My brother-in-law and his wife love board games. He and his wife have a while trove of them, and he brings a whole travel pack with him whenever he comes to visit. Everything from card-based deck builders to strategy and RPG tabletops- they dig it all.
Is there a particularly good place to get him a gift card for board games? I could always do Amazon, but it’d be nice to get him one for a specialized place.
Oh my god, that would be a HELL of a good troll.
Hahaha I too love this, and now I must do it.
I'm sure you can get it for cheap at your nearest thrift store too.
Hahahaa love this.
Chutes and Ladders.
Just give him monopoly bills. Then the gift card to local hobby store :)
Put the real gift in the monopoly game.
All fun and games until your sister actually gives you "Battleships" and there's no "real" gift afterwards (she's getting it back this year out of spite).
His local game store or a new local game store near him. Many of them ship games. And they all need our business.
GameNerdz - Especially with Nerdz Day coming up he will get loads of savings. Plus he can order and place holds until he reaches the free shipping threshold.
When is Nerdz day?
Not sure this year, they haven’t announced it yet, but last year it was in August.
I suggest following the Hot Deals section on BGG. Plus it’s fun when everyone tries to guess the clues.
Where is the Hot deals section on BGG? I just started using the app and can’t find it anywhere.
If you go to Forums - All Forums - Buy, Sell, & Trade click “Hot Deals” to subscribe.
Sorry to your wallet in advance.
Also, check out / subscribe to Flea Market as well. Again, sorry wallet.
Thank you!
Honestly, the best gift is to actually play board games with him. Most board game owners are have lots of games but lack players to play them with
I just had this thought pop up, but a gift of "choose a game you would like" would be interesting.
I know I often select games based on the people playing and there are a few I would love to try but don't think my gaming group would like it.
Where does he live? If he has a large collection, he probably has a FLGS near enough to him.
As others have said a local game store is usually the best bet. If they dont do gift cards or you find out from his wife that he either doesnt like or doesnt find anything he wants from local stores there are some online options as well.
Amazon can work but its not usually the best selection and they dont always take the most care when shipping games (as well as the small risk of counterfeit games) plus this way its guilt free. Has to spend it on his hobbies at one of his favorite stores, cant feel pressured to do things for the family with it.
I've had good experiences with Gamersguildaz. I got a damaged box one time and they replaced it immediately, no questions asked. I was impressed by their customer service. Plus, they have periodic sales.
Look for a local gaming store!! We had an awesome place where we used to live that had an upstairs game shop: All card games (like Magic the Gathering), Tabletop game stuff, "vanilla" board games, and also ones that are insanely cool that you don't hear of! If he has a place that he goes to play his tabletop games, it is most likely a place like this.
I would also ask his spouse if there is a game that he has been eyeing but hasn't bought himself!
A local game store would be the best bet. Another option could be a gc to a local board game cafe so they could have game date nights out of the house.
Does Etsy sell gift cards? That way he can get organizers, upgraded bits and t-shirts.
Gamenerdz is a lot better than Amazon for board games. It generally has better prices, selection, and packaging. The only downside is it takes 75 to get free shipping. I personally do holds on the site until I get up to 75.
I don't know where you live but a gift card for a local game store or a big online presence. In Canada it's 401games or boardgamebliss
Either a Friendly Local Game Store in his area or GameNerdz or Boardlandia.
Do you know if there is a particular game or expansion he has been looking for? Generally, any of the other suggestions here would probably work. However, if you know a little more about his preferences, you may be able to narrow down your selection. For example, if he likes Kickstarter games, the Game Steward is probably what I would be looking at. If he like games that are more mainstream, a Target gift card is nice since they often have sales on board games.
Friend got me a subscription at unboxboardum.com and it was awesome. You get to pick from a pre selected list of games a month and different subscriptions for how many games to get a year.
Loved it
A lot of people have said the friendly local game store, but not all of those have gift cards. If the ones in your brother-in-law's area don't, Barnes & Noble is a great backup option. They have a ton of new and classic games and can help fill any gaps they may have in their collection.
Etsy has a lot of cool things to go along board games - mats, organizers, merch, etc.
Ask his wife, she'll have a better answer than any of us.
Gamenerdz is great.
If you're in the UK, Zatu would be a great shout.
If a local independent doesn't do gift cards, I would go for an Amazon card where you can customise the picture to something boardgamey and give him clear instructions to only use it for that. I stuck at spending money on myself but if people tell me a cash gift is specifically for something, I feel obligated to obey 😅
Does he have his collection up on Board Game Geek? You could look and see if he has any games on his wish list.
As his partner if they know or can figure out his favorite shops. Otherwise, https://gamenerdz.com
I use an online store in Canada called 401games more often than not. Almost always have better prices than amazon and I don't have to feed the beast. They offer digital giftcards, I'm sure most online stores do. Maybe ask his wife where he normally buys he's games
I like Noble Knight a lot. They sell new and used games!
Amazon
Just exclaim, "I hear you like boardgames!" and pull out a copy of Monopoly. See how well he receives it. Then give him the real gift.