Fastest 5 Ways to Save Money in Board Games

[@doggosplosion]

1) Realizing the best thing about Heroquest is the video, not actually buying the game. 100+ saved right there.

[@BoardGameCo]

:)

[@neopreneplaymatt9810]

A way that has significantly helped me save on games is sticking to a strict budget. I only spend $100 a month, no exceptions. I allow cash to roll over which is how I get games that cost over $100 (I have to stock up because I won't dip into a future month). Your budget can be anything you're comfortable with, but deciding a budget before you buy can help you steer clear of impulse buys. I constantly think about the value the game will provide before purchasing it because of this. Also, don't forget to calculate shipping into that budget!

[@bestatstartrek6695]

Excellent idea

[@neopreneplaymatt9810]

@@bestatstartrek6695 thank you! October has been hard 🤣🤣🤣 so many good games are coming out this month!

[@jhowd78]

Two things: 1. Sell things before buying things 2. Wait...just wait..most games go on sale

[@BoardGameCo]

Well 1 is just heresy....but also good advice. And 2 for sure.

[@onepipwonder915]

I appreciate your common sense mentality toward board games shopping, whenever I am struck with FOM, I'll just watch one of your videos and it goes away lol

[@BoardGameCo]

Thank you :) It's to balance out all the Kickstarter FOMO :)

[@danielkeim8558]

Wow. I have never seen someone describe my board game buying habits exactly. It has served me super well since adopting these habits over time. I like to tell people that I enjoy the hobby 6-12 months behind everyone else. Oh well, buying on a very tight budget means these things have to happen! Well done Alex!

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes! I used to very much be behind 6-12 months. I always allowed myself the occasional exception :)

[@os7272]

2nd best way to save money: delete your kickstarter account. Not revealing the best way :)

[@BoardGameCo]

Best way is to just stop playing board games :)

[@wbeytel]

@@BoardGameCo Hahahaha, no!

[@os7272]

@@BoardGameCo I did it! I just cancelled three Kickstarters because this was getting out of hand.

[@AdamJorgensen]

Best way: Delete your credit card ;-)

[@wbeytel]

@@os7272 Well done! Just out of curiosity, which campaigns did you cancel?

[@successfulgeek]

#1 don't watch KZbin and never visit KS

[@BoardGameCo]

Those are both solid choices.

[@michaelb8111]

A lot of great resources mentioned here. And there is no shame in promoting your business. It is just another way for people to help support your content here!

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks :) There's no shame...I just don't want it to ever come across as a mindless shill.

[@RupertAndi]

I think the point that is most important (IMO) is "Don't get a game your not playing right away". It kind of goes hand in hand with the "Stop buying new games", because if you are not going to play the game in the next few weeks then why buy it right away. The only exception I see to not buying if you are not playing right away would be an out of print game that you really want and have finally found.

[@BoardGameCo]

Sure, OOP opportunities go hand in hand with the deal category.

[@RandomPerson-nd2ey]

But... it's so shiny...

[@theboardmasters5800]

Only buying old games is how I've approached my video game obsession, particularly over the past 5/6 years because you can pretty much always guarantee that £50+ game will be selling for £15 in a couple of years and you aren't missing out on anything. I would love to apply that same philosophy to board games but, so far, the vast majority of my collection is being built through KS and I'm struggling with the 'buy cheaper retail version but miss all the KS exclusives' aspect...

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep, although video games as digital products often go ok sale more often and for more. Board games still go on sale, but the idea of giant steam discounts is less common.

[@ScytheNoire]

Thanks for doing this, I think I had mentioned something along this line as an idea on Patreon. Good to have someone else tell my logically side what it already knows. Example of not buying the newest game would be Horrified, or any Ravensburger game it seems these days. They are often good games, but they end up being similar in play each time through, such as The Princess Bride or Wonder Woman.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes! Horrified was pretty good but they keep putting out more that don't stand out unfortunately.

[@adamV1P]

I think theres 2 main tips i have. The first is to make sure everything you own occupies a useful space of its own. Theres a lot of overlap in mechanics and themes in board games so making sure you arent buying 5 of the same game with a different skin is key. Unless you really dig worker placement you probably don't need 10 of them. By asking yourself what new thing does this bring to the table you can eliminate both new purchases and old ones if the new does it better. The second tip is to keep options open and cast a wide net. One thing I do is keep a running talley of games I want and eventually they will go on sale and Ill snag them up. They might stay on the list for several months but since its on the list i can regularly check. On the flip side look at deals in general. With sites like BGG its easy to check if something you found on sale is a good game or not so its not that hard to pick up a great deal if you stumble across it. Casting a wide net is a much better strategy for keeping things cheap than always hunting down obscure KS exclusive stuff.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep on both counts :)

[@inezkestens5561]

I had been collecting games for a good 5-10 years before going into a bit of a powermode last year, and with moving this year and downsizing the boardgame closet I really became good in finding deals in nooks and crannies and selling them for whatever I wanted out of it. Now i did also lose some money out of it. I don't like seeing auctions on FB where people tell, start bidding from this price but if I find the offer too low I'm allowed to not sell. I think I could have gotten an extra 10/20 bucks out of some bigger games I sold but I like to believe I made somebody happy with a goo deal :p

[@beneisen6982]

i've definitely been working hard on pushing myself off the fence. Fomo would usually push me one way, but finding creators who have similar tastes in games (such as you) and creators who do a good job about relating games to existing games (Quackalope) have helped me to identify whether or not a game will actually make it to my table in a reasonable amount of time (which kind of goes into another of your points).

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep, I love the "if you like this" concept, I need to do more of that myself.

[@astronomicafilms]

6. Resist the urge to buy 5/10 games just because they have 10/10 miniatures.

[@BoardGameCo]

100% this. Although I buy them...I just don't keep them.

[@Alan-pn8nu]

I have a spreadsheet which I use to do a cost-value analysis. On the spreadsheet I track; how much each game costs to buy, how many times I have played each game and how I rate each game out of 10. With that information, I can analyse a game's cost-value from a couple of different metrics (cost per play and cost per rating). I can also evaluate the cost-value of the collection overall. Since starting this I have found that I buy fewer games. Mostly because I know how much my current collection cost in total (more than I am comfortable with), but also because I can see that half my collection has a low cost-value average and the other half has a much higher cost-value average. I have started setting goals for myself to bring the cost-value of my whole collection and/or specific games in line with something I am comfortable with. A cost per play of something similar to a movie ticket then I am happy with the overall value. Anything that is cheaper or close to the cost of a cup of coffee then I am very pleased with that purchase. Anything that doesn't meet either of these metrics after a certain amount of time becomes a candidate for the cull. Unless it has a "reasonable" cost to rating ratio.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep, I did a video on this. That's one of many ways to assess the value of your own collection. I tend to focus more on resale value due to the way my collection shifts.

[@danielkeim8558]

Another great tip is so limit how many times you buy board games. I at one point (and pretty much still do) only bought games for my birthday and Christmas. It forced me to truly prioritize which titles I wanted to get the most, and allowed me to watch the dust settle, so to speak

[@BoardGameCo]

Oh wow, that's a level of self control. I limit it to days that end with "y"

[@iamimtiaz12]

I have been watching your content non stop for the past 10 days! It's really helping me with choosing board games. I live in Bangladesh and there are no market for board games here. The latest board game that people know of here is UNO. So I have to choose very carefully to select the board games that I want. Cause if it's not good, it's stuck with me forever :P; There is no resell value here. So thanks for the awesome content! (Y)

[@BoardGameCo]

Glad you're enjoying :) thanks for watching :)

[@emmlim7]

Always giving good and relevant advice to board gamers on topics that most KZbinr doesn’t touch into.

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks!

[@robertoluna1775]

Thank you so much for your tips. Have a great week

[@BoardGameCo]

Thank you! You too!

[@Richard-sy1ej]

"Push yourself off the fence" works for non-kickstarters too. I keep a small list of games written down that I go "hey, I think I want this game". Games have to stay on that list for at least 3 months before I'll even consider buying them, if I'm buying a new copy. If it's a secondhand copy and it's going for cheap, then I might jump in earlier. In addition, I recommend putting criteria on a game to see "will I actually play this"? My guidelines are: 1) What genre is the game? Do I have any existing games in the same genre or that are similar? Will those existing games get replaced by this game, will they sit side by side, or will this new game just get passed over in favor of the existing game? 2) How long does it take to play and how weighty is it? How many games of a similar length/weight do I already own? 3) What is the likely longevity of this game relative to its cost? i.e. What do I think my hours per dollar value for the game will be? 4) What are the chances I'll be able to get this game in the future? Essentially it's just formalizing rules for "will this get played?", but I've found they have helped me make some very good decisions.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep, totally agree.

[@scyldscefing3913]

This was good. I've only been involved in the hobby for a couple years, but find myself with so many games. I am just getting to the point where I'm not gobbling up everything that presents itself. I'm also to the point where I might be willing to let go of some of my games. It's definitely been a process.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep, the first purge is the hardest....after that it becomes habit.

[@ArnoVdVelde]

And some old ones are really good. Power grid is less talked about today, but that is still excellent and you can probably get that everywhere for super cheap. The hotness goes away, but if something is still around after 4 years that means something. You might not always like it, but it probably does the thing it does very well enough to still stand out 2-5-10 years after the fact.

[@BoardGameCo]

That's an excellent point to add.

[@CheddahSlammer]

I think one I would add to this list would be don't buy expansions until you need them. I noticed that many expansions for games, that I have ether only get played once or don't make it to the table. With all those options to choose from only one will suit your gaming group, and that is what your going to play. In the past I would get every expansion as soon as they came out, but still haven't played them all. Now though, I got Too Many Bones and I love it, and while all the character expansions get played, the other expansions don't. Which is why I haven't gotten Spice and Dice yet, because I haven't even excused what I have already. This is hard for kickstarter though because usually the options with the expansions are the better deal price wise.

[@BoardGameCo]

100% agree. That's actually one that I put on my list of tips I should follow but don't... Sadly once I like a game, I tend to get everything.

[@markwhitmore4547]

Another brilliant video chock-full of great and practical suggestions!! Thanks for posting videos like these!

[@BoardGameCo]

Always :) I try to mix up the content.

[@Domyarus]

😑"yes, Alex, the conversation is fun isn't it" 😑... 🤣🤣🤣 Love hanging out. Thanks for sharing. Good thoughts. I bought my 10yr old 2 games for her birthday end of June. The first we got to the table that night, the latter we only got to the table last night. I confess i thought a number of times, "maybe I should have just bought the one game" but thankful she likes both so all good... just a matter of timing 😊

[@BoardGameCo]

Awesome! What two games?

[@wbeytel]

Thanks for this video Alex, you made excellent points. I have only recently conquered my Kickstarter FOMO partly thanks to you and your advice. I still hang on to so-so games and really need to learn to let them go.

[@BoardGameCo]

It's hard, the first time is the hardest.

[@wbeytel]

@@BoardGameCo Yep, I just have to rip off the band-aid and start getting into that habit.

[@zenmazster]

Great video, i think your best videos are topics like this great job. One reason i get something and dont play right away is if on hot deals i get a super hot clearance deal

[@BoardGameCo]

Thank you!

[@Unreal_BE]

I hardly buy new games anymore... Except kickstarters. Side note any plans to expand boardgameco to Europe?

[@BoardGameCo]

I wish :( Sadly it's barely able to sustain itself as a venture in the US, international shipping would kill it.

[@SergioHernandez-wz3jj]

I want to ask you a question, advice is really what I need. I enjoy your content and I can say I share a lot of your views and likes and perspectives. How do you cope with so much content coming to you left and right? How do you manage to play all your games and not get lost in “acquiring.” Sometimes I feel like immersing myself in a fantasy world and I set up everything for altar quest let’s say. But then, middle of the campaign, I feel like shooting zombies, and then set up zombicide, then the next day I feel like playing imperial assault. I feel like I spend more time setting up and tearing down games than actually playing. Also, I constantly want to expand my games with expansions. And instead of putting all my money on Crisis Protocol for example, I have a few things of everything here and there but not enough. Does that make sense? I just want someone’s input. Thank you for your time.

[@Paul-ro6py]

As always Alex, thanks for a great conversation.

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks for being here :)

[@adamwaggenspack7156]

Spirit Island is the game that got me into solo games as well. It is still my favorite game, and I have been having a great time with the Jagged Earth expansion since it arrived.

[@BoardGameCo]

I need to play jagged Earth, I haven't yet.

[@adamwaggenspack7156]

@@BoardGameCo Definitely, the new Spirits are all so different, and the new adversaries also really change things up. It is also one of my wife's favorites, so it was easy to get to the table, and I got it organized and played several times the week it arrived. At this point I have played all but one of the Spirits at least once, so I am slightly less obsessed with playing it.

[@michaelrogerson6939]

If you have a bit of self control, Facebook Marketplace has quite a number of used games for sale which are all cheaper than new and don't have shipping costs if they're local. Of course, you do need to ensure that all pieces are present and that the game doesn't smell like pets or smoke, but you can save quite a bit. It's great for getting games as gifts for newer hobbyists, as they often don't have the modern classics.

[@alisasgrotto]

Could you possibly make a video on your decision process for choosing which unplayed game to get to the table? And maybe what you do once played ( for example do you play it a certain amount of times ) to decide if it’s staying or leaving your collection?? I have quite a few unplayed games and I do get a bit overwhelmed when choosing what to play that sometimes I don’t play any at all. And then once I play one i tend to want to play it a few times. If I don’t then It goes back on the shelf for awhile and by the next time I decide to play it( if that ever comes around ) I’ve forgotten how to play it!! I’m trying to do better about playing each game a handful of times to help me decide if it needs to be in my collection. I’m hoping this also helps me to remember the rules and gameplay better. At the end of the day, I just have too many games! Which I realize and have and continue to downsize by selling and trading the ones I don’t play..... but I still have a problem 😬😜

[@wsiegel9539]

Part of my daily routine now is to check those stores with "Deal of the Day" sales. Once a month I see something that I have been looking at or is on my short list.... Yes I find keeping a list of wants and waiting until the price is right helps me get the best investment. #4 don't get games you are not going to play right away. I think that is why there is a sudden explosion in smaller two player or Solo games or at least solo required game play. Can't get 4-8 players to the table.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep! Deals of the day are great!

[@malcolmdouglasmichaluk8263]

If you dont keep a list you Will save money on any wants you forget

[@RocketMagnetUK]

Its easy to get carried away but like most other hobbies setting yourself a monthly budget that you either spend or carry over allows guilt free spending IME. So what if you make a bad choice that month? the pressure of wasting more money than you can afford has been removed so you can just relax and have more fun overall. Then selling and trading games on top of your baseline is then simply a bonus towards your monthly budget and feels like free money you can use to just buy those nice additions/expansions to games you like or just take the occasional guilt free punt on something you may have never tried etc.

[@BoardGameCo]

A budget is a solid idea....for myself I would just break it :(

[@bledsoebaneminis2487]

Koa used to do the kickstarters you could still late pledge once a week and he stopped doing it. Leaving a gap. I appreciated your video yesterday.

[@BoardGameCo]

That's good to know. It's something on my radar, I just need a better system for tracking it.

[@abelkok2391]

No worries at all... about the self promoting of Boardgame.co We will LOVE to support. :)

[@BoardGameCo]

Thank you!

[@jwspiker]

I live by #5, and have thrifted a large % of my games, probably over 60% of mine were via thrift/local bulk buys. I'd add that, to add a rule of what % off your threshold is, i have categories of 50% off and 75% of or more.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep :) Thrifting, deals, holiday sales etc.

[@Mepper.]

The whole reason for Kickstarter exclusives and early birds is to convince you pay now instead of waiting and thinking about it... A couple times per year CoolStuffInc has a 10% off everything sale. I keep wishlists so that I can take advantage of those opportunities when they come up.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yup, and that's why KS has been an exception...but also why I focus on whether a game will hold its value.

[@derekbowen5820]

Barrage and Trickerion are both excellent heavy euros. I'd definitely make time for Anachrony first, but it's worth giving each a play at least to figure out which (if not all) you want to make time for. Not getting the latest "hotness" is the toughest thing to do. Early on, it's easy to be sucked into that trap because you there is so much "good" and you don't have much or any, and you haven't separate the "good" from the "great" yet. But later, it's still a trap because designer XYZ or publisher has developed a track record of games that are great to you, so why wouldn't their next game be just as good (maybe better)? I feel like this is the most dangerous because like playing poorly in Texas Hold'em, you can get rewarded for making this mistake enough to continue doing it.

[@BoardGameCo]

100%. That's why (until KZbin) I specifically was behind the curve most of the time.

[@msa4998]

#1 and #5 are the rules I live and die by in board gaming. I rarely buy new games. I buy/trade them for 50-75% price when they lose their "hotness" with BoardGameCo being a prime place I use (among others).

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks! And yes, despite owning a game store...75% of the games I get are used even though I can buy them at distributor pricing.

[@bestatstartrek6695]

I just subscribed and think this is a great channel and I look forward to watching so E of the reviews we’ve done. I was really intrigued by your isle of cats purge since I was wanting to get it. Just bought pinball 4 Cade today. What are your thoughts on search for Planet X

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks! I haven't yet played Planet X, on my radar.

[@bestatstartrek6695]

Have you played watergate

[@alexedev]

The only game I backed recently is the 7th citadel because I really loved their previous game. Thought about late pledging HEL but decided to skip it (your video helped to make the decision as well).

[@BoardGameCo]

Nice :)

[@dav1dgear]

I say buy used games should have it's own category and not be group together with wait for sale/deals. Also another good way to save money, get game at auction. It can sometimes be very cheap. I got brand new first to fight and heroes wanted for only 25$ each

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes, auctions are great too :)

[@christianbank393]

Good list. I naturally came to all these conclusions myself after many years of buying board games. I could have probably saved a lot of time and money if a video like this existed when I was first getting into the hobby! The other way I have saved a lot of money is trying to find board game flea markets either at local FLGS's or conventions.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep :) The fun part is that many who gravitate to my content are likely doing much of this already.

[@yogibbear]

I feel like this is a trap... Save money by subscribing to Alex and waiting for that suave song to woo me into another kickstarter? Where do I sign up!

[@BoardGameCo]

Maybe....

[@Nozdormu1982]

@@BoardGameCo :'( I failed.

[@BoardGameCo]

@@Nozdormu1982 Lol, I noticed and thought of you right away!

[@mGARANDEUR1]

Keep a small space in your house for games. When it gets full, it forces you to sell less played games to make room for new ones.

[@BoardGameCo]

All I saw was "keep a small house for your games" :)

[@2532robh1]

What drives me crazy though is when things go out of print and then you can't get them later without paying a higher price.

[@BoardGameCo]

That does suck...but the alternative is buying everything just in case....you lose more money that way.

[@EstXire]

Yeah, looking at you FFGs Battlestar Galactica.

[@ElGrandoCaymano]

I think Vassel's Law usually applies. We'd thought Fury of Dracula and Pillars of the Earth would never see a reprint and even VG's Pacific War is now on GMT's P500. However Discworld, Upfront! and Forbidden Stars are not likely to ever return. Chaos of the Old World?

[@Pr3senc3]

@@ElGrandoCaymano Discworld has been reimplemented as Nanty Narking (last year I think)

[@joearmonic]

Awesome tips! I hope I can follow them to save more or at least to have less than needed on my shelf, thanks!

[@BoardGameCo]

Glad it was helpful :)

[@GameBrigade]

This is a great topic for people. It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of hype. Cheers Alex.

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks :)

[@ReeceCaruso]

Great suggestions! This is such an important topic to be discussing! I really enjoyed the video!

[@BoardGameCo]

Thank you!

[@CTHenry]

Great list. Keep it up. As a teacher of economics, I really appreciate your videos.

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks!

[@monomundo]

Thank you Alex for the advices and all the information.

[@BoardGameCo]

Anytime!

[@nmsilvayt]

Thank you! This is sooooo helpful! Thank you for the links & discussion about monetizing your games ehen not playing them. Especially enjoyed link fot deals.

[@BoardGameCo]

Anytime!

[@siriactuallysara]

The best way used to be wait for the local Barnes and nobles to put the games on half off and sometimes 75% off. But the pandemic ended this sadly. The store is closed now.

[@maxwellschultz4784]

And the more we find out about this thing, the more pissed we become.

[@BoardGameCo]

Aw that sucks :(

[@Dwarfurious]

I've only recently gotten into boardgaming in the last month and am probably $1000 deep between half a dozen kickstarters and half a dozen boards bought, coming from PC gaming its nice to have a physical item i can resell in the future if need be. But i think i should invest in a shelf to put them on and a table to play them on, until then i'm probably paying the most attention to you and Dicetower when looking for recommendations and im this close too getting Too Many Bones...

[@reinaldogomezlarenas5872]

I don't always agree with you but... these are really good counsels. For example, I have backed Darkest.dungeon, and then played the video game, wich was so complex and so hard that I'm hesitating. On the other hand, I've backed Freedom five and know that I won't regret: I like Defenders of the realm core mechanisms and I love Sentinels of the Multiverse. I mean, I'm one of the most crazy fans of the sentinels games. I know that I will play that game, and I know that I want all of these premium stuff and that I won't regret spending 200 bucks on all that stuff. I mean, my heart says yes. For darkest dungeon, my heart says "I don't know".

[@BoardGameCo]

I hope you enjoy it! And thanks!

[@nmsilvayt]

Also, what about sell & trade for kid's games? My kids are outgrowing their games. And sites or recommendations? Again thanks so much for this video. It helped frame my mindsight when I needed it! You're great!

[@BoardGameCo]

What kind of kids games? Some haba stuff and the like trade really well.

[@nmsilvayt]

@@BoardGameCo @BoardGameCo My current list is: 1) Space Race (Ravensburg) 2) Cat & Mouse (Ravensburg) 3) Rivers, Roads & Rails (Ravensburger) 4) Gravity Maze (ThinkFun) 5) Laser Maze (Think Fun) 6) Rummikub 7) Trivial Pursuit 20th Anniversary Edition. 8) Mickey Mouse & Clubhouse Surprise Slides 9) Monopoly Despicable Me 10) Trouble Despicable Me Our basic plan is to play one game at a time with the kids. If they love it, we keep it. If not, we sell, trade, or even donate. But I'd love to hear what clearing strategy you recommend for your kids' games. I just don't know if there are other options in which to sell or trade. I found OfferUp, Ebay & a local Facebook page. Any suggestions are so appreciated. I looked on your site, but don't see a kids' game section for purchasing new or used kids' games. While I appreciate you not promoting your business excessively, there might be others like me that would like to know how to use your site to help with clearing. And after your video, I realized that buying & selling used kids games would probably be helpful for us. We are a family w 2 kids aged 14 & 6. I just bought Deadly Doodles. That game fit for all of us! But now I'm thinking that maybe I could've found or traded for a used copy of it. And I'm finding more in KS, but that's a whole other story. I like your concept of being responsible financially, spacially & perhaps emotionally for our game purchases. And agree that looking at potential resale value is so important. For my family, going through the kids' games is best first. Next will be the grown-up games (of which we have a lot!). Hopefully, that will make more room for the KS games when they arrive. I'm a new follower, so any guidance to your website is appreciated greatly :)

[@harrox]

Great video! I’m very much into kickstarters and I needed this video lol.

[@BoardGameCo]

Glad it was helpful!

[@verathomsen2124]

Some great tips! You did some great videos with tips to follow when collecting board games a few months ago, and one tip that really stuck with me is keeping lists! I find that it helps me a lot with FOMO and needing to by a new game right away - and therefore it helps me saving money...;) I usually put a game I'm potentially interested in on my list together with the lowest price I can find it for (I use boardgameprices.com to compare!), and when I check for deals I compare prices with that list! And if I'm not interested anymore a few months done the lane I just take it off...:)

[@BoardGameCo]

Nice :)

[@Cuzco20]

One Eyed Jaques is my FLGS! Happy to hear them getting a shoutout

[@BoardGameCo]

They were a huge part of my start in the hobby :)

[@SergioHernandez-wz3jj]

Also, I have Joan of Arc sitting on my shelf. Will probably never play it, but I don’t want to sell it because it’s half painted and I’m afraid to lose money, also shipping may be a beast! How do you deal with that?

[@JonoNZBoardGamer]

Are those a few solo games behind you on your 'leaving' shelf? Onirim, Friday and Coffee Roaster + others? If I am seeing it correctly :P

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol I do wonder if occasionally that will happen. While that's usually my leaving shelf...and specifically a tease of upcoming stuff, sometimes other stuff temporarily rest on that shelf....those were just switching shelves.

[@JonoNZBoardGamer]

Haha, damn... I was hoping to be able to buy coffee roaster off you :) I can't find it anywhere here in New Zealand...

[@jakub_hricov]

I do everything you said since the beginning. Great advices!

[@BoardGameCo]

Good choices!

[@jonathanw3199]

I started keeping track of how many hours I played a game vs the money spent and noticed a trend on what games really were worth it money wise, and have started to highly prioritized games that fit in that category. This has really slowed down my purchases and am finding the ones I do get played enough to make it a value.

[@BoardGameCo]

Makes sense, I really need to prioritize one shot games over campaigns that don't get played.

[@jonathanw3199]

BoardGameCo funny thing is for me with nearly all my gaming groups suspended those big campaign games are getting played a lot while games that shine with 3 or 4 are not at all

[@malcolmdouglasmichaluk8263]

What are your top 10?

[@jonathanw3199]

@@malcolmdouglasmichaluk8263 Mine ?

[@malcolmdouglasmichaluk8263]

@@jonathanw3199 yeah your BEST Bang for buck

[@brett232]

I seem to have been, backing things straight away, adding everything to my cart, then I come back the next day and cancel it all, then see if I come back later

[@BoardGameCo]

Seems reasonable :)

[@biznesstime83]

I'm a little torn. I had managed to stay away from KS for a little while and show restrain, until I listened to the quackalope podcast where you guys talked about FrostPunk. Now I'm torn do I stop listening to Quackalope or do I risk increasing levels of FOMO.

[@BoardGameCo]

It's a hard choice. Good luck.

[@joshsimons7214]

With feeling that urge to look for new games, in addition to a weekly visit to the comic book store, the money dump has become a habit I’ve nurtured for years. It’s getting too much. Maybe the way I’ve decided to address this is unreal, but I went deep to get everything Arkham Horror: The Card Game for every cycle I found interesting. My hope is to make Arkham the focal point of my hobby spending. Not considering KS games that are still in the fulfillment cycle, unless I’m lying to myself, it’s been pretty successful in killing want of the new and shiny. Plus, I’ve been learning how to sell games through a variety of channels. Limiting what’s coming in and accelerating what’s going out feels way better and more liberating that a stack of unplayed games that guilt me.

[@LeeroyPorkins]

1. Smaller Games, don't focus on Kickstarter Games with 1,000 Minis. 2. Look on Boardgameco. for older games.😉 3. Know your group. I have found that Tile Placement Games are really big with my family.

[@coachace123]

LOL, I "Push myself off the fence" frequently. Unfortunately, I then watch one of your videos telling me why I SHOULD back that particular Kickstarter... So, thanks for the advice? (I usually get the game) 😉

[@BoardGameCo]

Tip 6 was stop watching my videos :)

[@nmsilvayt]

Would you mind talking about what makes a Kickstarter a good deal, a bad deal, an even deal, and an unknown deal? Sometimes I'm on the fence because there aren't that many Stretch Goals. And I don't know what the true retail price point would be. For example, Dungeon Decorators has the MRSP listed as $42. But they are selling Base pkg at $39 + $10 S&H. And my FLGS usually sells $5-10 higher, but has a discount stamp card which entails getting back $10 for every $100 spent. Plus I love supporting them. Love this KS game & don't have anything of that genre. But is it really a deal? The Deluxe has a bit more, but does that make it a deal? And it will take up more shelf space. I'm just using it as an example. If you can do a video on that, in general, (Dungeon Decorators doesn't have to be discussed) ...it would be so helpful! Thanks!

[@BoardGameCo]

I have on my list to do a video on exactly what I look for :)

[@nmsilvayt]

@@BoardGameCo Awesome! Thanks!

[@WernerFernandoOroxonRamirez]

Hello, my name is werner and I'm a boardgame addict, I still have this problem where I buy new games thinking I will play them, forgetting about covid and the lot of restrictions to go play them as usual

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes, Covid has not stopped my buying even though it has changed how I play.

[@specialized2dirtshelly54]

I have to say some games I have been glad I picked them up on pre-order like wingspan and everdell. Both games I have seen $20-$40 over what I paid.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep, there will always be exceptions, but if you live by the exceptions, you'd have to buy everything.

[@G0F15H]

Saw Spirit Island, TM and Blood Rage and thought one of your tips was going to be "Buy the digital edition" (since all 3 of those are on Steam). More and more games are getting digital adaptations and they're usually 1/3 or 1/4 the price of the physical version. They're not all well-executed ports, but some bring so much quality of life improvement that it makes the physical version seem like it was a beta. I can't wait for Root on the Switch. Regretfully, in my case, this tip costs me more money bc I end up owning both versions for a few games that I really like (such as Spirit Island). But it's worth it to me if that accessibility means it gets played vs sits there on the shelf. There's a huge time savings because there's no set-up or tear-down and you can suspend a session with the click of a button and pickup right where you left off. It's a different experience but sometimes for the better bc now that game can be played on the couch with a laptop

[@VaultBoy13]

I've found digital editions to be what kills me buying the physical game. And, if the digital edition comes out later, it'll often result in me liquidating the physical copy.

[@jehudaS]

I agree with you, also I was (until now) never addicted to kickstarter. Therefore another point is more important to me (which is hidden in your points): don’t buy new games so long you have a pile of not-played-now. Otherwise I start collecting boxes on my shelf. So, I have a backlog-list and when I played all then I check what next. With one exception: check if games run out of sale. I already missed some which are now no longer available anymore - even not second-hand. And not every game get another print… PS. Nice to see another orthodox jew with that hobby. Seems to me that we’re not so much.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep on all counts :-) And yeah, we're definitely around :-) but also a very small subset.

[@StrangerrDanger]

Step 1) Blacklist Awaken Realms from your browser. You will immediately save money.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep. And quit gaming. Both solid choices.

[@snowren24]

Probably not a popular opinion with a board game media creator, but the more I watch gaming content, listen to gaming podcasts and look at gaming facebook groups, the more games I buy.

[@BoardGameCo]

I know....tip #6 was stop being involved in the hobby :)

[@malcolmdouglasmichaluk8263]

For me sometimes just hearing about games is enough instead of buying haha

[@laurenwoode1046]

Great advice Alex!

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks :)

[@Diabolik771]

I've never backed Kickstarter. I don't feel I've missed anything. I ignore hotness, play the games I own and a few years later I may find a copy on Ebay. I do have a few rare ones somehow I got cheap (Macao, Valor of the Guards for Advanced Squad Leader, L2 version of Bitter Woods).

[@marek7696]

Hi Alex and greetings from Poland. My group shares the costs of KS, since we'll play the games together. We're co-owning the games.

[@BoardGameCo]

That's a great one! Didn't even think of it as I end up being the main game provider in my group.

[@finalattack]

Great suggestions. I wont buy a new game if I have a game on the shelf that i havent played a few times.

[@BoardGameCo]

Oh wow, I wish I was that good :)

[@FlinkerSebi]

Yes, that's really good advice I generally follow too!! But talk kickstarter exclusives... (buy now or unaffordable later) I know that the exclusives generally won't push your game from good to excellent because they are often cosmetics or expansions that add more of the same but nothing really new but... yeah fomo... I'm super happy that I could buy the Deluxe Upgrade for Trickerion later (who cares about the bags) or for Scythe, after I fell in love with these games without paying crazy prices secondhand (e.g. cmon games). And that Stonemaier won't do exclusives again (as he stated in one of his blogs). :)

[@malcolmdouglasmichaluk8263]

Usually fomo isn't worth it if the game is good the base should be good enough and expansions should only be tried after a ton of plays.

[@jeanborrero]

Good tips. Thanks!

[@BoardGameCo]

Anytime!

[@pauljones2261]

Surely the best way is to befriend someone like you and just play their games? Free gaming Yay!

[@BoardGameCo]

100%. Ask my friends, it works.

[@davidsolyom5604]

My friend gave my a very sage advice: If you want a new game, then get one of your old game and read the rules again in detail.

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol nice

[@uzaygemisi1716]

Hi, what is your opinion about Black Angel ?

[@BoardGameCo]

That I should really really play my copy :)

[@Magicman1625]

I made a waitlist on my Amazon and check it once a week to see how far the price has dropped since they show you by percentage how much the price lowered. Once they are a good price and I know I will introduce to my gaming group that month then its purchase time.👍😁👍

[@Noname6589]

How to save money? Never buy anything on amazon. You get everything cheaper from other online stores or little shops. Counts for everything. Today I checked 8 articles on last Prime Day, could have bought everysingle one cheaper on other shopsites.

[@Magicman1625]

I have never found any game I've bought beat Amazon's price unless it was used or missing pieces. When I look at other sites or stores they are either retail or include crazy shipping prices.

[@Noname6589]

@@Magicman1625 maybe it is different for Germany, but here I find everything cheaper elsewhere. I only use amazon if I need somerhing really quick. Haven't bought anything there between 2010 and 2017. Doesn't matter if it is a computer, TV, mobilphone, boardgame, everything. And it is always new stuff, unopend and complete.

[@lukaswernig9721]

Great video, as always. but i have a question: I am always trying to sell or trade games. through bgg or an Austrian website where you can sell second hand stuff. now, Austria is a pretty small country, so the market is already significantly smaller. long story short, I have been sitting on numerous games i have been trying to get rid of for years. trading and selling to other countries is harder because of the increased shipping cost. dont get me wrong, i am not trying to get rich by selling these games, but i also dont want to give them away for free (almost) when people in other countries want to "talk" about shipping/lowering the price of the game....most of the time it feels like I would be giving away the a 40-50€ game for like 10€ when others want me to take over the cost of shipping. recently, i was able to dump of 11 games to a bar in town, also for less than i could have gotten in the open market when sold seperately or so, but 11 games fewer on my shelves was a deal good enough for me as well. so....what to do?

[@BoardGameCo]

Sadly I don't have any easy answers as I don't know the international market well :( no one wants to buy games used in Austria?

[@lukaswernig9721]

@@BoardGameCo well, as i said, small market. people do buy used games but i have been sitting on good games with more than reasonable offers for months and years, for example the others...

[@theodorerichter8540]

With reason #2, I am still on the fence of 7th Citadel. I just have no clue if I will play it

[@nipzie]

As an owner of 7th continent classic edition, hold off and the classic edition is nothing to sneeze at, just less blingy. Still a massive game with almost all gameplay elements included or easily available

[@theodorerichter8540]

@@nipzie I own 7th continent with What Goes Up, Must Come Down. Still have yet to play it, which is why I have the hesitation

[@BoardGameCo]

Yep, 7th Citadel retail will be fine.

[@IonutDgiony]

You are awesome Alex. Aaaawesomeeee

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks :)

[@cardflopper3307]

planning a purchase on spreadsheet or writing it down feels like a "pseudo" commitment which can satisfy that initial impulse. Often I come back to the list and think _"wow i have no desire for that anymore"_ and thankfully remove it from my list.

[@BoardGameCo]

100% agreed!

[@Gwendor19]

Hey Alex, you got your treasure trove box :-) how is it? And will you do a vid about TMB and why you like it 😉

[@BoardGameCo]

At some point yes, love that game.

[@Gwendor19]

@@BoardGameCo maybe when we are nearing the Burncycle KS launch date 😇, good 5 tips btw. Selling in the Netherlands is always tricky because us Dutch a cheap people so it is in our genes to want deals. Generally i am planning to sell my games at conventions (when they come back “fingers crossed” !

[@pauljones2261]

I have games in skink for 5 years + I must be a collector. Darn!

[@BoardGameCo]

Shrink for 5 years 100% means a collector.

[@lotterwinner6474]

I am guilty many times over for buying games that I have no plans to play right away.

[@BoardGameCo]

Same....I just always pledge to do better.

[@boristuga]

Hehe, ordered Blood Rage in a dinged up box from a brittish retailer at reduced price just the other day! :)

[@BoardGameCo]

Good choices... Good choices.

[@rysiuvg6168]

Tip #3 - joined a FB group, sold some games, but a couple months later turns out I bought more than what I sold. It's a trap!

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol good point it's all a trap when you think about it

[@chase9044]

My big thing was buying non gameplay extras, I've saved a lot of money just by not doing that.

[@BoardGameCo]

It's a great tip....and one I don't follow myself :)

[@chuckm1961]

That was really fun. Somebody told me to say that.

[@BoardGameCo]

Oh boy...who told you

[@chuckm1961]

@@BoardGameCo Some bearded guy talking in a monotone voice. Claimed to know a lot about boardgames.

[@cinnabarsin4288]

Step 1: Stop buying any games Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit (by still having dozens, if not hundreds, of games you've already bought available to play) Meanwhile I bought 13 games and 2 expansions from Target's sale competing with Prime Day... At least it got me to cancel some marginal KS pledges.

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol nice :)