Big Ass Math Trade @ BGG, Subm. ends Friday

boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/211616/bct-le...-shipping-math-trade

Just wanted to tell you all about this - there's a LOT of good shit in this one. Scythe, X-Wing lot, bunch of other stuff.

I did the one that preceded this one. This one is the leftovers one. I got zero trades. Just looking at the list of things people offered for my items was pretty perplexing. $20 for Galaxy Defenders plus all the expansions. Nobody wanted a Runebound 2E. People trading stuff were also pretty perplexing to me. I wanted Millennium Blades from one guy. It didn't trade, so I sent him a PM asking him if he wanted anything from me. He said he didn't want to ship MB because it was so heavy. WTF?!?! I swear these math trades get shittier every time.

Yeah, if every person involved is looking for a deal on the level of some leftover clearance game for a hot 80 dollar game, the utility is reduced.

My take on these trades is they are the absolute best way to get out of print games for a relatively reasonable gift certificate $$$ size but they aren't good for game swapping.

Varys wrote: I did the one that preceded this one. This one is the leftovers one. I got zero trades. Just looking at the list of things people offered for my items was pretty perplexing. $20 for Galaxy Defenders plus all the expansions. Nobody wanted a Runebound 2E. People trading stuff were also pretty perplexing to me. I wanted Millennium Blades from one guy. It didn't trade, so I sent him a PM asking him if he wanted anything from me. He said he didn't want to ship MB because it was so heavy. WTF?!?! I swear these math trades get shittier every time.

For what it's worth, I got like seven trades on the F:AT one, or something like that, but I remember (as does my wallet) the last BGG trade I did I got 9 trades, many of which were me getting rid of shelf toads and getting some decent games back for the paltry 10$ shipping I offered. This one is rougher, because you're footing the continental US shipping bill. I'm trying to take some stuff we never play, some of whichis in demand, and turn it into some gold.

My F:AT trade was amazing. I got Space Hulk for like a handful of dice or something, and a rare Heroscape expansion, primarily because you guys are super generous.

Also because people here who participate in math trades here actually want to trade something and aren't just looking at the two prices and trying to come out with a greater estimated value.

I fucking abhor those types.

People just seem to be stuck with this idea that the value of their game should never degrade.

Actually, yes, it should, especially in the condition that I've received most of these things. Trade that shit down and stop gumming up the math trade. I understand being selective when you're sitting on something out of print or rare or whatever, but most of this stuff is basic last-season stuff that you either want to get rid of or you don't. There isn't some happy medium where you get your precious $50 value back and more on a trade for something you really want.

But whatever. It looks like BGG users will continue to use these things as giant slot machines, praying that someone fucks up their OLWLG grid and triggers an amazing trade chain. Keep dreaming.

How are you supposed to browse 85 pages of games? I'm not about to click through that many times to see if there's anything I want.

Also, I hate how wanted ad views have ruined any chance of getting "view all" buttons on forums and websites.

Use the OLWLG software. It automatically flags shit on your want list so you can easily navigate the 10,000 items.

Also - one note about math trades that you guys might never have thought of: If you do a math trade, chances are you just want to dump some shit. Not all, but some. So, I click "Titles Only" and look for shit I want. Then I find who's selling it by clicking on the item number. Then I go to their Wishlist and see if they're a match for something I have; it allows me to be more selective (I can view their trade histories and see if they've gotten negged for sending beat up stuff, etc) and if there's 3 copies of something I want in the trade, and more than one has something on the wish list that I have, I can choose the closest to save on shipping.

Another thing about values - perception is easily manipulated. If you contact a trader who is relatively close, and the items are ~50$ or more, you can always offer to pay shipping on both ends. I've "traded up" a fair amount by offering shipping on both sides, so I'm out 20$, but I get a 70$ game for a 40$ one, and the guy on the other end is happy because he didn't have to spend a dime.

Disgustipater wrote: How are you supposed to browse 85 pages of games? I'm not about to click through that many times to see if there's anything I want.

You can switch it to "Title Only" view, which turns it from an unalphabetized, 85 page mess into an unalphabetized, 10 page mess. I have no idea why there isn't an option to sort by game name so I can't be bothered with it beyond a casual perusal. Maybe that's a feature available to patrons only. /sarcasm

SebastianBludd wrote:

Disgustipater wrote: How are you supposed to browse 85 pages of games? I'm not about to click through that many times to see if there's anything I want.

You can switch it to "Title Only" view, which turns it from an unalphabetized, 85 page mess into an unalphabetized, 10 page mess. I have no idea why there isn't an option to sort by game name so I can't be bothered with it beyond a casual perusal. Maybe that's a feature available to patrons only. /sarcasm

I just sort by ranking and look for the good stuff, and keep an eye out for anything highlighted to reflect my wants. The cost of shipping has kind of killed math trading, unless (as someone mantioned) you fish for games using gift certificates.

I've started running trades locally, and I always tell people that they are better if your objective is to move your games, rather than to game the system and get the best stuff possible. BGG trades can have a lot of that kind of stuff sometimes.

SuperflyTNT wrote: Use the OLWLG software. It automatically flags shit on your want list so you can easily navigate the 10,000 items.

I don't know what that is, and even if I did, I don't really keep up with my actual collection list, let alone a want list. I want to browse to see if there's anything I hadn't considered before. The Titles Only thing helps, but I doubt I'll have time before tonight. Meh.

I did not get any trades, but here is one that stuck out:

hestiansun : (1 trades of 28, 3%) DULUTH, GA, USA [top]
-- 1. gives "Galaxy Trucker (2500)" to utahckh (1322)
++ 1. receives "Alt Name: $100 Gift Coin and $25 Gift Box for Geek Chic (1498)" from neomalkin GOOSE CREEK, SC, USA (246.7 miles)[/i]