Selling board games you do not play is the half of smart buying that most people skip. Everyone has a system for acquiring games. Almost nobody has a system for letting them go, which is how a shelf that was carefully chosen at $300 becomes a wall of boxes at $1,000 that nobody can find anything on.
This article is part of our Smart Buying series, which opens with how to buy used board games. Think of this as the same market from the other side of the table. Every used game someone buys is a game someone else decided to move, and learning to be that someone keeps your collection alive instead of merely large.
How do you decide which board games to sell?
The hard part is not the selling. It is admitting which games are done. Two signals do most of the work.
Not played in a year
If a game has not hit the table in twelve months, it is not in your rotation. It may still be a good game. It may be a game you loved once. But the cost per play clock has stopped, and every month it sits there it is a candidate for the Shelf of Shame. A game that has not been played in a year and has no scheduled play ahead of it should go on the list.
There are legitimate exceptions: a holiday game, a campaign game your group is between runs of. Keep the exceptions short and name them out loud, because “I might play it someday” is the exception that eats the rule.
Wrong player count for your group
Some games are not bad; they are simply the wrong shape. A game that shines at two does not get played by a group of five. A game that needs six rarely hits the table for a group of three. If the game’s best count does not match the count you actually play at, it will not get played no matter how much you like it. Pass it to someone whose group fits.
Other signs a game is ready to go
- A better game fills the same role. If two gateway games share a shelf and one always wins, the other is redundant.
- A friend in your group owns a copy. Under The One Copy Rule, one of those copies is surplus. Run the second-copy test and move the one that fails it.
- You keep teaching it and it never lands. If the teach is the obstacle, no amount of shelf time will fix it.
- You dread setting it up. That feeling does not improve.
Once a year, go through the shelf and flag anything that fails both tests, then move the flagged games within a month. If your group runs a shelf audit, this is the same exercise with more people in the room.
Trade inside your own play group first
Before you list anything publicly, offer it to your play group.
This is the cheapest, fastest, and least risky way to move a game. No shipping, no fees, no strangers, and if a friend takes it, you can still play it on game night.
It also fits the shared shelf. The group’s collection is one library spread across several homes. Moving a game from your house to a friend’s house does not change the library at all; it just changes who stores it. Moving it out of the group does. So the question to ask the group is not “does anyone want to buy this?” but “does this still belong on our shelf, and if so, whose house should it live at?”
Keep it simple: post the list to the group, let people claim what they want, and settle up however feels fair. Swaps, a loose running tab, or outright gifts all beat a listing fee.
Where to trade and sell board games
If nobody in your group wants it, move it outward in roughly this order.
Local trade and swap groups
Most cities have a board game trade group on a social platform or a community forum. You meet in person, the buyer inspects the box, and there is no shipping. Prices are fair rather than high, but the speed and simplicity are worth it. These groups also run periodic swap meets where you can bring a stack and come home with a different stack.
Math trades
A math trade is an organized event where each participant lists games they want to move and marks which other listed games they would accept in return. Software then finds chains of trades so that everyone gives one game and receives one, with no direct negotiation. Math trades are common at conventions and online, they are free, and they are the best way to turn games you do not play into games you will.
Local game stores
Some hobby stores buy used games outright or take them on consignment. Outright offers are low; consignment gets closer to market price but takes longer and carries a fee. Either way it is zero effort, which has value if you have a lot to move.
Online marketplaces
General marketplaces and hobby-specific trade sites reach the most buyers and get the best prices, especially for out-of-print titles. They also take the most work: photos, descriptions, messages, packing, shipping, and fees. Save these for games worth the effort.
For a mass-market game with little resale value, donating to a thrift store, library, or school is the fastest path, and someone will find it and have a good night.
How to price a used board game
Pricing is the part that stalls most people. Here are the rules of thumb, with all numbers as illustrations.
| Condition | Rough asking price |
|---|---|
| Sealed, never opened | 70 to 85% of current new price |
| Opened, played once or twice, like new | 60 to 70% |
| Played, complete, light wear | 40 to 60% |
| Played, complete, visible box damage | 30 to 45% |
| Missing minor pieces, disclosed | 20 to 35% |
| Out of print, in demand | Whatever the market says |
A few practical notes:
- Price against today’s new price, not the printed one. If the game is routinely discounted new, your used price sits below the discounted number.
- Price to move. The goal is shelf space and a game back in rotation, not the last five dollars. A game listed for three months at the “right” price cost you three months of shelf.
- Bundle the low-value stuff. Three $10 games as a $20 lot will go faster than three listings.
- Check what the game actually sold for recently, not what people are asking. Asking prices are wishes.
How to describe a used game’s condition
The single biggest difference between a smooth sale and a dispute is the description. Write the one you would want to read as a buyer. Cover:
- Completeness. State that you counted against the rulebook’s component list, and name anything missing. “Complete, counted against the rulebook” is the most reassuring sentence in a listing.
- Box. Corner splits, dents, shelf wear, sun fading. Photograph the worst corner.
- Components. Sleeved or not, sleeve condition, any warping, marks, or wear on cards and boards.
- Environment. Smoke-free, pet-free, stored indoors, never exposed to water. If any of those are not true, say so.
- Edition and printing. Which version, and whether any expansions or promos are included.
- Photos. The closed box, the open box with contents visible, and any damage up close.
Overdisclose. A buyer who finds the dented corner on arrival is a refund.
Packing and shipping basics
If you are shipping, treat the game like the fragile thing it is.
- Secure the contents. Fill empty space inside the game box with paper or bubble wrap so components cannot shift. Bag loose pieces. Tape the game box lid shut with painter’s tape or wrap it in plastic so the tape does not pull the finish off.
- Box the box. Never ship a game in its own box. Put it inside a shipping box with at least an inch or two of padding on every side. Crushed corners are the most common shipping complaint and the easiest to prevent.
- Weigh and measure before you quote. Board games are heavier than they look. Get an actual weight and dimensions before you promise a shipping cost.
- Compare carriers. Flat-rate options sometimes win for heavy games; sometimes they lose badly.
- Get tracking, and insure anything out of print or valuable. It protects both sides.
For local trades, none of this applies, which is a good argument for local trades.
Letting go makes the shelf better
The point is not to shrink your collection. It is to keep it moving. A game that lands on a shelf where it gets played is doing its job again, the money or trade you get back funds the next game that fits your group better, and the empty slot is what makes a shelf cap livable.
FAQ
How do I know which board games to sell?
Two signals: the game has not been played in a year with no play scheduled, or its best player count does not match the group you actually play with. Also consider selling when a friend in your group already owns a copy, when a better game fills the same role, or when you have stopped wanting to set it up.
Where is the best place to sell used board games?
Offer them to your own play group first, since there is no shipping and the game stays in your circle. After that, local trade groups and math trades are the easiest and fairest. Online marketplaces reach the most buyers and get the best prices for sought-after titles but take the most effort. Game stores are low effort and low payout.
How much should I sell a used board game for?
A complete, clean, played copy usually sells for about 40 to 60 percent of what the game costs new today. Sealed copies fetch more, damaged or incomplete copies less, and out-of-print games follow their own market. Check recent sold prices rather than asking prices, and price to move so the shelf space comes back quickly.
What is a board game math trade?
A math trade is an organized swap where each participant lists games to give and marks which listed games they would accept in return. Software finds chains so that everyone gives one game and gets one back, with no money and no direct negotiation. They are common at conventions and in online communities and are the most efficient way to churn a collection.
How do you ship a board game safely?
Pad the inside of the game box so components cannot shift, bag loose pieces, and secure the lid. Then put the game inside a larger shipping box with an inch or two of padding on all sides. Weigh and measure before quoting a price, compare carriers, always use tracking, and insure anything valuable or out of print.
More from Smart Buying
- How to Buy Used Board Games Without Getting Burned
- The One Copy Rule: Why Your Play Group Only Needs One Catan
- One In, One Out: Living With a Board Game Shelf Cap
- The Shelf of Shame Has an Infinite Cost Per Hour
- How to Audit Your Group’s Game Shelf (With a Template)
The Smart Buying series continues with convention shopping and shelf caps. Subscribe to The Ludarium newsletter and we will send each new article to your inbox. Never stop playing.
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