling, and reduce my collection down to probably about 30 games.
There is a massive caveat that I would add. Depending on where you live you may have to take a hit on prices for some of your games. I live in rural Canada and shipping here can get expensive. So unless you’re in a place where shipping is cheap, or you live in a population centre where people can meet up, be prepared to take a loss on what you originally paid for the game. This is still fine because you’re getting something and you’re not just keeping a ton of games you’ll never play.
im in this exact situation in Canada. I am not even that rural, but in a location where I have trouble selling used copies locally. I try kijiji, and I get little traction. Ebay / facebook group is basically my only option. Shipping costs minimum 20, a lot more if all in collections. So i usually need to take a big hit to be competitive to others who can have cheaper shipping. I get maybe 40% back of what I paid. Still worth selling then collecting dust, but there have been a few games I kept even though it unlikely I will play again because I might get $10 off the sale. At that point if I need the space I rather just donate it to a local thrift store or library.
You are spot on. I live in the Philippines. It is harder and more expensive to get games back here. I tend to stick with the games I would want to be available when I have the opportunity to play them.
I do find it harder to sell games due to shipping (also in Canada) but I've sold a few. I only have Zombicide 2nd Edition (with the Reboot Box and Danny Trejo) left to sell. I've opened them but never played it so I figured it's time to get rid of it since I have no "real" interest in playing it over my other games. I have a few KS coming and I MUCH prefer to keep my small (and new) board game "collection" to 10+/- games.
I can think of one time I made $ selling a game. It was an out of print game that people look for. I bought it new from a bargain bin at a game store. I made $40 (woo....)
@@harmarize yeah wpg mb here. Not enough people wanna pay anything more then $60 here. Luckily i buy the best stuff so they play mine. The more you better usually the better the game
Thanks Alex! Recognise that feeling of wanting to keep hold of games beyond their usefulness...! This inspired me to look through my collection and get rid of 10 games.... Although I'm now looking at my wishlist already 🧐
This reminds me of a quote from a book collector. “The only regret I have is the book I didn’t buy.” I’m with that person. You may regret getting rid of a game you can’t reaquire, but you’ll definitely regret not getting “the one that got away”.
I do find culling games therapeutic. Over the last 12 months I have moved on from selling games to donating to a local board game café. Selling was becoming a hassle with buyers wanting post free for games that cost £20 to post or expecting me to send them half way around the world for UK postage cost! I have culled some great games, such as Kemet Blood and Sand and Cthulhu Death May Die, both of which I had spent time painting. I just decided that I wasn't going to play them anymore and so they went. Yesterday I took a number of games to the café. These included Black Rose Wars, with all the stretch goals, which I have never played or even taken the cards out of the shrink wrap! Last year I was much stricter with the number of games that I pledged on but I bought too many games in addition to these. In 2022 I am going to be even stricter. And yes, it did feel good knowing that those games now have a better chance of being played than they did when they were taking up space on my shelf.
Your channel along with board game ramblings really encouraged me last year to start culling more. Since then I have found I get to try way more games and have enjoyed the hobby even more I highly encourage selling and trading games that aren’t hitting the table. I probably sell some of mine every other month or so. Culled between 50-75 last year and 2 already this year
I am going to jump here just by your last comment of being a therapeutic process. I don't have a massive collection, but I had to do an international move quite recently. So I decided that I needed to reduce something, what I could and was willing to do (being whatever strong enough reason). It was hard to decide but it did feel therapeutic at some point being able to do it. Specially because those were games that simply were not being played for whatever reason. And I know some of them it will be quite easy to get back if I have feel like there is an opportunity for it. But yeah, taking some weight out of your system is nice.
I've had a few games that I've purchased a second time after culling them from my collection. But, with only a single exception, I ended up getting rid of all them AGAIN after some time. That experience has made it so much easier for me to get rid of games now.
"A lack time" resonated with me the most. Like Burgess Meredith in the Twilight Zone's unforgettable "Time Enough at Last", I wonder through a post-apocalyptic landscape to find a game store spared from the destruction... but I accidentally step on and crush the very last die on the planet. 😞
This week I sold my first game from my collection. I liked it, but I did not play it. It was sad when I was packing it but I already bought a new game for the money and Im really excited for it.
Here's a question for you: What do you do when someone gifts you a game, and it's not one you really enjoy, and had you bought it, it would be culled. But when you see the person they ask about the game.
I tell them. The only tricky question for me, is if it's a game I didn't even want to play....fortunately that doesn't happen much. But it's easy to be appreciative of the game and experience without having kept it.
I do the same idea with having a Kallax of games I want to sell and immediately list them online. If we play it in the next week, month or year, when I go to put it back on the shelf and we enjoyed it, it gets off the sell Kallax and a new game takes it's place on the chopping block. It ensures whatever is on the sell Kallax hasn't been played or I want to sell it, and the ones I do play and like get a reality check of if I sell it or not, works for me!
There are so many amazing games released each month, many of which are perfect for certain gamers with specific interests. However, most of those games go largely ignored because the latest flavor of the month (Final Girl, Townfolk Tussle) gets 90% of the social media attention, which leads to: "Hey look at me, I got it too! - posts image" Then you have a bunch of gamers who feel like they are missing out and feel compelled to hop on the bandwagon when ultimately those games might not match their interests. This of course leads to closets full of games that eventually collect dust, not because they aren't good games, but because they aren't the right games for every gamer. And then of course the new flavor of the month replaces the hype from the previous month's games, and the cycle continues. I'm not at all saying these hyped games aren't good. What I'm saying is gaming is a lot like music, where people have their own very specific criteria of what makes a game fun, or a song beautiful. And just like in the gaming industry, some of the best songs are buried on Spotify waiting to be discovered by certain audiences for which they are perfect. I think gamers need to remember to do more research before buying a game and all its expansions just because their feeds have been dominated by it. This would ultimately solve the somewhat ridiculous problem (in my opinion) of having so many games you have to get rid of them, and it will ultimately save you a ton of money :)
Excellent video. I don't have too much of a problem choosing games to get rid of, but I will admit to finding the task of actually selling or trading them to be a bit of a personal roadblock. I've never sold or traded anything online, so I just need to figure out how to get over that hurdle and find the best way to do it.
I was hoping you would show where you get your boxes, how you wrap/pack them, how you post them for sale, and tips and tricks to making that stuff easier. The main reason I don't sell much is because I'm lazy and the logistics are annoying.
Yes, this exactly. Figuring out how to pack them, and the best way to ship, are the main things that keep me from doing it as well. I've already got about 10 games separated from my collection that I'd like to sell. The actual process of selling them is daunting though. Well, that and the fact that most of them don't seem like they're worth enough to justify the effort.
I don't have too much of a problem getting rid of games but I will admit that I will probably never get rid of my Heroscape stuff. Haven't played in years but I have too many great memories of lost friends attached to the game.
I love your ability to move through games. It's cool. Helps us all. For what it's worth, I'm not giving up Gloomhaven ever, it's too cool and I want it in my collection for ever. I also have HATE and I'm going to play it before I ever give it away.
Great video! I've got a 5x5 and a 2x4 Kallax that are a little over half full. Once they fill up, I'll start to think about culling. But I'm also going to try to limit the incoming rate for 2022. Wish me luck! :-)
I love the idea of physically moving games to cull off the shelf. I did this around Christmas, my wife saved 1 of them and the rest just left a few days ago.
So, now that I spoke as non-profit that needs to acquire games. As a gamer that has a large collection, I watched this video and laugh how I already do this. I have three game collection areas. In the actual game room, i have about 100 games ready to play. There is a side table here where my new games sit while I learn how to play them and decide how I am going to store the components in the individual games. This is very therapeutic for me. Then once every few months, I would go through this grouping and find games that really aren’t getting played or won’t get played. They get moved to my secondary storage area. (This area is also where I hold redundant copies of games.) I then inventory and decide whether they have a home with a gamer friend or if the nonprofit will want it or if it might want to go back for a replay. Then as games come in here, others leave and go to my garage which they very rarely come back from. This really works. From the garage, this is the cull area. I sell or donate more than just games. Now, there is one last thing I kind of hinted at. The first way you should get rid of a game - Give your games to friends. 1: You can always play them until your friend lets them go. 2: If they get rid of them, it wasn’t you doing it. 3: It’s feels really good too.
I frozen my big collection to the point I will maybe get 1-2 games this year (undecided) and some expansions, compared to the last year when I spent a lot on games. I just don't see any reason to get more games when the only difference to the ones I own is a slight tweak in mechanics and different art. I'd rather get more value of what I currently have, by playing them more. It also helps that my group is not obsessed by playing only new games.
I don’t do this because my collection is small that it doesn’t interfere with the space in my home. It takes up a small corner of my closet. To be honest most of the games I could sell and my life wouldn’t change. I live in Florida and just keep them for times when a hurricane comes through and the family is together.
I purge my collection about once a year, and incrementally get rid of things around monthly as well- it’s a good time! Gotta keep those Kallax’s ready to receive KS’s as they roll in
I collected many things over the years with shifting interests, books, movies, figures, games, board games when my partner moved in it got really stuffed in our small flat. So I got rid of everything that did not fit in 3 shelves. Some things I regret, some things I don't. But I've to admit I tend to cling to my stuff, especially if it is out of print and will most likely never be made again (like loveletter premium) or if I've put real effort in like painted minies like my vast collection.
I started by writing a list of some games that I would consider getting rid of, then after a while of looking at the list and being ok with it, I pulled them off the shelf. Then I needed to take photos of them and put them on facebook marketplace for local sale only. I started in November and have sold 7 of the 11 games (some with expansions) I put up for sale, gotten $150 back from them I've added a few games to the list since then and I have another list of potential culls as well. I think I still have 13 games/expansions preordered so I need to make sure I keep the collection manageable.
Thank you for this video. Culling is a very active process in games for me. Not exactly the way most people do it though. Games that aren’t going to get played need to go away. As room is always a concern. I am very happy to be here to help people do just that. I am starting a non-profit to bring board games to the under-privileged. So, I am constantly trying to bring games into my collection. I have three different types of games in my collection - those that I like to play as the gamer that I am, those that are for the non-profit that I am starting, and those that are leaving the collection because they don’t have a place in either list or too much redundancy. (I had at one point 20 copies of one game because everyone gave me their copy. ) I am constantly looking for those that are culling parts of their collections as I will be running gaming events on a regular basis which needs a very wide grouping of games. My events will always be free and I will be giving games away at these events too. So, the games that are for me, I just happily buy. Those for the non-profit will get played over time. The rest, I sell to fund the events themselves and to buy games and supplies. So, anyone that is looking to cull games and looking for a good place for them to go, Please feel free to contact me. Albeit, donations are always welcomed, I would love to look over any cull list and offer a fair price for you whole cull. Be aware if you are trying to get top dollar or even close to that, look elsewhere. I am looking for those who want to meet me near the bottom. Not quite a donation, but a simple way for you to purge that entire list in one fell swoop. Anyways, I am in Southern California, if you are nearby let me know.
I have 65 games and +- 30 kickstarters/gamefounds on the way. Im running out of shelfspace so im thinking of renovating the kitchen so i can make one wall for storage for games and food. ;)
I got rid of 35 games two years ago, does that count 😄 One of my goals for this year is to move towards a five year shelflife on all my games, I don’t know if this is going to be possible but I’m going to shoot for it. That one include some family favorite and evergreen games, but it should include them majority of my games.
Realistically once I’ve painted a game I have not only gotten my money’s worth but I don’t need to even play it. Although I do. I do have a few games with low quality minis that I will speed paint and sell if I get bored with them.
The struggle is real. I started to cull after your first video but I am back up to more games than ever with lots of kickstarters in flight. I am trying to play more games now (successfully) and track more closely my plays and experiences so I can cycle things out. I am trying to follow your advice to look for reasons not to back so I buy less games. I am really focused on campaign games now because I know once I finish it, I can get rid of it without regret. I also need to stop buying expansions that won’t get played. I think at this point I need to commit to one in one out counting expansions so I stop the shelf creep.
I actually really enjoy the buying/selling/trading side of this hobby, trying to find bargains that I can try out and if I don't want to keep just sell on. I keep that profit aside to buy more games so I'm generally spending little or no money anymore, just cycling through what I want and am happy to move on. Having a physical limit is helping, I'm about to run out of space so some games I might have kept a year ago will be moved on, but that just means what's left are the best of the best, so I'm ok with that
@@BoardGameCo I wish I was in the US where the density of games and gamers was higher so I could do something similar to what you've done. Not really an option in Australia with postage costs being what they are, and just not having as many games come up. There's still deals out there but really need to get lucky for most of them. Just drove almost an hour each way to get Kingdom Death Monster and all it's expansions, which I plan to split up and sell individually for maybe a $200 profit all up, if Im lucky
I actually did this middle of last year. Got rid of just under 30 games. Mostly older "Collector's Edition" Monopoly and some of the Funkoverse stuff, but it was all just taking up space. At the time I don't recall if I was following you yet, or if I was I'd taken suggestion of using Noble Knight from an older video. In hindsight, it got rid of a bunch of games, and gave me some credit to use to get some other stuff that I probably should not have because it sit's unplayed as well, BUT, it was very relaxing and a relief. I may very well do it again soon. I have tons of games I LIKE, and only a handful I LOVE. I'd be very interested in a video regarding something to the effect of "Keeping current on a game you Love, but haven't played in a while." I personally own everything for Power Rangers Heroes of the Grid, but haven't touched in well over a year, but feel compelled to buy every new thing because of FOMO and the theme keeps me coming back again and again to their pre-order campaigns despite not actually tabling it when I get new content in.
I took a really long time to get rid of my Zombicide: Black Plague and Green Horde collection. I had everything for both series, the problem with this was trying to find a buyer that was serious about spending the dollar amount on the collection. I think It took about two years of constantly posting on Reddit and Facebook Marketplace, but someone finally bought it this past summer. I didn't sell it over face value, just wanted to get what I put into it back, which honestly was a lot. I freed up a TON of shelf space, and I have not kickstarted or purchased a game since March of 2021 and only 2 games at that. I have been tempted to go for a late pledge for Chronicles Of Drunagor: Age Of Darkness Apocalypse and get first game too, but will I play it, is it better than what I already have and already don't play, those are the questions I ask myself.
I got rid of a few games I regret - Rococo and Android Netrunner. No regrets on Caverna and Jamaica... I probably need to cull more games so I can get new games.
Just got done purging a few. See you purging Zombicide Invader. Everything Zombicide is some of the few things I wound never purge! Just too much easy, quick fun there for me.
The one caveat I have are the "hard to get/out of print" games. Take Blood Rage, for instance. I've been looking to pick that up with all the fixins for a few years and still have had no luck. If I have games that I'm not playing, but would put on a list to get back in the future, if they are out of print, I probably won't cull them.
With any collection, it becomes part of you- the thoughts and feelings you had towards each game- when buying, anticipating, playing. In part, it can become a physical manifestation of your identity and it's not easy to kill off a part of yourself
Selling / trading games away is more cumbersome for me, but I do occasionally try my hand at it, like once or twice a year, and it has some limited success (let's say I manage to cull about 25% of what I put out there). If that success rate wasn't so limited I'd probably do it more often. This video did prompt me to make a list of games I'd be happier not to have in my collection right now, and a shorter one of games I suspect this might be true of as well. I might try to sell them at more aggressive prices as a result, so thanks.
I recently got into modern board gaming but have played TCGs my entire life. I started with board games that were similar to tcg, like exceed, dominion, and yomi. I play these almost weekly, still. Then I started added games that I thought I "needed" for the collection. I wanted catan bc it's a classic, same for ticket to ride. Got Bullet bc it's from the same people as exceed, same for battlecon. And so on. So many games Ive never played in that closet.
"If you din't play a game for over a year, get rid of it". The lockdown is so sever where i live that i could not play some games because i cannot meet anyone. So from that rule i should cull my collection to zero. Joke aside, my work make me travel a lot, i could be away for 3 weeks, so the time frame before thinking of culling is different for everybody.
@@BoardGameCo rewatched to maked sure, missunderstood a bit and edited. Still, the point of the situation messing up the time you can naturaly play still stand. I could not meet anyone for over 6 months this year and then was away from home for over 3 months. That left less tthan 3 months to play stuff from my collection.
I started culling games last year (New Year's Resolution). I played an average of 10 new games a month in 2021 to pare down the collection. Counting games I purchased in 2021, my collection now stands at 140 games (still too large) but more importantly only 10 or so that remain unplayed. So you could say I have a one month backlog.....which I can live with. I will not stop buying new games because quite honestly I enjoy the discovery/exploration process of identifying new games to purchase. Also, I am not now nor will I ever be a person who can play the same game dozens & dozens of time a year, adding up to hundreds of plays of the same game. There is literally no one game that piques my interest to that level. So I will (paraphrasing the Alec Baldwin character in Glengarry Glen Ross), "always be selling".
I agree with the broader points of the video but COVID has complicated these calculations... Several games I haven't played in two years, but also the past two years hasn't been the best for board gaming so I am going with a longer time frame this time around.
Good stuff. Do you take scarcity into account? Specifically referring to section "Make a List of Games You Want Back". If a game is likely to never be reprinted, and its value is elevated and will likely only get more expensive as it enters "grail game" territory, will you choose to keep it rather than purge and plan to reacquire? I know it'd be infrequent, but just wondering if it's a factor, or you'd just purge and worry about it later.
@@BoardGameCo I'm sure there is someone with enough space to own 3,000 games and still be organized enough to be able to find and play them. For most people space is the biggest issue.
This is what I'v been doing with my vintage action figure collection for the last 4 years. As for board games... I just started ramping up that collection a couple of months before covid so the majority is still unplayed due to that. Waiting for covid to "pass" to get back to playing again. We'll see when I get to culling games in the future. 😅
My biggest fear is that I will don't find big enough box for the postage, it will be damaged and refunded, I will get scammed etc.. Any suggestion for these kind of 'fears'?
I'll often make sure I have a shipping box before I put the game up for sale/trade. Also, I try really hard to make local sales/trades, to avoid shipping entirely. Insurance should cover damage. Scams are pretty rare for games (not much value there), but you can stick to systems that have reputation scores, or demand payment first, to reduce the risks further.
Very good advice. One of my issues with selling games is buyer problems. My wife was a manger for a large retail chain and had some "interesting" times with customers trying to scam or people who always found problems with everything in spite of her efforts to accommodate them. How often do things like this seem to occur when selling games through the BGG market or perhaps online game stores?
this video is great i defiantly need to cull but kind of don't wanna part ways with my games either another issue i have is the logistics of actually getting rid of the games shipping and quoting shipping i know nothing about
I got rid of ticket to ride Europe, Runewars, claustrophobia and Netrunner in my last purge. I loved those game :/ but they had to go. Battlelore first edition and Arkham horror second edition both sit there on the shelf. I know they should be purged. But they were my first and best. New games - Kemet and Last Aurora sit there with target symbols on them because I’m not sure they are holding up. Kemet feels like a worse Nexus Ops first edition.
@@BoardGameCo have you played first edition Nexus Ops? It feels like the same general game - aggressive war and area control. I think I just rather play that whenever I get Kemet to the table
I find it particularly hard with (a) miniature games I’ve spent many hours painting and (b) games where the value is v small so I won’t get much for it, but I worry it might go OOP later
I just started getting rid of some of my games on my shelf as it was finally getting maxed out. I was hoping to wait for a convention to attend and do a mass dump there, but then COVID hit. It definitely felt good to free up some space, but maybe that was because I had some open space to buy new games with the money I made from selling the old games? What do you think about the possible price increase we will see on games this year and if that will impact culling decisions in 2022?
I will miss your HATE, it was always placed in such a way that it was easily seen in every video. :D Very good tips and generally an important topic. Personally I fall into the category of having started to cull because I needed to reopen up space. After culling the first games it got much easier. The thing is also... if you really regret getting rid of a specific game there is still a chance to obtain it back. Maybe it was not the right time or some friends still wanted to play it. Getting these games back might cost more than they are worth but it's better than never culling.
I see it this way. Playing games is sort of your job. If your collection of 300 is lean... Then for somebody who casually plays once a week, 2 weeks, is like maybe 30 max. And only because I count different entry points and mechanics. If you have 2 and more games falling into the same genre it's only right that you'll pick one over the other. The dust collectors would make space for other games for you to try. Just my 3 cents.
Yeah depending on what your game nights look like and how many people in your group actually own games, 25-50 games is probably enough for most people.
Sure, and I play more now that I review...but I played hundreds of games a year well before I did any content. I've had a collection of a few hundred for years now because of that.
@@BoardGameCo I see, well. I wish I had a group to play regularly. Well everything is comming according to plan this year sooo maybe it's gonna happen. Have few camapign games to play. :D
Excellent Video! I also started selling my games. Even if I sell them below price I still get more money than if I throw them in the trash. Number one priority for me: Get my space back 😅😅 One tip: If you don't want to pack and ship items make a Garage sale. I made the experience that people will even give you money if you give games away for free. Dear Alex, you and your loved ones a happy New Year and thank you so much for the constant upload of new, always relevant and very very interesting content.
Excellent video. There is certainly a psychological effect here where people fall in love with games even if they are not played. It is similar to why people keep books they have read like trophies or as a reminder of the past. Perhaps a solution would be to take a photo of everyone playing the game and then place a digital picture frame on the game shelf cycling through all the past game photos. As you astutely pointed out I admit owning games simply waiting for my kids to be old enough to play,. My concern is that some games may be hard to find later. The ones I am saving are popular games by large companies, so I suspect I would be able to get them back, but how can I be sure? Any insight on why a Spiel de Jahres winner like El Grande is hard to find in this country on eBay, but a game like Shogun can still be found at a reasonable price?
I've been holding on for Terra and Fauna, cause' u know, when the kids grow... 2years those have sat on the shelves and most likely they will be there for the next 5 years with zero plays
The main game I want to get rid of is the dark souls board game and its expansions. Good luck to me for that, lol, not many buyers for that where I live :D A problem with purging is that you just aren't getting much for them without a lot of effort. Which often may not really be worth it.
I am keeping a lot of games even if I am not playing them. The people I am playing with are changing quite often, so i want to have at least few games from each game type there is. So new people can play the games and get to know it they like this type of game or not. For sure I don't need 15 Dungeon crowler games. But as long as the game feels different enough from the others, it is "worth keeping" for me. Is the play time significantly shorter/longer than the rest? Is ti possible to play with less/more players than the other? is the game setting different (Cthulhu, fantasy, sc-fi,..)? .... I am trying to keep the "Gems" in my collection. "Hard to get" games (mostly Kickstarter exclusives or KS versions of the games) tend to stay longer in the collection than retail games that i can buy anytime. Little bit questionable are Euro games where the theme is most important for me. How many Vital Lacerda games you need? Do you need only 1 or you want to have option to choose the one that meets your current mood?
Really, really usefull, even now, thanks! I really like the idea of it getting easier after getting the first step done. Afterwards, maybe I'm also able to do that to my books. But this basically means I have to get read of absolutly every competitive game I own if they don't also have a coop mode, because noone ist playing them with me and I can't play them solo 😅 And Etherfields, that for some reason has only been laying around for two years. And all these old children games that I loved so much but haven't tabled in the last 10 years or so. That's reasonable. I kind of knew that. I just need to actually do it now. I probably can keep a couple of those competitive games. I just need to find more friends lol. You know, that theoretical future that won't arrive that you were talking about? Yeah, that really hammered in the fact that I shouldn't have bought competitive games in the first place. I kind of knew that, too, if I'm being honest.
Yeah all these arguments around time don’t resonate with me at all. The reason i own games is because I want to. The reason I haven’t played them is there are obstacles. When will I play them? When the obstacles are removed. Simple. I make a habit of not buying more similar games when the obstacles are stuck in place.
It's interesting, I don't know that I do find it therapeutic, at least in terms of like, "oh, this game isn't weighing me down since it's gone". I do cull games though. Mainly to get in other games. But it is kind of in the mindset of, will I pull t his game off the shelf over another in a given situation? And I know I have a lot of games I haven't played (135 games on BGG that I own with no rating. So my New Years Resolution, or challenge to myself is at the end of the year to have my unplayed games down to under 100. Then the following year, under 75, and hopefully continue lower. Why not play them all, because I'm getting new games in. But it is a mindset of lets play games, see if I like them, and if they'll get played over others. And I have a friend who is up for trying new games, so I can get through them. And I suspect a number will leave my collection, and they'll be replaced and the cycle continues. But part of the fun of the hobby for me is trying out different games. And I think it is for a lot of people. And my favorite game of all time might never leave, Gloomhaven, but it also might not get played again for a long time. - end rambling comment -
As you know I'm only 'allowed' to have 50 games (with storage solutions I can get away with games instead of boxes🤫), and after the initial hurt, disappointment and reluctance😜, I think for me 50 is plenty. Even though I have another 25 in reserve and will probably order more (Kickstarter), the addiction is not the purging for me, it's the collecting🤣 although every sell is very satisfying 😁 But with 8 played and 2 already purged I can rotate as much as needed. I have collected as much as there is to collect with these 50, so on to new pastures... I really need new kitchen gear 🤔
50 is tough for anyone buy a few each yeat. Especially if you have several card games. I restrict myself to a certain amount of space. One Kallax full.
I sell some games on Facebook groups. I list prices based on how attached I am to the game: games that I want to move for sure are at a great bargain, and games I am having trouble giving up are at market value. I often find myself getting used to the idea of them leaving my collection and subsequently reducing the price to a point where they can be moved.
I have offered games for the price of shipping just to get them out of my collection. I have also donated them to a few gaming groups. There are definitely ways to move them although if you are hoping to make some $$ that limits your options.
Getting rid of anything you don't need feels therapeutic. I'd say I only keep 1 out of every 4 games I buy. I will also say this channel is partly to blame for the number of games I've bought.
I’ve been hanging on to games for my kids to play and guess what? They have no interest whatsoever in board games, even though they’ve been bought up with them. So sometimes, hanging on to the possible future enjoyment can end up being a very depressing experience when you realise that something you deemed to be special can’t compete with the new season of Fortnite. Sell them.
This is the most useful video from you for me in a while. Not because I don't get anything out of most of your videos but I'm actively needing to cull my collection. It's not that big at just over 200 base games but I find myself with extremely limited space and many Kickstarters still on their way. When I go through my collection I find reasons not to take them off and put them in a cull stack. This idea of removing them and waiting a few days will likely be the key to helping me move past games that I will never or rarely play. The biggest hinderance to my gaming right now is that I don't remember the rules to have my collection, so the games simply remain on the shelf because as a single parent, I simply don't have the time to constantly review rulebooks for games that may or may not get played at the next game night. As always, I really appreciate what you have to say!
Wow, 200+ base games are huge, there's nothing small about that 😅
Your other video about keeping a lean collection revolutionized my attitude about my possessions. As a result, I did major purge of my stuff and feel much better about it now. THANK YOU, Alex!
Glad it helped :)
OH Boy! I listed my condo 18 months ago and a lot of games when into storage to stage the home. I have been itching to get them back and see what I have missed. We move into our new build in 19 days and this activity is going to be a joy! Thanks for the video and cheers!
Nice! Enjoy :)
Haha, "technically I was in both of them". That makes me so happy, haha.
I love that idea of the gamification of culling the collection, because it's so true. I was so skeptical about culling, because I had spent so much time acquiring a large collection that is the envy of many of my friends (and yet I still look at "larger collections" as something I'd love to have the space for), my thought was, I certainly can't reverse this process! I have so much invested in this. But even just that initial purge makes me want to purge more, and has actually translated into a lot of other things in my life - because if I can get rid of something from the category of "things I love a whole lot", it becomes easier to let go of something else, something like clothes that I no longer wear, that aren't in that "things I love a whole lot" category but are simply in the "things I need to have so I'm not shunned by society as I go to the grocery store completely in the nude" category. A niche category, but a relatively important one I have found.
Yep, once you're done with games you move onto people. Although those are easier than Board Games.
That clothes definition is golden!
My biggest problem with deciding which games to drop is that I have a video gamer's mentality that sealed games (primarily collector's editions) only go up in value over time. I quite frequently buy both board and video games, playing whatever I feel like at the time and leaving products sealed until I do so. This has led to soft investments of hundreds of dollars and anything CMON, especially the addons, always do well in that respect. Furthermore, video games don't get reprints unless it's a remaster/remake so even like new complete games can still fetch hundreds depending on their rarity. The point being, this doesn't translate 1:1 with board games despite the fact that their components themselves are definitely worth far more but often go for far less if the game is just mediocre. In essence, a pile of minis isn't worth jack if there's no gameplay worth using them for.
So the dilemma I have is I scrutinize reviews, such as yours to gleam if I would enjoy it enough to crack without truly knowing for sure. Otherwise they stay sealed and I've often turned on a dime with games that look gorgeous and I love to death, but I know would end up being worth more on eBay and not in my collection. I believe that's the hump you explain needing to get over, because inherently we want to own it all but often forget that we can curate a collection that is equally as badass with only the cream of the crop in it. A criterion collection of our own.
Thank you for making this video. Great idea, I literally made a stack of games during the video. Thanks for getting me started. I will keep you posted.
Have been watching all of your videos on this topic from over the years. As a non-creator and an acknowledging this will probably be a hobby with a finite life-span for me... after a year of purchasing and backing games (and with c. 14 still to come) it's time for me to stop buying, start culling, and reduce my collection down to probably about 30 games.
"Aunt Bob" haha. I love this because my young nephew used to call me "Uncle Barbie" because I was his only aunt in a sea of uncles.
There is a massive caveat that I would add. Depending on where you live you may have to take a hit on prices for some of your games. I live in rural Canada and shipping here can get expensive. So unless you’re in a place where shipping is cheap, or you live in a population centre where people can meet up, be prepared to take a loss on what you originally paid for the game. This is still fine because you’re getting something and you’re not just keeping a ton of games you’ll never play.
im in this exact situation in Canada. I am not even that rural, but in a location where I have trouble selling used copies locally. I try kijiji, and I get little traction. Ebay / facebook group is basically my only option. Shipping costs minimum 20, a lot more if all in collections. So i usually need to take a big hit to be competitive to others who can have cheaper shipping. I get maybe 40% back of what I paid. Still worth selling then collecting dust, but there have been a few games I kept even though it unlikely I will play again because I might get $10 off the sale. At that point if I need the space I rather just donate it to a local thrift store or library.
You are spot on. I live in the Philippines. It is harder and more expensive to get games back here. I tend to stick with the games I would want to be available when I have the opportunity to play them.
I do find it harder to sell games due to shipping (also in Canada) but I've sold a few. I only have Zombicide 2nd Edition (with the Reboot Box and Danny Trejo) left to sell. I've opened them but never played it so I figured it's time to get rid of it since I have no "real" interest in playing it over my other games. I have a few KS coming and I MUCH prefer to keep my small (and new) board game "collection" to 10+/- games.
I can think of one time I made $ selling a game. It was an out of print game that people look for. I bought it new from a bargain bin at a game store. I made $40 (woo....)
@@harmarize yeah wpg mb here. Not enough people wanna pay anything more then $60 here. Luckily i buy the best stuff so they play mine. The more you better usually the better the game
"We hold onto games for the theoretical promise of a future that will never arrive." Wow.... you're not wrong. Hits home in a very real way.
Easy to say because I've been there...
Thanks Alex! Recognise that feeling of wanting to keep hold of games beyond their usefulness...! This inspired me to look through my collection and get rid of 10 games.... Although I'm now looking at my wishlist already 🧐
Thanks for giving us more helpful tips on how to be a more compulsive collector, my OCD appreciates it;)
This reminds me of a quote from a book collector. “The only regret I have is the book I didn’t buy.”
I’m with that person. You may regret getting rid of a game you can’t reaquire, but you’ll definitely regret not getting “the one that got away”.
I agree...to an extent :) There's always going to be more games than time.
I do find culling games therapeutic. Over the last 12 months I have moved on from selling games to donating to a local board game café. Selling was becoming a hassle with buyers wanting post free for games that cost £20 to post or expecting me to send them half way around the world for UK postage cost! I have culled some great games, such as Kemet Blood and Sand and Cthulhu Death May Die, both of which I had spent time painting. I just decided that I wasn't going to play them anymore and so they went. Yesterday I took a number of games to the café. These included Black Rose Wars, with all the stretch goals, which I have never played or even taken the cards out of the shrink wrap! Last year I was much stricter with the number of games that I pledged on but I bought too many games in addition to these. In 2022 I am going to be even stricter. And yes, it did feel good knowing that those games now have a better chance of being played than they did when they were taking up space on my shelf.
Ok just found out you're doing this segment.. I'll watch it soon, I need it 😁
Thanks for the topic and ideas! I especially love the “I’ll play the game when my kids get older” argument. Such a valid point you have about that.
Your channel along with board game ramblings really encouraged me last year to start culling more. Since then I have found I get to try way more games and have enjoyed the hobby even more I highly encourage selling and trading games that aren’t hitting the table. I probably sell some of mine every other month or so. Culled between 50-75 last year and 2 already this year
I am going to jump here just by your last comment of being a therapeutic process. I don't have a massive collection, but I had to do an international move quite recently. So I decided that I needed to reduce something, what I could and was willing to do (being whatever strong enough reason). It was hard to decide but it did feel therapeutic at some point being able to do it. Specially because those were games that simply were not being played for whatever reason. And I know some of them it will be quite easy to get back if I have feel like there is an opportunity for it.
But yeah, taking some weight out of your system is nice.
I've had a few games that I've purchased a second time after culling them from my collection. But, with only a single exception, I ended up getting rid of all them AGAIN after some time. That experience has made it so much easier for me to get rid of games now.
Great timing on this video, I have been thinking about downsizing my collection recently. Going to use your suggestions, especially the cull space.
"A lack time" resonated with me the most.
Like Burgess Meredith in the Twilight Zone's unforgettable "Time Enough at Last", I wonder through a post-apocalyptic landscape to find a game store spared from the destruction... but I accidentally step on and crush the very last die on the planet. 😞
Yep, everything else you can eventually surpassbut time has a finite limit.
That initial video is how I was introduced to the channel. I'm still terrible at cycling them out. But at least I have been properly chastised.
Lol I'll do what I can :)
This week I sold my first game from my collection. I liked it, but I did not play it. It was sad when I was packing it but I already bought a new game for the money and Im really excited for it.
Would love to buy your copy of Hate maybe you could even sign the inside of the box!
Here's a question for you: What do you do when someone gifts you a game, and it's not one you really enjoy, and had you bought it, it would be culled. But when you see the person they ask about the game.
Tell them the truth. #noguilt
I tell them. The only tricky question for me, is if it's a game I didn't even want to play....fortunately that doesn't happen much. But it's easy to be appreciative of the game and experience without having kept it.
I do the same idea with having a Kallax of games I want to sell and immediately list them online. If we play it in the next week, month or year, when I go to put it back on the shelf and we enjoyed it, it gets off the sell Kallax and a new game takes it's place on the chopping block.
It ensures whatever is on the sell Kallax hasn't been played or I want to sell it, and the ones I do play and like get a reality check of if I sell it or not, works for me!
There are so many amazing games released each month, many of which are perfect for certain gamers with specific interests. However, most of those games go largely ignored because the latest flavor of the month (Final Girl, Townfolk Tussle) gets 90% of the social media attention, which leads to: "Hey look at me, I got it too! - posts image"
Then you have a bunch of gamers who feel like they are missing out and feel compelled to hop on the bandwagon when ultimately those games might not match their interests. This of course leads to closets full of games that eventually collect dust, not because they aren't good games, but because they aren't the right games for every gamer. And then of course the new flavor of the month replaces the hype from the previous month's games, and the cycle continues.
I'm not at all saying these hyped games aren't good. What I'm saying is gaming is a lot like music, where people have their own very specific criteria of what makes a game fun, or a song beautiful. And just like in the gaming industry, some of the best songs are buried on Spotify waiting to be discovered by certain audiences for which they are perfect.
I think gamers need to remember to do more research before buying a game and all its expansions just because their feeds have been dominated by it. This would ultimately solve the somewhat ridiculous problem (in my opinion) of having so many games you have to get rid of them, and it will ultimately save you a ton of money :)
Excellent video. I don't have too much of a problem choosing games to get rid of, but I will admit to finding the task of actually selling or trading them to be a bit of a personal roadblock. I've never sold or traded anything online, so I just need to figure out how to get over that hurdle and find the best way to do it.
I was hoping you would show where you get your boxes, how you wrap/pack them, how you post them for sale, and tips and tricks to making that stuff easier.
The main reason I don't sell much is because I'm lazy and the logistics are annoying.
Yes, this exactly. Figuring out how to pack them, and the best way to ship, are the main things that keep me from doing it as well. I've already got about 10 games separated from my collection that I'd like to sell. The actual process of selling them is daunting though. Well, that and the fact that most of them don't seem like they're worth enough to justify the effort.
I need this, too.
Sell via local means like FB Marketplace or friends. Shipping is a fool’s errand right now.
@@djfooboo I don't really live in a big enough area to be able to sell most of them local, aside from maybe a few of the more well-known ones.
i dont think he would do a video on that...its sorta his own routine that he does to cycle the games he has on also on his website...
I don't have too much of a problem getting rid of games but I will admit that I will probably never get rid of my Heroscape stuff. Haven't played in years but I have too many great memories of lost friends attached to the game.
Nostalgia....can do terrible things :)
I love your ability to move through games. It's cool. Helps us all. For what it's worth, I'm not giving up Gloomhaven ever, it's too cool and I want it in my collection for ever. I also have HATE and I'm going to play it before I ever give it away.
Great video! I've got a 5x5 and a 2x4 Kallax that are a little over half full. Once they fill up, I'll start to think about culling. But I'm also going to try to limit the incoming rate for 2022. Wish me luck! :-)
Good luck Steve :)
I love the idea of physically moving games to cull off the shelf. I did this around Christmas, my wife saved 1 of them and the rest just left a few days ago.
Yep! I find it makes things much easier.
So, now that I spoke as non-profit that needs to acquire games. As a gamer that has a large collection, I watched this video and laugh how I already do this. I have three game collection areas. In the actual game room, i have about 100 games ready to play. There is a side table here where my new games sit while I learn how to play them and decide how I am going to store the components in the individual games. This is very therapeutic for me. Then once every few months, I would go through this grouping and find games that really aren’t getting played or won’t get played. They get moved to my secondary storage area. (This area is also where I hold redundant copies of games.) I then inventory and decide whether they have a home with a gamer friend or if the nonprofit will want it or if it might want to go back for a replay. Then as games come in here, others leave and go to my garage which they very rarely come back from. This really works. From the garage, this is the cull area. I sell or donate more than just games.
Now, there is one last thing I kind of hinted at. The first way you should get rid of a game - Give your games to friends. 1: You can always play them until your friend lets them go. 2: If they get rid of them, it wasn’t you doing it. 3: It’s feels really good too.
I frozen my big collection to the point I will maybe get 1-2 games this year (undecided) and some expansions, compared to the last year when I spent a lot on games.
I just don't see any reason to get more games when the only difference to the ones I own is a slight tweak in mechanics and different art.
I'd rather get more value of what I currently have, by playing them more.
It also helps that my group is not obsessed by playing only new games.
I don’t do this because my collection is small that it doesn’t interfere with the space in my home. It takes up a small corner of my closet. To be honest most of the games I could sell and my life wouldn’t change. I live in Florida and just keep them for times when a hurricane comes through and the family is together.
I purge my collection about once a year, and incrementally get rid of things around monthly as well- it’s a good time! Gotta keep those Kallax’s ready to receive KS’s as they roll in
I collected many things over the years with shifting interests, books, movies, figures, games, board games when my partner moved in it got really stuffed in our small flat. So I got rid of everything that did not fit in 3 shelves. Some things I regret, some things I don't. But I've to admit I tend to cling to my stuff, especially if it is out of print and will most likely never be made again (like loveletter premium) or if I've put real effort in like painted minies like my vast collection.
I did my first cull just two weeks ago! I totally agree that it's fun and it did feel like it can quickly become and addiction :)
I started by writing a list of some games that I would consider getting rid of, then after a while of looking at the list and being ok with it, I pulled them off the shelf. Then I needed to take photos of them and put them on facebook marketplace for local sale only. I started in November and have sold 7 of the 11 games (some with expansions) I put up for sale, gotten $150 back from them I've added a few games to the list since then and I have another list of potential culls as well. I think I still have 13 games/expansions preordered so I need to make sure I keep the collection manageable.
Nice :)
Thank you for this video. Culling is a very active process in games for me. Not exactly the way most people do it though. Games that aren’t going to get played need to go away. As room is always a concern. I am very happy to be here to help people do just that. I am starting a non-profit to bring board games to the under-privileged. So, I am constantly trying to bring games into my collection. I have three different types of games in my collection - those that I like to play as the gamer that I am, those that are for the non-profit that I am starting, and those that are leaving the collection because they don’t have a place in either list or too much redundancy. (I had at one point 20 copies of one game because everyone gave me their copy. )
I am constantly looking for those that are culling parts of their collections as I will be running gaming events on a regular basis which needs a very wide grouping of games. My events will always be free and I will be giving games away at these events too. So, the games that are for me, I just happily buy. Those for the non-profit will get played over time. The rest, I sell to fund the events themselves and to buy games and supplies. So, anyone that is looking to cull games and looking for a good place for them to go, Please feel free to contact me. Albeit, donations are always welcomed, I would love to look over any cull list and offer a fair price for you whole cull. Be aware if you are trying to get top dollar or even close to that, look elsewhere. I am looking for those who want to meet me near the bottom. Not quite a donation, but a simple way for you to purge that entire list in one fell swoop.
Anyways, I am in Southern California, if you are nearby let me know.
Great video, and I should heed your advice, but my unplayed games own me more than I own them lol
Sadly I feel that statement
I bought a couple 2 player games I’ve never tabled because I figured I’d find someone interested in playing but never have and dumped a bunch of money
Tip 5642, never buy games hoping the people will come after.
I have 65 games and +- 30 kickstarters/gamefounds on the way. Im running out of shelfspace so im thinking of renovating the kitchen so i can make one wall for storage for games and food. ;)
It's been TWO years?! Is this what it feels like to get old? It felt like a few months ago.
Yes…. That is exactly how it feels. Wait until it’s been 10 years and your like…. "Wait wut?’
Glad to see you've been around that long :)
I got rid of 35 games two years ago, does that count 😄
One of my goals for this year is to move towards a five year shelflife on all my games, I don’t know if this is going to be possible but I’m going to shoot for it. That one include some family favorite and evergreen games, but it should include them majority of my games.
Great video and really good tips!
Realistically once I’ve painted a game I have not only gotten my money’s worth but I don’t need to even play it. Although I do.
I do have a few games with low quality minis that I will speed paint and sell if I get bored with them.
Yes, painting changed the entire conversation.
Oh good. Something I don't have to worry about for quite some time. My baby collection of 25 games still has a way to go before I need this video.
Lol yes, I would say anyone under 100 likely doesn't need this...might want to, but doesn't need to.
The struggle is real. I started to cull after your first video but I am back up to more games than ever with lots of kickstarters in flight. I am trying to play more games now (successfully) and track more closely my plays and experiences so I can cycle things out. I am trying to follow your advice to look for reasons not to back so I buy less games. I am really focused on campaign games now because I know once I finish it, I can get rid of it without regret. I also need to stop buying expansions that won’t get played. I think at this point I need to commit to one in one out counting expansions so I stop the shelf creep.
I actually really enjoy the buying/selling/trading side of this hobby, trying to find bargains that I can try out and if I don't want to keep just sell on. I keep that profit aside to buy more games so I'm generally spending little or no money anymore, just cycling through what I want and am happy to move on. Having a physical limit is helping, I'm about to run out of space so some games I might have kept a year ago will be moved on, but that just means what's left are the best of the best, so I'm ok with that
Totally with you :) that's how I started, all the small side buying and selling.
@@BoardGameCo I wish I was in the US where the density of games and gamers was higher so I could do something similar to what you've done. Not really an option in Australia with postage costs being what they are, and just not having as many games come up. There's still deals out there but really need to get lucky for most of them. Just drove almost an hour each way to get Kingdom Death Monster and all it's expansions, which I plan to split up and sell individually for maybe a $200 profit all up, if Im lucky
I actually did this middle of last year. Got rid of just under 30 games. Mostly older "Collector's Edition" Monopoly and some of the Funkoverse stuff, but it was all just taking up space.
At the time I don't recall if I was following you yet, or if I was I'd taken suggestion of using Noble Knight from an older video. In hindsight, it got rid of a bunch of games, and gave me some credit to use to get some other stuff that I probably should not have because it sit's unplayed as well, BUT, it was very relaxing and a relief.
I may very well do it again soon. I have tons of games I LIKE, and only a handful I LOVE.
I'd be very interested in a video regarding something to the effect of "Keeping current on a game you Love, but haven't played in a while."
I personally own everything for Power Rangers Heroes of the Grid, but haven't touched in well over a year, but feel compelled to buy every new thing because of FOMO and the theme keeps me coming back again and again to their pre-order campaigns despite not actually tabling it when I get new content in.
I took a really long time to get rid of my Zombicide: Black Plague and Green Horde collection. I had everything for both series, the problem with this was trying to find a buyer that was serious about spending the dollar amount on the collection. I think It took about two years of constantly posting on Reddit and Facebook Marketplace, but someone finally bought it this past summer. I didn't sell it over face value, just wanted to get what I put into it back, which honestly was a lot. I freed up a TON of shelf space, and I have not kickstarted or purchased a game since March of 2021 and only 2 games at that. I have been tempted to go for a late pledge for Chronicles Of Drunagor: Age Of Darkness Apocalypse and get first game too, but will I play it, is it better than what I already have and already don't play, those are the questions I ask myself.
I got rid of a few games I regret - Rococo and Android Netrunner. No regrets on Caverna and Jamaica... I probably need to cull more games so I can get new games.
Just got done purging a few. See you purging Zombicide Invader. Everything Zombicide is some of the few things I wound never purge! Just too much easy, quick fun there for me.
Agreed on zombicide....but only so many versions I need :)
The one caveat I have are the "hard to get/out of print" games. Take Blood Rage, for instance. I've been looking to pick that up with all the fixins for a few years and still have had no luck. If I have games that I'm not playing, but would put on a list to get back in the future, if they are out of print, I probably won't cull them.
I can hear on oop stuff if you're in the fence.
With any collection, it becomes part of you- the thoughts and feelings you had towards each game- when buying, anticipating, playing. In part, it can become a physical manifestation of your identity and it's not easy to kill off a part of yourself
Perhaps....but for me part of my identity is not holding onto things I'm not using.
Selling / trading games away is more cumbersome for me, but I do occasionally try my hand at it, like once or twice a year, and it has some limited success (let's say I manage to cull about 25% of what I put out there). If that success rate wasn't so limited I'd probably do it more often.
This video did prompt me to make a list of games I'd be happier not to have in my collection right now, and a shorter one of games I suspect this might be true of as well.
I might try to sell them at more aggressive prices as a result, so thanks.
I recently got into modern board gaming but have played TCGs my entire life. I started with board games that were similar to tcg, like exceed, dominion, and yomi. I play these almost weekly, still.
Then I started added games that I thought I "needed" for the collection. I wanted catan bc it's a classic, same for ticket to ride. Got Bullet bc it's from the same people as exceed, same for battlecon. And so on. So many games Ive never played in that closet.
It is weirdly addicting. I’ve been purging lately. It did feel good to dump stuff.
yep :)
"If you din't play a game for over a year, get rid of it".
The lockdown is so sever where i live that i could not play some games because i cannot meet anyone. So from that rule i should cull my collection to zero.
Joke aside, my work make me travel a lot, i could be away for 3 weeks, so the time frame before thinking of culling is different for everybody.
Did I say a month? I thought I said a year?
@@BoardGameCo rewatched to maked sure, missunderstood a bit and edited. Still, the point of the situation messing up the time you can naturaly play still stand. I could not meet anyone for over 6 months this year and then was away from home for over 3 months. That left less tthan 3 months to play stuff from my collection.
I started culling games last year (New Year's Resolution). I played an average of 10 new games a month in 2021 to pare down the collection. Counting games I purchased in 2021, my collection now stands at 140 games (still too large) but more importantly only 10 or so that remain unplayed. So you could say I have a one month backlog.....which I can live with. I will not stop buying new games because quite honestly I enjoy the discovery/exploration process of identifying new games to purchase. Also, I am not now nor will I ever be a person who can play the same game dozens & dozens of time a year, adding up to hundreds of plays of the same game. There is literally no one game that piques my interest to that level. So I will (paraphrasing the Alec Baldwin character in Glengarry Glen Ross), "always be selling".
This is a video that I needed. :-)
I agree with the broader points of the video but COVID has complicated these calculations... Several games I haven't played in two years, but also the past two years hasn't been the best for board gaming so I am going with a longer time frame this time around.
Absolutely...and take that into account as you'd like...for some games I give them leeway, for others I don't know when they'll be played.
Clicked on this video for the first time today and I'm wearing the exact same shirt. Haha
Lol nice
Good stuff. Do you take scarcity into account? Specifically referring to section "Make a List of Games You Want Back". If a game is likely to never be reprinted, and its value is elevated and will likely only get more expensive as it enters "grail game" territory, will you choose to keep it rather than purge and plan to reacquire? I know it'd be infrequent, but just wondering if it's a factor, or you'd just purge and worry about it later.
Anyone in the hobby space should not only be buying but also selling. It is essential in my opinion.
I agree with you...while respecting that some people just like owning 3,000 games.
@@BoardGameCo I'm sure there is someone with enough space to own 3,000 games and still be organized enough to be able to find and play them. For most people space is the biggest issue.
This is what I'v been doing with my vintage action figure collection for the last 4 years.
As for board games... I just started ramping up that collection a couple of months before covid so the majority is still unplayed due to that. Waiting for covid to "pass" to get back to playing again. We'll see when I get to culling games in the future. 😅
i was actually looking for how to sell games and where are the best second-hand markets in NA, EU, and Asia! Guess that will be another video 😅
Love you, Alex! Now I won’t back Marvel Zombies. Thanks.
If you're not 100% sure of it, but I think you should be skipping it
My biggest fear is that I will don't find big enough box for the postage, it will be damaged and refunded, I will get scammed etc.. Any suggestion for these kind of 'fears'?
I'll often make sure I have a shipping box before I put the game up for sale/trade. Also, I try really hard to make local sales/trades, to avoid shipping entirely. Insurance should cover damage.
Scams are pretty rare for games (not much value there), but you can stick to systems that have reputation scores, or demand payment first, to reduce the risks further.
Very good advice. One of my issues with selling games is buyer problems. My wife was a manger for a large retail chain and had some "interesting" times with customers trying to scam or people who always found problems with everything in spite of her efforts to accommodate them. How often do things like this seem to occur when selling games through the BGG market or perhaps online game stores?
this video is great i defiantly need to cull but kind of don't wanna part ways with my games either another issue i have is the logistics of actually getting rid of the games shipping and quoting shipping i know nothing about
I got rid of ticket to ride Europe, Runewars, claustrophobia and Netrunner in my last purge. I loved those game :/ but they had to go.
Battlelore first edition and Arkham horror second edition both sit there on the shelf. I know they should be purged. But they were my first and best.
New games - Kemet and Last Aurora sit there with target symbols on them because I’m not sure they are holding up. Kemet feels like a worse Nexus Ops first edition.
Oh man...kemet is Soo good. But ignore me, purge away :)
@@BoardGameCo have you played first edition Nexus Ops? It feels like the same general game - aggressive war and area control. I think I just rather play that whenever I get Kemet to the table
I find it particularly hard with (a) miniature games I’ve spent many hours painting and (b) games where the value is v small so I won’t get much for it, but I worry it might go OOP later
That's totally fair on one for sure.
I just started getting rid of some of my games on my shelf as it was finally getting maxed out. I was hoping to wait for a convention to attend and do a mass dump there, but then COVID hit. It definitely felt good to free up some space, but maybe that was because I had some open space to buy new games with the money I made from selling the old games?
What do you think about the possible price increase we will see on games this year and if that will impact culling decisions in 2022?
I’m just glad that after several years I’m finally over the addiction of acquisition…except when it comes to Zombicide.
I used to say it's easy to stay culled below 100 full sized games. Now I'm nervous that I can't cull fast enough to stay below 200. That is my goal
I will miss your HATE, it was always placed in such a way that it was easily seen in every video. :D
Very good tips and generally an important topic. Personally I fall into the category of having started to cull because I needed to reopen up space. After culling the first games it got much easier. The thing is also... if you really regret getting rid of a specific game there is still a chance to obtain it back. Maybe it was not the right time or some friends still wanted to play it. Getting these games back might cost more than they are worth but it's better than never culling.
I see it this way. Playing games is sort of your job. If your collection of 300 is lean... Then for somebody who casually plays once a week, 2 weeks, is like maybe 30 max. And only because I count different entry points and mechanics. If you have 2 and more games falling into the same genre it's only right that you'll pick one over the other. The dust collectors would make space for other games for you to try. Just my 3 cents.
Yeah depending on what your game nights look like and how many people in your group actually own games, 25-50 games is probably enough for most people.
Sure, and I play more now that I review...but I played hundreds of games a year well before I did any content. I've had a collection of a few hundred for years now because of that.
@@BoardGameCo I see, well. I wish I had a group to play regularly. Well everything is comming according to plan this year sooo maybe it's gonna happen. Have few camapign games to play. :D
Excellent Video! I also started selling my games. Even if I sell them below price I still get more money than if I throw them in the trash. Number one priority for me: Get my space back 😅😅
One tip: If you don't want to pack and ship items make a Garage sale. I made the experience that people will even give you money if you give games away for free.
Dear Alex, you and your loved ones a happy New Year and thank you so much for the constant upload of new, always relevant and very very interesting content.
To be fair, there is such a thing as "Aunt Bob."
Excellent video. There is certainly a psychological effect here where people fall in love with games even if they are not played. It is similar to why people keep books they have read like trophies or as a reminder of the past. Perhaps a solution would be to take a photo of everyone playing the game and then place a digital picture frame on the game shelf cycling through all the past game photos.
As you astutely pointed out I admit owning games simply waiting for my kids to be old enough to play,. My concern is that some games may be hard to find later. The ones I am saving are popular games by large companies, so I suspect I would be able to get them back, but how can I be sure? Any insight on why a Spiel de Jahres winner like El Grande is hard to find in this country on eBay, but a game like Shogun can still be found at a reasonable price?
I've been holding on for Terra and Fauna, cause' u know, when the kids grow... 2years those have sat on the shelves and most likely they will be there for the next 5 years with zero plays
I'm more than ready to off load a few games. But I don't know how to go about selling or trading them.
The main game I want to get rid of is the dark souls board game and its expansions. Good luck to me for that, lol, not many buyers for that where I live :D A problem with purging is that you just aren't getting much for them without a lot of effort. Which often may not really be worth it.
Yes, it does depend on a lot of factors but it can either be work or lower return sometimes to make it work. Other times you can't ask for enough.
Technically the best game collection then is one game, because every time you play a game, every single other game you have isn't getting played.
I am keeping a lot of games even if I am not playing them. The people I am playing with are changing quite often, so i want to have at least few games from each game type there is. So new people can play the games and get to know it they like this type of game or not.
For sure I don't need 15 Dungeon crowler games. But as long as the game feels different enough from the others, it is "worth keeping" for me. Is the play time significantly shorter/longer than the rest? Is ti possible to play with less/more players than the other? is the game setting different (Cthulhu, fantasy, sc-fi,..)? ....
I am trying to keep the "Gems" in my collection. "Hard to get" games (mostly Kickstarter exclusives or KS versions of the games) tend to stay longer in the collection than retail games that i can buy anytime.
Little bit questionable are Euro games where the theme is most important for me. How many Vital Lacerda games you need? Do you need only 1 or you want to have option to choose the one that meets your current mood?
Really, really usefull, even now, thanks! I really like the idea of it getting easier after getting the first step done. Afterwards, maybe I'm also able to do that to my books. But this basically means I have to get read of absolutly every competitive game I own if they don't also have a coop mode, because noone ist playing them with me and I can't play them solo 😅 And Etherfields, that for some reason has only been laying around for two years. And all these old children games that I loved so much but haven't tabled in the last 10 years or so. That's reasonable. I kind of knew that. I just need to actually do it now.
I probably can keep a couple of those competitive games. I just need to find more friends lol. You know, that theoretical future that won't arrive that you were talking about? Yeah, that really hammered in the fact that I shouldn't have bought competitive games in the first place. I kind of knew that, too, if I'm being honest.
Yeah all these arguments around time don’t resonate with me at all. The reason i own games is because I want to. The reason I haven’t played them is there are obstacles. When will I play them? When the obstacles are removed. Simple.
I make a habit of not buying more similar games when the obstacles are stuck in place.
What area control board game would be a favourite of yours
It's interesting, I don't know that I do find it therapeutic, at least in terms of like, "oh, this game isn't weighing me down since it's gone". I do cull games though. Mainly to get in other games. But it is kind of in the mindset of, will I pull t his game off the shelf over another in a given situation?
And I know I have a lot of games I haven't played (135 games on BGG that I own with no rating. So my New Years Resolution, or challenge to myself is at the end of the year to have my unplayed games down to under 100. Then the following year, under 75, and hopefully continue lower. Why not play them all, because I'm getting new games in. But it is a mindset of lets play games, see if I like them, and if they'll get played over others. And I have a friend who is up for trying new games, so I can get through them.
And I suspect a number will leave my collection, and they'll be replaced and the cycle continues. But part of the fun of the hobby for me is trying out different games. And I think it is for a lot of people. And my favorite game of all time might never leave, Gloomhaven, but it also might not get played again for a long time.
- end rambling comment -
As you know I'm only 'allowed' to have 50 games (with storage solutions I can get away with games instead of boxes🤫), and after the initial hurt, disappointment and reluctance😜, I think for me 50 is plenty.
Even though I have another 25 in reserve and will probably order more (Kickstarter), the addiction is not the purging for me, it's the collecting🤣 although every sell is very satisfying 😁 But with 8 played and 2 already purged I can rotate as much as needed.
I have collected as much as there is to collect with these 50, so on to new pastures... I really need new kitchen gear 🤔
I'm also at 50 max at least for now. It's a lot of games to play already!
50 is tough for anyone buy a few each yeat. Especially if you have several card games. I restrict myself to a certain amount of space. One Kallax full.
I sell some games on Facebook groups. I list prices based on how attached I am to the game: games that I want to move for sure are at a great bargain, and games I am having trouble giving up are at market value. I often find myself getting used to the idea of them leaving my collection and subsequently reducing the price to a point where they can be moved.
Yep. I list at near market the first month, and then just drop the price monthly until they go.
I am at 58 games, and I feel it is enough.
Nice :)
The hardest part is getting them sold for me. I have been trying to sell 7 wonders and others for months at a discounted price and they won't sell.
I have offered games for the price of shipping just to get them out of my collection. I have also donated them to a few gaming groups. There are definitely ways to move them although if you are hoping to make some $$ that limits your options.
@@darinlagarry3091 yeah I have a collection of around 50 games so it's just trying to get rid of games I don't like or my game group doesn't.
Getting rid of anything you don't need feels therapeutic. I'd say I only keep 1 out of every 4 games I buy. I will also say this channel is partly to blame for the number of games I've bought.
Zombicide Invader selling: a big mistake xD
We have begun our purge...
Enjoy it :)
I’ve been hanging on to games for my kids to play and guess what? They have no interest whatsoever in board games, even though they’ve been bought up with them. So sometimes, hanging on to the possible future enjoyment can end up being a very depressing experience when you realise that something you deemed to be special can’t compete with the new season of Fortnite. Sell them.