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Are Old Board Games Worth Anything? The Honest Answer

By Josh Eldred · New Mexico Literacy Project · · Last verified October 2026

Most are not. Tabletop gaming has had a real revival, and that has people hoping the closet stack is a windfall. Usually it is not: the typical box of inherited games is mass-market classics in average condition, and a whole stack of those is more common than people expect. You don't have to sort them first: the whole box can be donated exactly as it is. I take games and puzzles along with books here in Albuquerque, and this is the honest rundown I give people: why most games are common, and what to do with the stack.

The short version: I take board games and puzzles free across the Albuquerque metro, any quantity, any condition, no sorting, complete or missing pieces, and I sort every box by hand. Text 505-250-3804 or use the free pickup form.

Fastest way to clear them: the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, a covered box outside the gate, by the road, takes whatever fits, any hour. Books and media in any condition are fine; keep soaking-wet books out of the box and text 505-250-3804 for a pickup. Too much for the box? Come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., when someone is there to help unload, or get on a free pickup route. Directions.

The hard truth about the stack in the closet

Board games have been a household staple for generations, and the biggest names were made in staggering numbers: Monopoly, the Game of Life, Sorry, Scrabble, Clue, Trouble, Candy Land, and the endless wall of common jigsaw puzzles. Those are common everywhere, and a common title in the average played condition most household games are in is in thin demand — there is simply a copy in every other closet. Add the very real problem that most of these boxes are missing a few pieces, and a great many old games can’t be sold at all. That is the baseline reality, and going in with it saves you a lot of disappointment.

It also means the worst thing you can do is assume the stack is worthless and dump it — and the worst thing you can do is assume it is a fortune and refuse to part with it. The truth is in between and specific: the games are worth keeping in circulation for families who will actually play them rather than sending them to the landfill.

What to do with them

Donate them free, complete or not. Here is the part that surprises people: you do not have to finish, sort, or check anything first. In the Albuquerque metro I take board games and puzzles free, any quantity, any condition, along with the books, CDs, and DVDs — whether the pieces are all there or not, whether the box is worn or not. Nothing is appraised, and nothing usable is wasted.

What can't be reused is handled responsibly. Complete games go back into circulation for families who want to play them. Parts and pieces from incomplete games help complete other copies, so even a half-empty box has a use. Anything that looks genuinely less common gets set aside at the warehouse and researched before it's listed. Only truly unusable material is recycled. You get the stack out of the closet in one trip, and none of it ends up buried.

More on giving games away: where to donate board games and puzzles in Albuquerque and donating video games and consoles.

Boxes of games to move?

Free pickup across the Albuquerque metro, any quantity, any condition, no sorting. Complete or missing pieces, they all count. Or drop them in the free 24/7 box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, any hour.

Call or Text 505-250-3804

Frequently asked questions

Does NMLP take games with missing pieces?
Yes. I take board games and puzzles free across the Albuquerque metro in any condition — complete or not, missing pieces or not, worn boxes included. Complete games go back into circulation for families who want to play them, parts from incomplete games help complete others, and what can't be reused is handled responsibly. You do not need to sort, check, or finish anything first.
Do I need to check completeness first?
No. Checking completeness helps you understand what you have, but it is not required to donate. I take games and puzzles whether or not the pieces are all there, and every box is sorted by hand at the warehouse.
How do I schedule a free board-game pickup in Albuquerque?
Text or call 505-250-3804 or use the free pickup form. I take board games and puzzles across the Albuquerque metro — any quantity, any condition, no sorting — along with books, CDs, and DVDs, with free pickup and a 24/7 drop box. I sort every box by hand; complete common games go back into circulation; only truly unusable material is recycled.

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Cite This Guide

Eldred, J. (June 2026). Are Old Board Games Worth Anything? The Honest Answer. New Mexico Literacy Project.

https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/what-to-do-with-old-board-games

Content is original research by Josh Eldred. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cite with attribution.

What To Do With… — The Whole Series

Request Your Free Pickup

Got these to clear out? Tell me what you have and where it is. I do the lifting, any condition, no sorting. Tell me your timeline and I’ll do my best to work with it. Texts go straight to my phone at 505-250-3804.

Prefer to drop off? Open 24/7.

The covered box outside the gate, by the road, at 5445 Edith Blvd NE takes books, DVDs, CDs, records, video games and cameras, any hour. Too much for the box? Come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., when someone is there to help unload.

Drop-off details