Maybe the title of this post should have been, “Too Deluxe Or Not Too Deluxe?” 😀
I purchased two games recently. One cost close to $200 because I sprang for the super deluxe aka “Legendary Edition.” On the other I spent under $40, despite the existence of a $100 upgraded version. Why did I spend so much on one game and not on the other? It wasn’t because of budget. It was about consistency. Continue reading “To Deluxe Or Not To Deluxe, Is That A Question?”
I love a good hunt…finding a game at a resale store that is out of print or otherwise in demand can be a nice shopping rush. 🙂 This weekend I hit a couple of Half Price Books stores that I had not been to in a while, and managed to pick up a couple of fun surprises.
Hostage Negotiator The first game I found that struck my fancy was Hostage Negotiator, which I see gets a decent amount of love from the solo gamer community. I checked on Amazon and a new copy was running about $29. Half Price Books was asking $12.50 for the used copy so it felt like a good price. I picked it up.
Normally HPB tapes their boxes shut to prevent pieces from going missing. I don’t particularly like that because sometimes the tape tears the box when I remove it. Sometimes (if I have time) I will ask them to open the box in the store so I can inventory everything before I buy, but I don’t always do that. On this trip we had several different stops to make so I decided to just wait until I got home to do my inventory.
When I did open up the box after arriving home, I discovered that not only was the game complete and in great condition but it also included Abductor Pack #1, Abductor Pack #2, Abductor Pack #3, Abductor Pack #4 and the Negotiator Pack. Five mini expansions – each generally selling for around $8 on Amazon – all included in the base game box. My price? Only $12.50, and that was before my coupon. Score!
Mice & MysticsThe next game I found was one that I really like: Mice and Mystics. I already have a copy in my collection. Despite that, when I find a game that I know I really like (for a good price) I will often pick it up. Sometimes they end up as gifts to gamer friends, or they might end up as eBay inventory, or sometimes (I did this with Terraforming Mars) I use the second copy for additional parts, like dice or miniatures or something. Amazon has this game priced at $54 right now, and I picked it up for $30. Another surprise waited for me when I got home and opened it up though…once again I had purchased a game that had an expansion already inside the box. Heart of Glorm was included! Not only that, but the previous owner had taken the time to build a foam-core insert to hold the components of both games.
I like making my own foam core inserts; it’s one of many ways this hobby entertains me. I can also appreciate it when someone else makes one, and the person who owned this game previously did a really nice job putting it together.
There were a few other games I picked up on this trip (King’s Forge, Woodlands and Dragonwood) so it was a very productive hunt.
What about you? What’s your favorite / best bargain story from your shopping adventures?
Here we are at the end of the year, and here I am at the end of my BGG Top 100 Games checklist! I wrote a series of posts looking at the Board Game Geek (BGG) top 100 games, checking to see if I had the game in my collection and talking a little bit about each one. Today I finish that list, covering games 10 down to 1.
I have written a series of posts looking at the Board Game Geek (BGG) top 100 games, checking to see if I had the game in my collection and talking a little bit about each one, if I could. At the end of the first eighty games covered I owned 32 for a 40% ownership rate. I also have had four games that I formerly owned but had sold, so they didn’t get counted. Today I will cover games ranked from 20 up to 11.
I have written a series of posts looking at the Board Game Geek (BGG) top 100 games, checking to see if I had the game in my collection and talking a little bit about each one, if I could. At the end of the first seventy games covered I owned 27 for a 39% ownership rate. I also have had four games that I formerly owned but had sold, so they didn’t get counted. Today I will cover games ranked from 30 up to 21.
I have written a series of posts looking at the Board Game Geek (BGG) top 100 games, checking to see if I had the game in my collection and talking a little bit about each one, if I could. At the end of the first sixty games covered I owned 23 for a 38% ownership rate. I also had one game that I formerly owned but had sold, so it didn’t get counted. Today I will cover games ranked from 40 up to 31.
Calico“A puzzly tile-laying game of quilts and cats!”
…and with that introduction we meet Calico, one of the newest (and recent favorite) games in my collection. I happened upon this game completely by accident, and I am very happy that I did! I was going through the pledge manager process (part of a Kickstarter program) for a new Tetris-style (aka polyomino) game called Planet Unknown. As I was completing the final payment, this super-cute game box popped up. It had a cat on the cover along with other beautiful colors. It got my attention! I watched a short “how to play” video. Then I bought the game. Do I like it? Yes! I think it broke the record for most plays within the first week of acquiring the game. Continue reading “First Impression: Calico”
I have written a series of posts looking at the Board Game Geek (BGG) top 100 games, checking to see if I had the game in my collection and talking a little bit about each one, if I could. At the end of the first fifth games covered I owned 19 of them, for a 38% ownership rate. I also had one game that I formerly owned but had sold, so it didn’t get counted. Today I will cover games ranked from 50 up to 41.
I have written a series of posts looking at the Board Game Geek (BGG) top 100 games, checking to see if I had the game in my collection and talking a little bit about each one, if I could. At the end of the first forty games covered I owned 14 of them, for a 35% ownership rate. I also had one game that I formerly owned but had sold, so it didn’t get counted. Today I will cover games ranked from 60 up to 51 and see where the ratio ends up.
I have written a series of posts looking at the Board Game Geek (BGG) top 100 games, checking to see if I had the game in my collection and talking a little bit about each one, if I could. At the end of the first thirty games covered I owned 11 of them, for a 36.9% ownership rate. I also had one game that I formerly owned but had sold, so it didn’t get counted. Today I will cover games ranked from 70 up to 61 and see where the ratio ends up.