My Experience Buying Board Games on Wish

I joined Wish.com just over a year and a half ago after seeing so many good deals on games and other items that looked too good to pass up. So far, the board games on Wish that I’ve bought are Five Crowns, Exploding Kittens, Spot It Camping, Saboteur and Cover Your Assets.

Finding Board Games on Wish.com

First, when you search for board games on Wish.com you can get some pretty interesting items in the results. Tarot cards are very big on the site; the sear amount of listings will surprise you. You can also get listings for things like steering wheel covers, ball caps and things that you’re not really sure what it is. Since I’ve started shopping at Wish, the range of games has grown. There is an ebb and flow to the games. Sometimes there is a bigger section and sometimes there seems to only be a handful of games—and tarot cards, there’s always lots of them.

As I mentioned in the opening, I have been able to find some current games—Exploding Kittens, Spot It. They have games like Splendor, Carcassonne and Cards Against Humanity. On the other hand they have games that I’ve never heard of such as Cows Grilling Hamburgers, Monogamy, Chez Geek, and Kaker Laken Poker. Maybe it’s just me but I’ve never heard of these. Of course, it could be a chance to try something new but with some of them, you wonder what you’re buying.

Pricing for Board Games on Wish

First, I want to point out that as a Canadian, the prices that I mention are in Canadian dollars. I know that board games are less expensive in the US but my experience is in Canada. I can assume that the margins between Wish.com and Amazon.com are similar to what they are for Amazon.ca.

Also, note that prices change quickly and the prices I mention are for the time that the post is published.

The game pricing on Wish vary greatly. There are games there that are priced well under what you would get on Amazon. Spot It is one. You can get a Spot It game for $9 CAD on Wish. On Amazon, the same Spot It game is $20CAD. I believe that the Camping Spot It that I bought was only $6.00.

However, some games are more pricey. I have seen board games on Wish that are well over $100. Take Splendor for example. The original game is listed for around the $40 mark, not bad compared to the Amazon.ca price of almost $60. But the Marvel edition of Splendor on Wish is listed for $150 dollars.

As with most things, there is a great fluxuation. If a game is listed for $22 today, it might be listed for more or less in a week’s or months’ time. Also, Wish is a marketplace that has lots of different people often selling the same or similar items. It is best to shop around and see other listings. Be sure to read all of the description and details to make sure you’re getting all of the information you need.

Shipping

Another item to consider when looking at board games on Wish is the shipping price. Unlike other online retailers, each seller on Wish charges shipping for each item. Shipping is usually less than what we expect to see here in North America.

However, I have yet to find a shop that bundles shipping costs or gives shipping discounts or free shipping of any kind. Similar to the actual game price, each seller also has different shipping prices. This means that a game that is more expensive might cost you less if that seller has better shipping.

Although the shipping prices are lower than we expect, they can add up quickly. $3 here and $4 there with a $7 shipping fee here quickly becomes $14 cost on top of what the items cost you. Shipping is a consideration for sure.

The Quality of Board Games on Wish

Now we get to the biggest question that most people have. If you buy board games on Wish, what kind of quality do you get?

This is an important question for sure. After all, what good is saving money on a  game just to have it fall part after only playing it twice?

The answer is must like all the other things I’ve mentioned. It really varies greatly.

For Spot It, I was very surprised to find that the cards came in shrink wrap with no box or package at all. (They now live in a Ziploc baggie.) The cards are also a lot thinner and smaller than the original game. The size isn’t a problem for us, but as our Spot It games tend to be quite competitive, the thinness poses a problem. We quickly stated that we had to be more careful with this game than we would usually be.

For Five Crowns, the cards are of good quality but the box could be a little tougher. Of course, I chose the cardboard box over the metal tin so I’m sure that the tin would hold up better.

Now for Exploding Kittens, we have actually bought two games from Wish. We gave one copy as a gift. We bought them at different times and I’m going to guess different sellers (I don’t pay attention to who the seller is). I will say that the copy that we kept is what you would expect if we had bought it anywhere else. What is interesting is that the other copy came in a different box. They looked the same on the site so we were surprised when they showed up different. I haven’t heard anything from the person we gave it to so I’m going to guess that there was no problem with her copy.

As for Cover Your Assets and Saboteur, they are what I would expect to get anywhere else.

I will say this, you do need to read the full description. There is a card game that I’ve been wanting and it showed up on Wish for only $9—much better than the $40 that it was once on Amazon. I was excited and I quickly put it in my favorites. However, as I read the description I found that the cards are at a decreased size and if I wanted the English instructions I had to either scan the QR code or give them my email address. I mean who sells an English game without English instructions? I check back at Amazon and found that for only $3 more (with the shipping costs) I could get the original game. You can imagine what I decided.

One other time I was looking at Splendor at a much less expensive price. But the picture showed a plain brown box. I was cautious. The description said it was a travel version of the game. I hadn’t heard of a travel Splendor before and the plain box…I decided to let that one go. Of course, it might have been just fine. However, I have no regrets of waiting and buying our Splendor copy second hand.

Buying Other Items on Wish

I have bought other stuff other than board games on Wish. We’ve bought crafts items, pillow covers, small kitchen items and some jewelry items among others.  And like everything else, you have to read the descriptions. Everything has met our expectations and has come in on time.

Is it Worth it to Buy Board Games on Wish.com?

This, like all the other answers, is not a straightforward answer.

First, the section of games is not great. However, the sections growing and you could find a diamond in the rough.

Second, you have to do your research. Read the full descriptions, check other retailers, and factor in the shipping costs.

Third, you have to be willing to accept what you get. Sometimes it may not be what you expect.

Will I still look on Wish to find board games? The simple answer is yes. We buy a lot of games and they can get pricey, especially when I want to get a game to review it. So, if you keep your eyes open, do the research and keep your expectations open I would say go ahead and “stroll” the isles for board games on Wish.

Read the Five Crowns review here; Exploding Kittens here; Spot It review here; and the Saboteur review here.

See these games on Amazon for comparison: Five Crowns, Exploding Kittens, Spot It, Saboteur, Cover your Assets. Canadians can look for these games here.