It's actually quite simple to realize value from buying board games at thrift stores and yard sales. I started my eBay business during the dot.com bust of 2000 and was able to sell board games to help pay rent while I searched for a new job. Someone will tell you, I'm sure, that you really need to have an eye for this and that you need to know what you are looking for. That might be true, if you were looking at antique board games, but I'm talking about the family board game that gets chucked in the yard sale pile. You know; the Deluxe Edition of Scrabble or the Master Detective CLUE game. These are the games that will bring you a small profit should you pick them up for a few dollars, and you don't need to be an expert at all. You really just need to start buying a few games and then checking their value on eBay (view completed auctions).
My cut off is $3 bucks for purchasing a game at a yard sale or thrift store. I won't pick up much, if it is over three dollars to start unless I know I can double that in profit. Scrabble is a good example. A normal scrabble board (not deluxe) made after the 70's will probably only get you a few dollars on eBay, so you should be paying very little for this version. I often see the same one at the Thrift Stores from the 80's (Selchow Righter version) that I can catch about $5 to $8 bucks on eBay depending on the market. Occasionally, I get lucky and pick up a Deluxe Edition of Scrabble with the turn-table board that will get $40 or more depending on the age. This is my favorite edition of Scrabble. I really like the turn-table and the embossed board so your letters don't slide off. It's one to grab at the yard sale!
One other area of board games that I have found to be very lucrative has been in the Fantasy or Science Fiction areas. Really, any board game related to Fantasy or Science Fiction is going to do well. Dungeon & Dragons, Lord of the Rings, and other areas in this genre offer lots of different gaming experiences that are often expensive to buy in the first place. Check out the Lord of the Rings RISK game now trading on eBay. It pains me, but I had two of these when it first came out and sold them for $20. They now trade for close to $60. Dark Tower made by Milton Bradley in the early 80's is a classic board game that cost about $25.00 when it came out and now trades for close to $300 for a mint version. Dark Tower mixes fantasy role-play with an electronic tower featuring sounds and lights. It's a fun vintage toy for even a modern family.
So, get out there and start picking up those Board Games. Pretty soon, you too will be a board game nut! Sorry, had to say that. It is the name of my blog. Later!
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