PG on Ebay

[Hugmenot]

Secondary markets always existed; they just became more accessible with the rise of the internet.

I believe it's safe to say most of us has bought a game, new or used, found out we did not like it for whatever reason and resold it. I've personally bought several games at a good price because I knew I could recover most of my costs if I did not like it, including my first PG game. Over the years, I've probably bought a little more than half my collection from secondary markets and all but a few very still in print. A viewpoint could say that secondary markets cost AVP 40+ sales, mine says that they generated 30+ sales for AVP as otherwise it's unlikely I would ever have purchased any one of their products.

The last two games I bought from secondary markets are Andean Abyss ($25) and Crusade and Revolution ($25). I had only a mild interest in them but I felt I won't lose more than $5 per game if I find out these games are not for me.

I think Mike B's issues were much more with online deep discounters. They purchase games from the manufacturers at 40% of MSRP and can sell them at below GC cost and still make a profit as they operate on volume. One of them that used to carry AVP products is getting out of that model after many years. Just look for the cheapest price for Legion Wargames games and you will figure out which one I mean.

Mike B. might have seen unrealized profits (when the company was in dire financial position) and not seen the long-term effect of the extra exposure. I am not so sure he would answer the same way if the question of secondary markets was brought to him again.