I Solemnly Pledge (with exceptions)

I own over 430 board and card games.

Although to at least one person who reads this blog my collection is pitifully small, it can safely be said that my collection is vast compared to the number of games owned by 99.99% of Americans. I acquire several dozen new games each year.

As I collected these games over the past 25 years or so, I used to manage to play the new games as I acquired them. Since the size of my collection has more than doubled over the last five years, however, I have fallen behind and now have a rather large stack of games I own but have never played; keeping in mind that I played over 400 games in 2005 and will likely surpass that this year.

This must stop! I would really like to play all my games at least once. Plus, my game room is getting short on storage space. So, I make the following pledge.

In 2007, I will not casually acquire new games.

Okay, I admit this is a rather mild pledge. What it means is that I will not buy games just to own them. I will strive only to buy games that I've played and really want. I won't pad out a game order just to add to my collection. In short, I will become more discriminate about the games I do buy.

Here are the exceptions:

1. There are several hard to find games I've been trying to acquire for some time: Capitol, Die Handler, Ave Caesar, Ca$h & Guns, Roborally Grand Prix, and a few others. If I have the chance to get these games, I will.
2. If there is an unusual, one-time only, exceptional deal, like the recent Fantasy Flight blowout where they offered almost their entire line for $5 a game, I may buy.

That's all there is to it. I won't put in orders to get the latest and greatest game of the moment before I've had a chance to play it. I won't buy games at conventions on a whim.

When I used to buy single games at a time, every purchase I made was special. There was a huge anticipation and excitement upon opening the box, reading the rules and preparing the game to play. I still feel that excitement, but it loses something when I'm opening up a dozen new games at a time. I want to appreciate my games more.

I'll let you know how it goes.