REDUCE, REUSE, REPLAY: THE HIDDEN TREASURE OF GAME THRIFTING INT

With almost 3,000 new tabletop games released every year, it's easy to get a little fear of missing out (FOMO).

- AnnaMaria Jackson-Phelps

It's also easy to watch your bank balance take a dip after buying several new games at a convention, or when backing four or five hot new releases on crowdfunding sites. With all these new games, there are also numerous discussions in the industry around the environmental cost of producing, shipping, storing, and acquiring games.

So, how do we achieve a personal and community balance between cool, new achievements in game design and art, and one's commitment to the planet, while maintaining a positive account balance? Thrifting might be part of that answer.

Why Thrift?

Thrifting in general has been a mainstay of household budgets for decades, but recent trends have pushed it to the forefront of everything from high fashion to interior design. Gamers in the community are taking those thrifting skills to the game shelves for several reasons. For Joe and Abby from The Haus of Meeple, it’s the thrill of the hunt. “It’s like a treasure hunt that never ends!”

Anitra Smith from The Family Gamers uses her local thrift shop to supplement her kids’ game shelves. “It’s especially painful to spend full price on a kids’ game and find out my kids hate it. But if I get it used, I can consider that we ‘rented’ it for a few dollars to try it. When my kids were younger, it also meant I didn’t feel bad about them losing or breaking pieces.”

For many, the idea of keeping something usable in circulation is significant. When asked about her motivation, Granite Game Summit organizer Kimberly Revia is quick to highlight the environmental benefits of buying secondhand. “Giving an item new life and, hopefully, prolonging its usability is important to me,” she explains. “We live in a world of constant churn, consumption, and trash creation, so I like trying to counter that for myself where I can.”

Where to Start Thrifting?