The idea for this newsletter came from a series of game transactions I had with John Bowman, one of the most prolific and best traders I've run into on eBay. In our email chats, we noted that board wargame collectors and gamers on eBay are really a great group of people that we run into and deal with time and time again as we manage our personal collections and buy and sell games on the service. Then it hit us – why not start an electronic newsletter devoted to our favorite online activity! John started collecting the names and emails addresses of the people he's had the pleasure of dealing with online, and I sent out a "feeler email" to gauge the response to something like this. The response was in a word – incredible! In a few short days, I had received positive emails of interest from more than 50 eBayer wargamers! I originally planned to get this first issue in your hands a few weeks ago, but had to take care of some business and work issues first before finding the time to devote to this. This holiday weekend was the perfect opportunity for me to work on this! The goal of this newsletter is to discuss out-of-print and new board wargames, share ideas on best to utilize the eBay service to buy and sell collectible wargames (i.e. how to describe wargame conditions), to keep an eye on good and bad traders, to track going rates and trends, and more. One thing that is clear is that we can't do this alone, and I was thrilled to see many of your volunteering to help track prices and write articles- we need your help! I also want to make this a true community newsletter – any and all ideas and suggestions would be very much appreciated, and I expect that this newsletter will continually evolve over time. My current goal is to put out a 5-10 page issue every two weeks or so, more or less depending on the activity and interest we generate. One of my first goals will be to move this newsletter from its current Word document format to an HTML web-based format so everyone can read and contribute regardless of computing platform or browser. Game Price Tracking: Every week I'd like to track closing auction prices for "mint" and "punched but excellent" wargames on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis. Over time people can use this as a guide to gauge what they can expect to get for a particular game title before posting it. I realize there are other wargame price guides out there, Mike Boone in particular has an excellent one. However, my experience with these price guides is that they often contain dated information. Additionally, since they track auction prices from conventions and sales prices from the newsgroups, they really aren't a great guide for auction prices on eBay, which is the goal of this section. Here are the closing prices of some collectible wargames that closed during the past week on eBay: SPI Highway to the Reich 2nd MT BK $230.03 SPI War in Europe EX FT $153.51 GDW Avalanche MT ZP $122.00 SPI War Between the States EX FT $105.50 Marshal La Bataille de la Moskova MT ZP $ 76.00 COA Home Before the Leaves Fall MT $ 61.56 SPI Blue & Gray II MT FT $ 50.00 SPI Modern Battles I & II EX FT $ 49.00 The Gamers Thunder at the Crossroads MT $ 49.00 SPI Wellington's Victory FT EX $ 46.00 SPI Operation Typhoon EX BK $ 45.95 SPI Blue & Gray BK MT $ 44.44 SPI Outreach FT MT $ 41.01 GMT June 6th MT $ 37.00 COA Kolin MT $ 34.56 GMT Thunderbolt Apache MT $ 31.00 SPI Battle for Stalingrad (John Hill) MT $ 28.00 SPI Battle of the Nations MT BK $ 26.00 SPI CityFight MT BK $ 24.00 GMT In Their Quiet Fields 1st MT $ 20.50 West End Druid MT $ 18.27 SPI Pea Ridge MT BK $ 16.31 Hist. Sims Manassas EX $ 12.50 Guide: MT – Described as Unpunched and Mint EX - Described as Punched but Excellent FT – Flat Tray Packaging BK – Bookcase style packaging ZP – Ziploack packaging ( ) – No listing – game only has one package style What do people think about expanding this list to include buyer's and seller's eBay handles? A good way to see who is buying and selling what, or too much of an invasion of privacy? My thoughts are that it would nice to find out if certain bidders are only interested in SPI monster games, GDW titles, etc. WAR IN EUROPE Tidbit Recently an unpunched and mint bookcase style War in Europe sold for $535 on eBay. By contacting some of the bidders after auction, I found out that many of these people weren't aware that War in Europe has recently been updated and reprinted by Decision Games, and is available for between $170-250 online or direct from Decision Games web site www.decisiongames.com The new version comes in an odd shaped long box, adds 480 new counters, and updates the counter manifest to allow for more "what if" typical scenarios. The rulesbooks has been updated, as have all of the map and counter graphics. On the downside, the new version has some rules problems which have been addressed in errata, and which will be fixed in an upcoming "Gamer's Guide to War in Europe" that will be released later this year by Decision Games. The new counters are also a tad on the thin size, and many gamers prefer the older style cardboard counters when playing this classic, which may explain the appeal of the older and very collectible bookcase version! Game Description Guidelines (My apologies to those who have seen this before – just trying to fill some first issue space!): Wargame Auctions – A Game Grading Guide Back in the late 1980s, hundreds of veteran board wargamers gathered together on the now defunct GEnie online network. Over the years they played PBEM games, discussed their favorite hobby, worked on new games, and had a very active online auction area. Recently I returned to my board wargaming roots after spending most of the 1990s in the computer gaming world, and was simply floored at all the wargame auction activity on eBay. On any given day, there are over 1,000 old board wargames up for grabs on this leading auction site. Over the course of about two months, I've successfully bought, sold, and traded well over 200 games using eBay's auction service. I highly recommend eBay to any gamer interested in finding great copies of rare and long-lost wargames, or to update and manage their collections. Now, as great as eBay is, there is one problem Given that wargames are being sold on eBay by all sorts of people (including non-gamers cleaning out their children's closets!) the definition of a game's overall condition can be confusing and open to interpretation. With this in mind, I pulled out an old copy of the guidelines I drafted back in 1988, and have started updating them. My goal is to create a structured game grading guide people can refer to when buying or trading old collectible wargames, much like baseball cards, stamps, and coins have their standard grading systems. Being realistic, I don't expect everyone on eBay or other auction sites to automatically begin using this guide. But if enough people do start using it and word of mouth spreads, we'll all benefit. The original guide was the culmination of the work of dozens of GEnie pioneers who contributed to the original document, and its stood of the test of time. Hopefully, this update will be even better than the first one! I consider this a living document and work-in-progress, any and all feedback and input would be greatly appreciated! WHO ARE YOU DEALING WITH? Its important to understand that there are three distinct groups of people auctioning old collectible board wargames online. Each group has a different set of ideas and thoughts regarding what a wargame is, what its worth, and what kind of condition it should be in. One of the first steps to take when bidding on any wargame online is to understand who you are dealing with. More than anything, this one step can prevent many misunderstandings and conflicts. Ask the person questions in email, check their feedback on eBay, and read their game descriptions very carefully. The Collectors: These are people who bid on wargames because of their intrinsic value as highly collectible works of intelligence and art. Each historical board wargame title represents an incredible research, design, and production effort. In order to make a playable yet historically realistic wargame, reams of research has to be done, piles of documentation has to be created, and months of effort has to be expended by designers, testers and producers. Collectors treat board wargames as like rare books, and well they should. Many wargames had print runs in the low thousands, if not hundreds of copies. Factor in their age (most SPI titles are now 20-30 years old), and the rarity of a particular game title becomes a serious issue affecting a wargame's overall value to a Collector. Most Collectors are only interested in wargames that are in the very best condition, and they will pay top dollar for them. They are a finicky bunch – Collector's who are willing to drop upwards of $200+ on an individual monster game title want to know exactly what they are buying. As with any collectible, any imperfections or alterations can have a dramatic impact on a game's value in a Collector's eyes. The Gamers: Gamers buy wargames to play them – pure and simple. While they may also collect games, their primary goal is to acquire games so they can lay them out on a table and recreate a battle either playing solitaire or with a local gaming buddy. (Many Collectors started as Gamers, and may still play an occasional game or two.) Gamers are generally interested in wargames that have been used, but not abused. Most Gamers will not pay top dollar for a mint out-of-print wargame. It's simply not worth it to them because it's far easier to find punched and played copies of the games they want at far lower prices than mint copies at collector prices. Unlike Collectors, Gamers are generally willing to overlook minor flaws and alterations, as long as the game is generally intact and in good condition. One or two missing counters, or minor rules or map notations generally don't bother Gamers as long as the game can be played. In return, Gamers expect a wargame's pricing to be realistic and affordable. The Non-Wargamers: This is a relatively new and small group, I only started running into these people when I started using eBay. These are people who have come across wargames at estate sales, in bookstores, or are cleaning out a son or daughter's closet. Most of the time, these people don't even know what wargames are, and they treat them just like any other board game such as Risk or Monopoly. While there can be bargains to be had with this group, these people are also the ones most likely to misrepresent a game's condition – ask lots of questions of these folks! GAME GRADING GUIDELINES: So what exactly is a "mint condition" wargame? To some people, "mint" means that a game is like new, looks the same way it did 20-30 years old, even if it has a minor production flaw such as an off-center row of counters. To others, this original and minor printing flaw with disqualify the game from the "mint" rating, even though the game was otherwise like new. Finally, some people list "mint" condition games that are "punched and unplayed." While this may seem an odd concept, apparently many wargamers took the time to carefully corner clip their countersheets when they bought their games, but never actually laid the maps flat and played the game. Is this a "mint" condition game? Its because of these widely varying concepts that this Game Grading Guideline was originally created, and here it is! MINT: A game in like-new condition, unpunched and never played. The game's box may show very light wear from storage only. No rips, tears, stains or markings of any kind on any component. The game's original packaging must be complete and intact, this includes the original coversheet for flat box games. Minor production flaws are acceptable if they are original to the game and clearly noted in the description. This is the condition a Collector wants to see the game in. Only games in this condition would bring top dollar at auction. NEAR-MINT: Only one type of game fits this description, a game that would be in MINT condition, except for one minor flaw. As an example, a game may have a few rows of counters punched out to play in introductory scenario. Or the maps were laid flat to examine them. No tears, pinholes, stains, or markings of any kind on any component, a game that would be otherwise perfect. Most Collectors would be happy to acquire a game in this condition. A game at 90-95% of its MINT condition value. EXCELLENT: A game that would be otherwise MINT or NEAR MINT, except that it has been played a one or two times. Some minor wear is allowed, but no rips, tears, or stains or markings can exist on any of the components. No edits, writing, highlighting or coloring anywhere on the rules or map. Must be 100% complete and the original packaging must be in excellent condition. These are games that have been extremely well cared for, even though they may have been played a few times. Still some Collector value, but this is the condition a Gamer would love. 75% of its MINT condition value. VERY GOOD: The next step down from excellent, wargames in this category have been played a few times, but are still well taken care of. Minor rips, tears, or stains are allowed and must be clearly noted. The game shows signs of wear, but nothing that would adversely affect game play. The maps may have some pinholes or small tape tears on the corners, but absolutely no damage to the map area itself. Counters and the game box may show signs of handling wear. Minor dents on the game box or minor cracks on flat box are allowed, but no split corners, the box must be intact. Games in this condition are clearly Gamer's copies with little Collector value. These games can fetch between 25-50% of their MINT condition value. GOOD: Valuable only for gaming purposes. Rips, tears, stains or markings allowed and the game's packaging may be well worn. Some counters or other original components may be missing, but the game still contains everything needed to play it. There may be a couple of substitute counters, a xeroxed copy of the original rulesbook, etc. A game you wouldn't mind tossing in the back of a car. Games in this condition have no Collector value at all, and most Gamers would consider a game in this condition barely acceptable. 10-25% of its MINT condition value. FAIR: A game that's in really bad shape. Played dozens of times, pieces missing, box is trashed. It's dirty and may even smell bad. Enough may be missing to prevent the game from being played and it might only be good for spare parts. A game you wouldn't mind throwing across the room. Games in this condition have almost no value. POOR: You wonder how a game could have ever gotten into this condition. Mere shards of the original game remain, lots of missing components, the box is in tatters and has mold growing on it. A game you wouldn't mind letting your dog play with. Needless to say, this game shouldn't even be listed for auction out of shame. EXCEPTIONS AND NOTATIONS: There will always be exceptions to these guidelines. For instance, how to rate a game that is in excellent condition all around, but those rules have been highlighted? Rate the game as excellent, but CLEARLY note the imperfection in the game description. ALWAYS put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer – how would you rate the game if YOU were shelling out hard earned cash for it? If the game is not truly in like new condition, do not list the game has MINT or NEAR MINT. If the game is worn, say so. If it smells like smoke, let the buyers know. The most critical component of any successful auction is COMMUNICATION. There is no such thing as too much information, there is definitely a problem when a game is simply listed as: "SPI – The Conquerors. Good shape." If you see one of these, buyer beware! The very best way to grade a game is to grade each individual component separately. These components are: Game Box Game Maps Game Rules and Charts Game Counters SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: SPI FLATBOXES: SPI's plastic flat boxes are notorious for falling apart and cracking. In general, it's exceptional to find an SPI flat box that does not have at least one minor crack on the plastic box top. A good test is to shake the flat box side-to-side. If the top falls off, it deserves special mention. The bottoms of SPI's flat box trays can also become unglued. This is a simple fix, just carefully re-glue the bottom, or wrap a few large rubber bands around the entire box. DO NOT staple the bottom back onto tray!! The staples will damage other flat boxes when stacked. DO NOT tape the bottom back on, collector's hate taped flat trays. As with any collectible, most Collectors frown on any type of attempted repair. MAPS: Over the years people have developed a number of methods to make large wargame maps lie flat. By far the best method is to buy a cheap sheet of plexiglass and put on top of the mapboard. Another is to pin the maps down onto some corkboard. The absolute worst thing to do is to tape the maps down – this applies to clear tape, "magic" tape, or masking tape. Tape sticks map boards and will tear them when you try to pull it off. Maps with small pinholes can be listed as excellent, those with stuck tape cannot. ANY damage to a wargame's map boards must be listed in the condition description. GAME COUNTERS: A lot of careful wargamers will use Xacto knives to get counters out of a countersheet. Some also go the extra mile and use a nail-clipper to clip the edges off the counters. Both methods are fine and recommended, especially for newer games with highly detailed counter art. However, if the counters were simply pulled out of the countersheet and some of the counters are ripped or damaged, the game cannot be listed as near mint or excellent. Because most wargamers do careful punch or cut out counters, most counters should be in excellent condition. RULES & CHARTS: These two components will often show the first signs of wear and abuse. Charts are often altered, rules are highlighted, and coffee and beer mug stains are evident. In these cases, the game can no longer be listed as mint or excellent. Nothing will infuriate a Collector more than a game with highlighted rules. Most careful wargamers will make copies of the original rules and charts and work off the copies rather than the originals. MAGAZINES: Magazine ratings follow the same basic guidelines regarding condition, but special attention should be placed on any special inserts the magazine may have. Some magazines had mini-games or scenario sheets inside them that disappear too often. Be very careful to note whether or not those inserts or games still exist when selling magazines. Again, these are only guidelines! Potential problems can be all but eliminated through communication. If everyone follows the guidelines above and the two parties communicate, there is no reason for misunderstandings to exist. If there is ever any doubt as to a game's condition, ASK! Back to The Gauntlet No. 21 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Craig Martelle Publications This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com