Collected Collections - Why People Buy Board Games

I think for many people the decision as to what...

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I got back into board games in 2007 because of a gift- the Heroscape Master set.

So for the next few years, I bought almost exclusively expansions to that game. Through word of mouth of people that enjoyed Heroscape, which included those on Heroscapers.com and this site eventually, I picked up Descent and expansions, as well as Last Night on Earth, without any expansions. I think I had Settlers of Catan as well, and looked to the BGG top 10 or so to see what was all the rage.

At that time, it was Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, and Power Grid that I picked up after some research, and despite being pretty different than the rest of the collection, I didn't regret any of these purchases.

Because I've pretty much always been on a budget, I've looked to games that have some level of universally high appeal or critical response, and often look to try them out before I buy them. Root was a game that I picked up after it was on nearly everyone's best of lists. Tragedy Looper was a game I picked up just because it had decent reviews and everyone talked about how different it was. In both of these cases, I spent money on expansions that could have gone to other games, because I tend to dive deeper into something than see what's on the other side of the swimming pool.

I buy things I want to play, and that I think I can get played enough to be worth buying. Not much of a system beyond that.

Ah_Pook wrote: I buy things I want to play, and that I think I can get played enough to be worth buying. Not much of a system beyond that.

+1

Thank you for everyone's comments. It's great to hear how you all decide what games to buy.

It sounds like all of you buy games that you know you will play, which is great.

However, @Ah_Pook and @southernman, is your budget limitless? Do you ever get rid of games or do you just keep buying more? Both of these are certainly considerations for me.

I'm with Ah_Pook. I buy games that interest me. If they interest me, chances are they will go over well with my friends. I can't tell you how many times I've had a particular friend say, "Scott, where do you FIND these games?" And he means it in a good way.

I try not to, but I buy games that interest me, that I want to check out the systems and how they work, that I want to tinker with - even if my friends are not going to want to play with them.
I try to avoid doing this, because those games don’t last in my collection, but I have always enjoyed “checking them out” so I give in on occasion.

oliverkinne wrote: ....
However, @Ah_Pook and @southernman, is your budget limitless? Do you ever get rid of games or do you just keep buying more? Both of these are certainly considerations for me.

I doubt anyone has an unlimited budget, even the richest person will not spend all their money - we all have a discretionary budget for entertainment expenditure. I sell stuff regularly - mainly because I know not everything will get played but sometimes because I've played a game out and I know I won't want to play it again, and sometimes just because the game wasn't as good as I thought or I had grown out of it.
I do keep a large collection (just under three figures) as I have a lot of games I like playing, and I don't feel I have to sell all of them just because they won't get played this year - just like book, film and music fans have collections they like to read, watch or listen to later in their lives.

Thank you @southernman.

No, I didn't expect anyone's budget to be truly limitless, but I know at least one person who doesn't seem to think about the cost of the games they buy at all. So I was wondering if you and others do think about that before they buy, or if cost is basically only a secondary consideration.

Many book, film or music collectors have certain criteria for what they buy. For example, only science-fiction books, or only music by certain artists or from a certain era - or maybe just every #1 hit from the charts. Do you curate your collection in a similar way? Do you have criteria?

Sorry, if this seems like some sort of interview. I just find it interesting to hear how people grow their collections and what considerations they have when they buy games.

oliverkinne wrote: Thank you @southernman.

No, I didn't expect anyone's budget to be truly limitless, but I know at least one person who doesn't seem to think about the cost of the games they buy at all. So I was wondering if you and others do think about that before they buy, or if cost is basically only a secondary consideration.

They probably are in a higher income/wealth bracket than you and me so the cost of board games, as opposed to art or classic cars, is well within what they consider their entertainment budget. I have friends on a much lower income than me and thus buy much fewer games than me. In the same vein of my neighbour and his friends who I have social afternoon/evening beers with quite often, one of them has a lower income and more kids than others and therefore limits himself to cheaper beer brands

Many book, film or music collectors have certain criteria for what they buy. For example, only science-fiction books, or only music by certain artists or from a certain era - or maybe just every #1 hit from the charts. Do you curate your collection in a similar way? Do you have criteria?

I buy games I like to play that provide fun to me, just like those other collectors buy items they like to read/listen/watch, in my case these are thematic games rather than euro games. Same for music where I buy what I like to listen to and that may not be all from one genre (my favourite albums include those from Nirvana and The Clash but I also have Beck and Alanis Morissette in my collection.

Thank you again for your reply. It's so good to hear your experiences and thoughts.

I buy games that fascinates me, although sometimes it's for theme also. Battlelore was my first game, and it's really fresh take for a pc gamer like me. The modular set up means it's providing a lot of variability, and I love the streamlined unit types. And then there's Band of Brothers, which totally changes the way I look at man to man combat games with its suppression system. Descent 2nd ed I pick because it's a quite expansive game with 20+ quests, 8 characters & classes for a classic genre I love.

Also, my main interest with board game lies with its limitation. How it does a lot of things with physical component limitation. Therefore modularity and creative use of components are pretty high priority for me. During my first years I had been interested in finding board games of my favorite pc game genres, but stopped since I realized... those are best played on pc. Board game is its own thing. The limitation and physical presence is what makes it interesting.

Of course, they're all have to be playable and finish-able. I mean, I've finished Descent 2nd ed base game campaign 2-3 times. Can't say the same for the folks I know who're playing Gloomhaven. I'm sure it's the superior game in some aspect, but I'd never be able to complete it. Running a campaign is great, but actually completing one is priceless.

I buy games for two audiences. One audience is for my now 20 yr old son and I to play like WoTR, Imperial Assault, Conflict of Heroes series, 1775, Star Wars Rebellion...games that are fun with two people generally.

The second audience is for my gaming group which leans more towards games like Lancaster, Yedo, Great Western Trail, euro games, roll and writes.

I tend to buy more games for my son and I to play then the meetup but that may change once he moves out. (He had better live close by!)

Games have always been a part of my life to some degree -- my Mom had gotten the Enchanted World series from Time Life and at some point Wizard's Quest came along with it (probably through an advert thrown in with the books), and I was hooked. That was probably when I was 7, so about 1985. I loved (and still love) how the orcs frenzy and can just wreak havoc (as well as Peacekeeper foiling many a plan).

For a long time, in the 80s, I was enjoying most fantasy board games. Today, I generally buy games that I think have a unique setting or theme. I generally tend to like games that are off the beaten path as well. The game I am anticipating the most this year is Cosmic Frog -- the kind of weird that is right down my alley.

My approach to gaming is best described as "Mercenary Vampire."

I buy games that:
A) I like
... that also have decent re-sale value

Because with thousands of games being released every other minute, I could probably have fun with plenty of different games. So I concentrate on stuff that tickles my fancy, so I may play them, fondle them, analyze them, marinate in them, and then once all of the gaming marrow has been sucked out of them... I sell them along to the next interested fresh fellow, in order to fund future gaming escapades.

(The exception being a particular series in which I buy e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g for without question & without mercenary tendencies. For me, that game is Mantic's Walking Dead All Out War. Feels like we all have that one uncritical area of concentration that we just say Yes to every time.)