If like me, you love to play board games, then you probably have quite a few in the house. Board games are great fun to play with friends and family, perfect screen-free sociable entertainment, but some can be very expensive, especially limited edition ones, and need looking after. I have quite a large, and growing, board game collection (that includes tabletop games and card games), some that I enjoy playing more than others and my favourite is my Monopoly Nostalgic in its wooden box. It doesn’t matter how many board games that you own, you want to keep them in the best condition that you can so they can be played with and enjoyed for years to come. But how do you protect and store your board games properly so that you have easy accessibility so you can still play them whilst keeping them in tiptop condition? Here are some tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the years.
- Keep your games away from sunlight, heat, and moisture. Sunlight can fade the colours on the boxes and the game components. Heat from sunlight and radiators can warp the cardboard, and moisture can cause mold and mildew. Ideally, you need to store your games in a cool, dry, and dark place, such as a cupboard or a shelf out of direct sunlight.
- Store square boxes vertically to protect them. Storing square boxes vertically rather than horizontally stacking them will help prevent the boxes from getting damaged by too much weight on them and squashing the boxes.
- Use plastic bags or containers to store your game pieces. This will help prevent them from getting lost, damaged, or mixed up with other games. You can use ziplock bags, small plastic boxes, or even pill organisers to sort and store your game pieces. Make sure to label them with the name of the game and the number of pieces inside. Board game boxes generally are large enough to enable you to do this.
- Use card sleeves to protect your cards. Cards are one of the most vulnerable parts of a board game, as they can get bent, torn, stained, or marked. To prevent this, you can use card sleeves to cover your cards and protect them from wear and tear. Card sleeves come in different sizes and colours, so you can find the ones that fit your cards and match your game theme.
- Use playing card deck boxes to protect decks of cards. These durable boxes will not only help protect cards from damage caused by dust, dirt, moisture or tears (ripping nor crying) but will also keep the cards together and help prevent you from losing any.
- Use foam inserts or organisers to keep your game box tidy. Some games come with foam inserts or organisers that help you arrange your game components inside the box. These are great for keeping your game box neat and preventing the components from shifting or rattling during transport. If your game doesn’t come with an insert or organiser, you can buy them online or make one yourself using foam core or cardboard.
- Make use of rubber / elastic bands to secure your game box lid. Sometimes, the game box lid can be loose or flimsy, and it can open easily during transport or storage. This can cause your game components to spill out or get damaged. To prevent this, you can use rubber bands or elastic bands to wrap around your game box and keep the lid closed. Just make sure not to wrap them too tightly or leave them on for too long, as they can damage the box over time.
- If you are storing unused games, especially for a long period of time, use plastic wrap or shrink wrap to seal your game box. If you want to add an extra layer of protection to your game box, you can use plastic wrap or shrink wrap to seal it completely. This will prevent dust, dirt, insects, or moisture from getting inside your game box and damaging your game components. You can use a hair dryer or a heat gun to shrink the wrap around your game box and make it fit snugly.
- Use plastic bins or boxes to store multiple games together. If you have a lot of board games, you might want to store them in larger containers that can hold multiple games together. This will save space and make it easier to transport or move your games around. You can use plastic bins or boxes that are sturdy, stackable, and transparent, so you can see what games are inside. You can also label them with the names of the games or the categories they belong to.
- Move the boxes around occasionally. Reorganise your board boxes in the cupboard or on the shelf to check for moisture and dust. Wipe / dust the boxes as you go. This will help protect against sun and moisture damage, or boxes sticking together and tearing when moved.
Storing your board game collection is not just about having somewhere to put them when not in use. It is also about protecting your investment, having easy accessibility and keeping them in great condition so that you, your family and future generations can enjoy them for years to come.
These are some of the ways that I store and protect my board games. I hope you find them useful and that they help you enjoy your board games for a long time. Happy gaming!
If you have any other tips for storing and protect your board games, please let me know by leaving a comment below.