By: Blaze Aldrich | April 23, 2024
5 Best Ways To Find Out of Print Board Games
Where Can I Find Out of Print Board Games? That is the golden question! Okay, Sooo you played a remarkable board game, you go on google to search said game, you wait for results aaand Nothing! Or its on eBay where the cost of the board game equates to a 2nd mortgage and your 2nd child which hasn't even been born yet. Lucky for you, I used to delve deep into the darkest parts of the internet to find these rare "Grail" board games. Here are ways to find your beloved board game that were ended by the universe and now are somewhere out in the ether/ blackhole. I have listed these methods from less effective to the most effective.
5. Local Classifieds
Depending on your location, local classifieds could not only help you discover out of print board games, but help you find them for pennies on the dollar. I say location because, In Utah where I am located, modern board games are a huge hobby here. With people selling rare board games or just any games for a reasonable price. In Contrast, other states like Louisiana where I've lived before, board gamers are few and in between. So if you live in one of these types of places, local classifieds may not be a good option. I'd suggest going to the next approach on this list to find out of print board games. Again most states/cities have some type of classifieds forum online that you can do a quick search. In Utah, we have ksl.com. I will leave a link below to the website for those who live in or live nearby Utah.
4. Thrift Stores/ Garage Sales
People go thrifting for all types of reason such as searching for collectibles, gifts, antiques, or BOARD GAMES! Best way to find out of print board games is to explore your local garage sales and even the thrift stores. Once in a while a board game collector will slim down his collection and sell some amazing games for an amazing price compared to online. In thrift stores such as Goodwill or Savers, people donating their board games may not know what they have and may donate an out of print board game worth hundreds. I have found some great deals thrifting once in awhile, but the negative thing about thrifting is its TIME CONSUMING!
3. Facebook Marketplace ( Nationwide Search)
Facebook Marketplace is a classic way to find things on a discount. Facebook Marketplace is a super common way to find used board games, but rarely do you find the exact board game that you are looking for. An amazing strategy to find rare out of print board games is to expand your search on Facebook Nationally! The most successful way to find a particular board game is to change the search range to the max (mobile 250 miles / desktop 500 miles). Then hit up the top 5 largest population dense areas. Doing this may only take you 15 minutes to search the entire U.S. for a specific out of print board game. There are some draw backs from trying to purchase games on Facebook from afar. The first includes paying high shipping costs and the other includes the seller of the game. The individual may not be willing to ship their game or they may think you are a scammer. In the past, I've found most people are genuine and are willing to ship the game for you. Either way, make sure to use Goods & Services when paying them with either PayPal or Venmo. DO NOT USE FRIENDS & FAMILY!
2. Board Game Geek
BoardGameGeek.com is a popular board game website where gamers can interact with other gamers via forums, rate board games, uncover the hottest board games in the community, and most importantly BUY board games from other gamers. Once you're on the main website, click on "Shopping" on top of the website then click "GeekMarket". Then from their you can browse all the board games imaginable. This is an unbelievable quick way to search for out of print board games or just board games in general. In addition, you can list your board games for sell here, but BGG does charge a small fee of 3% which helps support the website. Again, with every method of finding out of print board games there does come negatives. As the buyer you do have to pay for shipping and there are quite a few scammers on the website. I will say though, BGG does a great job of searching those scammers out. Lastly, if a rare or well price game is listed, the board game is usually gone in minutes.
1. Elevated Board Games
ElevatedBoardGames.com based in Lehi, UT is one of the fastest growing online board game stores that specializes in Out of Print Board Games and Newly Released board games. In addition, they will buy your OOP games. Elevated Board Games tries to stock up on the most popular Out of Print Board Games within the community. If there is not a board game in stock, you can either get notified when a OOP game is in stock and be the first to buy it. Moreover, you can reach out to Elevated Board Games and request them to acquire a particular game. Board Gamers earn Victory Points every time they buy games that they can use as discounts for their next purchase. And just to put a cherry on top of everything, FREE SAME DAY SHIPPING. I highly recommend setting up notifications for certain games because once OOP games are restocked they are gone pretty quickly. I would know...I'm the owner :)
Final Thoughts
Was this an article to promote our website elevatedboardgames.com.... sort of but not really. Yes we prefer our fellow gamers to buy board games from us but we also promote other great websites like Board Game Geek. We want to ensure that you have the easiest time finding what you are searching for. We would love to know how you find your rare board games and how you got into the hobby? I will just say one last thing, DON'T BUY YOUR OOP GAMES FROM EBAY$$$! Thank me later. Happy Gaming!
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