Damaged boxes of board games

The ‘Damaged Boxes’ category is aimed at all board game enthusiasts who wish to expand their collection whilst saving money. These are products whose outer packaging has sustained knocks, scratches or minor scuffs during transport, import or storage. Despite the aesthetic imperfections of the boxes, all the games are brand new, unused and contain the full set of original game components.

Buying these games makes perfect sense for anyone who isn’t put off by the game’s external appearance and who values the content – or the gaming experience – above all else. These games offer the same fun, rules and components as standard copies, but at a more affordable price.

What to look out for when choosing a game with a damaged box

When buying games from this category, it is advisable to take a few key factors into account, as the selection is often limited to individual, one-off items:

• Extent of damage: Check the photograph of the damage to assess whether it is merely a minor cosmetic blemish or a larger dent in the cardboard.

• Purpose of the purchase: If you’re buying the game for yourself or for family get-togethers, a damaged box is completely irrelevant. However, if you’re looking for a birthday or festive gift, it might be better to choose an undamaged item, unless the recipient doesn’t care much about the appearance of the packaging.

• Stock and availability: As these items are limited to specific damaged copies from the warehouse, stock levels change rapidly. If you spot a game you’ve wanted for a long time, don’t wait too long to buy it.

Sustainability and waste prevention

Choosing games with damaged packaging is not only a sensible financial decision, but also a sustainable choice. By buying such products, we prevent fully functional, high-quality board games from ending up in the bin simply because of a cosmetic flaw on the box. In doing so, we reduce the amount of packaging sent to landfill and encourage responsible handling of goods in shops.