It’s clear from perusing the forums that a lot of people are
still looking to purchase copies of HeroQuest and its expansions. While there
is still a constant supply on eBay, the prices are steadily rising with some of
the rarer expansions reaching unforeseen heights. Good deals are hard to find,
but I’d thought I’d share a few shopping tips for the diligent.
Board Game Geek dot com: This is a popular website for hobby
board game players, and there are several forums, reviews and downloadable files
dedicated to HeroQuest that are worth checking out. There are usually a few
copies for sale on the marketplace located on the page for the game system and occasionally in the related forums which you can subscribe to. These sometimes sell for
considerably less than current eBay prices and I've gotten some very good deals
here on both game systems and expansions. Keep in mind that the expansions each
have their own page, complete with separate forums and a marketplace. This
website also facilitates game trading among members and as of this writing, there are over 400 copies of HeroQuest listed as “for trade”. Granted, many of
these were listed years ago, but it doesn't cost anything to suggest a trade
for something you already own. If you have some desirable board games in your
collection, you can create a profile, list what you have for trade, search for
members that have a copy of HeroQuest to trade who are also looking for
something you have, and suggest a swap. It’s a little tricky to
negotiate the website, but it could be worth the effort.
Shop Goodwill dot com: It doesn't happen that often, but in
the past four months two complete copies of the game system were listed on the Goodwill
Industries auction site that sold for under $50. Don’t expect good pictures.
Local thrift stores: The peek era for used copies of
HeroQuest to show up in thrift stores and second hand shops was about ten years
ago when the kids who bought it new were heading out on their own, but it still
happens, and you could get lucky. There are a couple of thrift stores that I
pass on my way to work and I routinely make quick stops as they seem to have an
ever-changing selection of used board games that usually sell for next to
nothing. So far, I haven’t scored a copy of HeroQuest, but I did get a copy of
Battlemasters for two dollars, as well as some other games that I enjoy. Expect
to see around a billion copies of Trivial Pursuit before you find anything
worthwhile.
Local vintage toy sellers: I've met two individuals that buy
and sell vintage toys and games locally. One has a booth at a huge flea market
while the other advertises on craigslist and the local paper. Both of them have
my name and number and a list of games that I am looking for. No copies of
HeroQuest have turned up yet, but one of them found me a brand new copy of
Lionheart (a medieval themed tactical miniatures game) and they gave me a good deal
on it. They understand that it would be a quick cash sale, with maybe a bit of
haggling as I would not expect to pay eBay prices.
Craigslist: Used Dungeons & Dragons material is listed
all the time on these free online classifieds along with tons of weird stuff,
but it doesn't cost anything to conduct a search and post an “items wanted” ad for
your favorite adventure board game. Since these are strictly local sales, exercise
good judgment when meeting up with a potential seller.
Flea markets and garage sales are possibilities if you enjoy
the treasure hunt experience, but I don’t go out of my way to look here as it’s
very time consuming and the odds are pretty low that you’ll find anything.
Happy hunting, and I hope the copy of HeroQuest you score has unbroken candles
and Barbarian with a straight sword!
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