I always receive some of the most interesting packed board games. Part of this might stem from my bad experiences with purchasing board games from sellers on Ebay. And the other part of it might be that board game shipping and packing is more of an art than a science. Board games can be large and awkward to pack, and being made of sometimes very fragile cardboard, they are easily damaged. Especially when Grandma’s 75 pound box of deluxe cast iron cookware is being shipped on top of your board game.
What Can You Do To Prevent Shipping Damage to Your Board Games?
If you are planning on purchasing a game from Ebay you are always taking the chance that the seller will try to save money on shipping. That could mean that they will ship your game with nothing protecting it. It also might mean that you receive packing peanuts that smell like cat urine, and bubble wrap smelling like smoke. But for me the worst is to receive the game box wrapped in brown paper. Possibly this would only be trumped by the actual shipping label being stuck directly to the game box (I haven’t had this happen yet…)
Since I sell and collect board games, the condition that they arrive in is very important to me. If you care about condition too, I would suggest sending a message to any seller that you buy board games from, especially people not familiar with the hobby. Over the years I have come up with a simple message that I just copy and paste into my paypal and also direct message sellers. Here it is and you are welcome to use it for yourself.
“Hi, Please make sure to use a sturdy box and plenty of packing around the game. Mark box “FRAGILE”. I am a collector, and the condition the game box arrives in is very important to me. Thank You! -John”
I added the “Hi” and my name to the message last year to make it more friendly after frightening a would be seller, but this is really rare and most people are happy to oblige.
So What if My Board Game Does Arrive Damaged?
I seldom return anything that I receive damaged or not. Maybe this stems from some weird childhood insecurity or because I am afraid many people will stop extending to me the same mercy. That is why I like to start with prevention. Think of sending the message like extra insurance and it will reduce the number of damaged games that you get, and may even brighten up your day with an interesting packed game.
If you do buy anything from Rare Board Games including most of our Fulfillment by Amazon products, you can count on them being packed well. Most of the items we send into Amazon for fulfillment are boxed for protection.
What is some of the craziest or strangest packaging you have gotten with your board games?
How do you feel when your brand new game arrives with a large dent?