One point I forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog about the Cult of the New: buying board games after they are no longer “hot” can save you money. They’ll usually be discounted if you wait a while (of course, you risk the price going even higher thanks to good ol’ supply and demand). Better still, wait long enough and you’ll be able to find them on the secondary market.

I love buying used games. My bank account certainly does and it’s always a treat getting last year’s hot title at this year’s bargain price. Games like the ones pictured above: the total retail price is several hundred dollars (the copy of Escape has five expansions inside of it) and I managed to score all six for $70. I still haven’t gotten Nexus Ops, Steampunk Rally, and Pingo Pingo to the table yet, but I’ve gotten my money’s worth from the others.

The Strategicon conventions in Los Angeles are excellent places for finding deals. Like other gaming conventions, each event has a flea market (and math trade) where gamers can unload wanted stock and buy or trade for new games. I’ve been able to build my collection at a fraction of what I’d pay in brick-and-mortar or online stores. I might not have the latest and greatest on the tabletop, but my collection gets a ton of bang for the bucks I’ve paid.