Monday 25 November 2013

A Quandary

One of the benefits of doing voluntary work at a charity warehouse is the amazing variety of 'stuff' that comes in from all kinds of people. We get all kinds of board games, and these must all be checked for missing pieces, if incomplete, the game is recycled. I try to make sure useful pieces come my way, but this isn't often. Recently I managed to pick up a complete IKEA slatted blind which will make many bases for my small scale cavalry, but a couple of weeks ago I turned up to be told that a donation of games material had arrived and would I look at it.

It looked as though a retailer had had a clear out, among about 30 large boxes were many containing brand new jigsaws (no need to count the pieces) and expensive chess/mah jong/ backgammon sets (one of which retailed at £120) and childrens board games (Ludo/snakes and ladders/mousetrap/etc.), but also many games and books relating to the Dungeons and Dragons ethos, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and so forth. As well as two boxes full of Fantasy miniatures from the likes of Reaper. I just wish I had the time to sort through them, but persuaded the manager that e-bay was the place for them. They will be appearing over the next few weeks, I assume. Already some of the books have gone on, and I believe enquiries have come from as far as the other side of the Ocean.

Among the debris were three large boxes of miscellaneous clutter. Games pieces, poker chips, and many, many dice (die?).




These photos show only about half of the stuff, as there's another box full. I rescued these, having paid a miserly £10, which included a complete counter display rack of model paints and brushes!! rather than have them disappear into landfill.

The problem is, there are far too many bits for me to ever find a use for, so how do I dispose of them? Current possibilities are -
a) put them into 'job lots' and sell them on the hospice's behalf through e-bay.
b) offer them to the local wargames clubs.

Can anyone suggest something else that is fairly straitforward, relatively easy, and won't cost a packet. I pass the problem to your collective minds in the surety that you'll come up with something.

ps. I'm keepin the paints to myself, especially now the UK mail services are restricting the postage on these.

5 comments:

  1. Wow! Nothing like this comes into our charity shop!

    Splitting into eBay lots seems the best route to me. Do post the hospices' eBay page here, so we can all join in!

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  3. Just so long as it all goes to a good home. That last box I find intriguing. I'm sure all sorts of projects would be possible with its contents.

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  4. I've managed to persuade the powers that be to let me slit the stuff into bagged lots of assorted pieces in order for the e-bay dept. to sell them off over a period, probably after Christmas. If anyone wants to see the other stuff, find the e-bay shop for St. Elizabeth Hospice, Suffolk, and check them out.

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