Are Old Board Games Worth Anything? The Honest Answer
By Josh Eldred · New Mexico Literacy Project · · Last verified June 2026
A minority are genuinely less common; most are not — and the difference is knowable in a few minutes. 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. But the less-common titles are real, and they do hide in ordinary closets, so it is worth a quick sort before you decide. I take games and puzzles along with books here in Albuquerque, and this is the honest rundown I give people: which games are less common, why completeness matters so much, and what to do with the rest.
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 will flag anything genuinely less-common before it goes anywhere. Text 702-496-4214 or use the free pickup form.
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: a handful of titles in the stack may be genuinely less common, and the rest are worth keeping in circulation for families who will actually play them rather than sending them to the landfill.
What actually makes a board game less common
A few things, in roughly this order of importance:
Completeness, above all. A game is only a game if you can play it. All the pieces, all the cards and tokens, the rules sheet, and an intact box — that is what separates a usable game from a parts box. A complete copy in a clean box stands in a different league from one missing key pieces, which is the main reason most stacks underperform hopes: the common stuff is everywhere, and so much of it is incomplete.
Out-of-print and hobby titles. The interest is concentrated in out-of-print or limited designer, strategy, and hobby games — the kind that were never printed in mass-market numbers in the first place. A title you do not recognize, from a smaller maker, is far more likely to be the less-common kind than the household name that sat on every shelf.
Edition and condition. A specific early or limited edition in complete, clean condition stands apart from a worn later reissue of the same game. Crisp box corners, no water damage, intact components, and an unbroken factory seal all matter to anyone who wants the game for play or for a collection.
The followed lines. Sealed games, collector-followed series, and Kickstarter or crowdfunding exclusives are the corner where genuine interest sits. These are the games worth pulling out and looking at carefully rather than lumping with the stack.
How to tell, in a few minutes
You do not need to be an expert to triage a stack. First, check completeness — open the boxes and confirm the pieces, cards, and rules are there and the box is intact; a complete game in a clean box is the kind worth a second look. Second, separate the staples from the hobby titles — set the Monopolys, Lifes, Sorrys, and common puzzles aside from anything that looks like a smaller-print designer or strategy game. Third, note the edition and box — flag anything sealed, on a collector-followed line, or that just looks out of the ordinary, and remember that age alone does not equal demand. The small pile that survives all three filters is the one worth having looked at properly before it goes anywhere; the rest is a common stack.
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.
Everything stays out of the landfill. 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 I pull and flag for you first. Only truly unusable material is recycled. You get the stack out of the closet in one trip, and none of it ends up buried.
Boxes of games to move?
Free pickup across the Albuquerque metro, any quantity, any condition, no sorting. Complete or missing pieces — I'll flag anything less-common before it goes anywhere.
Call or Text 702-496-4214Frequently asked questions
Are old board games worth anything?
Does NMLP take games with missing pieces?
Do I need to check completeness first?
How do I schedule a free board-game pickup in Albuquerque?
Related on this site
- Are old video games worth anything? — the honest answer for the other big game stack, and why they donate well.
- Are old vinyl records worth anything? — same straight talk for the record box in the closet.
- Donate to the New Mexico Literacy Project — books, games, media, and more; one free pickup.
- Free Book & Media Pickup — Albuquerque — books, games, puzzles, vinyl, CDs, DVDs, one free pickup.
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.