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  • Essays
  • Christmas Spirit - Giving Games Away

Christmas Spirit - Giving Games Away

O Updated
(Photo by Ben White on Unsplash)
There Will Be Games

It is the time of cheer and joy - and giving: Christmas. Of course, for many of us it's about receiving gifts, but there is also a lot of joy to be gotten from giving. If you think Christmas has become over-commercialized, then it's especially important that you give a gift - and I don't mean buying someone something, but giving away what you've already got. I'm talking about giving away some of your board games to spread the joy of our hobby to others.

I totally understand that this isn't something everyone can do. However, if you're in the lucky position of owning more board games than you actually play, then go through your collection and decide which ones you definitely need to keep, maybe for sentimental reasons or because you still play the game, and which ones you could give away. It might seem hard, but I can assure you that it will feel amazing when you're done and know that someone else will enjoy your game.

You then have to decide how you want to gift your games and you have several options. There is still time to drop your game to your local supermarket, many of which collect games to be given to charities who will distribute them as Christmas presents to families in need. We used to give away a game when we attended the family Christmas service in our local church, but even though that's not going to happen this year, it's still worth checking with your church if they accept donations to be given away as Christmas presents.

Local community clubs also often accept game donations, but do check with them to make sure they can accept your gift at the current time, or if you need to take extra steps to ensure they can accept it. Sometimes libraries also gladly accept board game donations, but again you need to check with them first to make sure they are able to take donations.

Children's hospitals are also usually open to board game donations, either to be used as presents for children in their care or to be put into the general pool of games to be played in the hospital itself. Again, do check with them first to make sure what you have to do to ensure they can accept your gift.

You can also donate your board games to a charity shop of course, so someone else can buy them at a much more affordable price and you support the work of the charity as a whole. That might not feel quite as rewarding as giving your games away for free, but it's still a very worthy cause and many charities need extra support in the current climate.

If you want to look closer to home, you can give some of your games to neighbours, friends or family of course. Just make sure you pair the right game with the right people, which isn't always easy of course, but when you succeed, you will have given a personal gift to someone close to you and spread the hobby further.

Lastly, you could sell your games and donate the profits to charity. That will take quite a lot of effort and time, but it will be extra rewarding when you deposit the money into the charity's account. Make sure people know that the sale is for charity and offer the option to pay more than the asking price, because people tend to be more generous when something is for a good cause.

I'm sure there are other ways in which you can spread some Christmas joy with your board games. Have you done something similar? Have you got some other ideas? How does it feel when you give your games away? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you.

There Will Be Games
Oliver Kinne
Oliver Kinne (He/Him)
Associate Writer

Oliver Kinne aims to publish two new articles every week on his blog, Tabletop Games Blog, and also release both in podcast form. He reviews board games and writes about tabletop games related topics.

Oliver is also the co-host of the Tabletop Inquisition podcast, which releases a new episode every three to four weeks and tackles different issues facing board games, the people who play them and maybe their industry.

Articles by Oliver Kinne

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Gary Sax's Avatar
Gary Sax replied the topic: #317439 22 Dec 2020 11:57
Another good practical reason to gives games is that with the shipping costs for individuals of the late 2010s, it's barely worth the money to sell games unless they're local anyway.
Michael Barnes's Avatar
Michael Barnes replied the topic: #317440 22 Dec 2020 11:58
One of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in games is when we did the big donation to Egleston Children’s Hospital here as a part of our Secret Satan holiday thing. We collected a mountain of games from our readers and members here and it was awesome wheeling then for the hospital to use. All the cynicism and disappointment I have toward board gaming just melted away thinking that a kid that needed some cheering up or way to pass time during a long hospital stay might pick up a copy of Blokus or Survive or Loopin’ Chewie that we have and make new friends around it. Back when I had my store, I gave away a lot of games to a few different organizations and charities- it feels good. Better than blowing $200 on a Kickstarter.
southernman's Avatar
southernman replied the topic: #317449 22 Dec 2020 16:22
Or you could give money to charities all year round and buy yourself a $200 kickstarter, many ways to help in life.