Board Game Yard Sale
How giving a second life to used games is helping a good cause
The Harrisburg Board Game Alliance is holding the third annual Board Game Yard Sale on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 12-3 pm. The Yard Sale serves as a fundraiser to help keep Board Game Day free for everyone.
Back up, what’s the Harrisburg Board Game Alliance?
I serve as the Vice President of the Harrisburg Board Game Alliance. It’s a non-profit dedicated to spreading the board gaming hobby in the Harrisburg region. You can learn more at our the HBG Alliance website.
Our biggest event is our annual Harrisburg Board Game Day, which is held every summer. It’s a free event for everyone to enjoy some new games, try to win some free prizes, meet new people, and experience Harrisburg.
So what does that have to do with a yard sale?
Well, at the Yard Sale, there are going to be over 20 different vendors selling their used board games so that they can live another life. The Alliance will also have a table filled with games that have been donated to us. So all the money we raise goes towards things like rent, insurance, and supplies for Board Game Day. That’s how we can keep it free for people to attend, by covering all the costs through the yard sale.
What’s expected at the yard sale?
Each vendor is just a regular gamer with too many games on their shelves. I anticipate there will be hundreds of games for sale, and usually at a very good price.
We have early access tickets for only $6 that you can buy to get in early. This will let you view and purchase games an hour earlier than general admission. Update: Early access tickets sold out!
In the past, we’ve had all sorts of games. Everything from piles of Avalon Hill war games to mass market party games to copies of Kickstarter exclusives.
Anything else special?
Yes! The Bodhana Group, another local game-related non-profit, will be there selling games. They have an extensive library for sale, and all proceeds will benefit the use of gaming in therapy.
The Alliance will also have a special “Made in Harrisburg” section that features new games from local designers. That’s where I’ll be stationed most of the day, so stop by and say hello.
Made in Harrisburg
I suggested the table to the HBG Alliance Board because I wanted to work on an idea I had to promote our local designers and help introduce them to the gaming community. I had heard about the great success that Designed in the DMV had as a promotional tool for designers in the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia region. It’s a collective of game designers helping one another make and sell games. I’d love to capture the spirit of that and apply it to our region.
I’m not sure how successful this first year will be. This is more a way to dip my toe in the water and get some designers used to the idea of helping one another. I will certainly report back on what happens.
Take my money!
We’d love to. Join us at the Harrisburg Board Game Yard Sale on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 12-3 pm. If you bought the early access ticket, you can get in at 11 am.
Let me know what you think about this event and whether you have any questions. Hope to see you there.