Latest math trade: People dumping highly rated games

bgg.activityclub.org/olwlg/viewlist.cgi?listid=196995

It's interesting to see which highly rated games have multiple copies trading in this math trade. I'm seeing a lot of:

Robinson Crusoe
Mage Knight (understandable)
Dead of Winter
BattleLore 2nd edition
Eclipse
Power Grid

I'm fishing with an old, unplayed copy of Steam and a cop of Ars Victor. I'm hoping for someone to make a rookie mistake so I'll trade up, but I'll probably end up with Blue Moon legends or maybe that custom Valor and Victory set.

Yep. Lots of Tragedy Looper floating in there as well.

Oh, and a couple of crazies are putting up their first edition of A Study In Emerald

Here's the top 50 (excluding the Outside of BGG scopes):

Copies - Game
24 "Dominion (2008) rank=31 rating=7.77"
20 "Munchkin (2001) rank=2355 rating=6.01"
20 "Pandemic (2007) rank=44 rating=7.65"
20 "Small World (2009) rank=113 rating=7.41"
19 "Forbidden Island (2010) rank=411 rating=6.9"
19 "Battlestar Galactica (2008) rank=29 rating=7.82"
16 "Smash Up (2012) rank=410 rating=6.98"
16 "Quarriors! (2011) rank=460 rating=6.89"
16 "Viceroy (2014) rank=606 rating=7.36"
16 "Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem (2014) rank=919 rating=7.54"
15 "Machi Koro (2012) rank=422 rating=6.95"
14 "King of Tokyo (2011) rank=122 rating=7.4"
14 "Love Letter (2012) rank=115 rating=7.41"
13 "Agricola (2007) rank=6 rating=8.11"
13 "Race for the Galaxy (2007) rank=24 rating=7.8"
13 "Arkham Horror (2005) rank=142 rating=7.41"
13 "Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Rise of the Runelords – Base Set (2013) rank=121 rating=7.55"
12 "Tiny Epic Kingdoms (2014) rank=680 rating=6.88"
12 "Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game (2014) rank=18 rating=8.05"
12 "Zombies!!! (2001) rank=2747 rating=5.98"
11 "7 Wonders (2010) rank=19 rating=7.87"
11 "Among the Stars (2012) rank=277 rating=7.32"
11 "Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization (2006) rank=4 rating=8.2"
11 "Power Grid (2004) rank=11 rating=7.98"
11 "Flash Point: Fire Rescue (2011) rank=167 rating=7.36"
11 "Lord of the Rings (2000) rank=504 rating=6.81"
11 "The Resistance (2009) rank=87 rating=7.51"
11 "Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition) (2012) rank=37 rating=7.82"
10 "Dungeon Roll (2013) rank=1524 rating=6.23"
10 "Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot (2002) rank=10471 rating=5.56"
10 "Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island (2012) rank=14 rating=8.09"
10 "Summoner Wars: Master Set (2011) rank=60 rating=7.75"
9 "A Game of Thrones: The Card Game (2008) rank=394 rating=7.11"
9 "Terror in Meeple City (2013) rank=406 rating=7.07"
9 "Lords of Waterdeep (2012) rank=28 rating=7.82"
9 "Catan (1995) rank=166 rating=7.34"
9 "Libertalia (2012) rank=218 rating=7.3"
9 "Tragedy Looper (2011) rank=419 rating=7.57"
9 "Puerto Rico (2002) rank=5 rating=8.14"
9 "Diplomacy (1959) rank=366 rating=7.09"
9 "Spyfall (2014) rank=314 rating=7.4"
9 "Thunderstone (2009) rank=351 rating=7.07"
9 "Noblemen (2012) rank=969 rating=7.1"
9 "Space Hulk: Death Angel – The Card Game (2010) rank=424 rating=6.97"
9 "Caverna: The Cave Farmers (2013) rank=3 rating=8.28"
9 "Android: Netrunner (2012) rank=7 rating=8.16"
9 "Mice and Mystics (2012) rank=110 rating=7.59"
9 "Sheriff of Nottingham (2014) rank=123 rating=7.58"
8 "Hanabi (2010) rank=150 rating=7.34"
8 "Nations (2013) rank=43 rating=7.86"

I was unfamiliar with <i> A Study in Emerald,</a> but it looks like a new edition is coming out, so maybe they're trying to cash in. I was also completely unfamiliar with Tragedy Looper--I thought it was some rehash of Looping' Loo-ey.

If I had a copy of first edition A Study In Emerald, there's no way I would dump it for this next edition. I know lots of people are praising the streamlining, accessibility, and "cleaner" art but... for god's sake this is based on a Sherlock case, written by Gaiman, set in the Cthulhu mythos. It's supposed to be an intriguing train wreck with tentacles, not a squeaky clean simplified game with art nouveau.

Anyway, I've been interested in checking out Tragedy Looper since reading Charlie Theel's review awhile back:

www.2d6.org/2014/09/tragedy-looper-a-written-review/

I think some people might simply have played the game out, which seems likely unless you eventually seek out more scenarios online.

What makes me laugh is what people rate highly, more than the fact that they're being offloaded.

Thanks for linking my review Paul.

It's an oddball game that I think people want to like but some people will hate. It's a little obtuse and can be difficult for the Mastermind who needs to bring it to keep the difficulty high.

I'm not sure it's a game that will be talked about in 5 years due to the difficulties in learning/facilitating.

Like Mage Knight and Robinson Crusoe, I think it's a game that many people loved and gave rave reviews, but it's one that won't appeal to everyone. I think many people buy on good worth of mouth without doing additional research and end up disappointed.

Also, from a pure market standpoint, the new "improved" Study in Emerald edition pretty much ensures that it will be a unique printing of that version. Do the math on that---what happens to older, quirky games that will never be reprinted (in this case because there is a redesigned version)?

In some cases, those offloading highly rated games may be in the minority in not liking them, or may be unaware that the new edition is substantially different ( to the point where IMO that it shouldn't even be called A Study in Emerald ) . Or, they have limited funds and can't own more than X games. Hell, some members on this site practice a monk like adherence to a policy of only owning a small number of games.

That said, I'd think you'd get more return on selling ASiE versus a math trade.

Also, the new edition sounds like they've totally stripped out what made it interesting.