📖 Old board games and wargames: identifying the edition and checking completeness

For an old game, value depends above all on the exact edition, completeness and the condition of the box. A game missing a few counters or cards can lose much of its value. This guide applies to board games and wargames, such as Avalon Hill's Storm Over Arnhem, which you have in this category.

1. Record the game's identity

• Note the title, publisher, edition, copyright date, any patent line, rules, board, cards, counters and the full contents.
• Photograph the top and sides of the box, the board opened flat, the instructions, the publisher mark, the copyright line, the pieces, the cards and the inserts.
• The highest values go to rare, early games with striking artwork, complete contents and an intact box.

2. Check that the game is complete

• Start with the instructions: many games list the contents or give the number of cards, counters and pieces. Even without a list, the rules often reveal what should be there.
• Examine the box: illustrations, photos, diagrams and cardboard or moulded plastic inserts sometimes show the place for each piece.
• Consult old catalogues, advertisements, collector references or photos of verified complete copies. Make sure it is the same edition, because contents can change between releases.
• A full box is not necessarily complete: a missing card or counter is easily overlooked among dozens of identical pieces.

3. Beware of replacement pieces

• A game can contain the right number of pieces without containing all its original pieces: generic dice, pawns, marbles, tokens and timers are easy to borrow from other games.
• Missing cards, boxes repaired with tape, water damage, replacement pieces and reproduced instructions usually lower the value.
• Always state in your record any non-original pieces or photocopied rules.

4. A wargame case: Storm Over Arnhem

• Storm Over Arnhem is a two-player wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1981 as a boxed set, about Operation Market Garden. It was designed by Courtney Allen.
• There is also an Avalon Hill "folio" edition, released in 1993 (reference AH 8361), with an unmounted map on gloss paper, a 48-page rulebook and a modified counter sheet. A 1981 boxed edition and a folio edition are therefore not the same object.
• Counter counts vary by source: Avalon Hill's catalogue states 224 counters, and the folio version's BoardGameGeek page cites 260. Count the counters in your copy and compare with the right edition.
• The game comes with counters that are not used in play: do not conclude there are too many.

5. Dating the edition without relying on the box alone

• The box's copyright date can be earlier than the actual edition: for an Avalon Hill copy of Submarine, the box shows 1977 but the rules say "second edition, 1981". Read the rules too.
• Avalon Hill often republished games from other publishers: several titles on Avalon Hill's list carry a note of first publication elsewhere, sometimes years earlier. The date of first publication therefore does not give your copy's date.
• Finally, look at the condition of the box, board and counters: stains, mould, smell, writing, crushed corners and repairs show in photos and should be described.

⚠️ Watch out for

• For counter-based wargames, missing counters generally weigh more than lost rules or a slightly worn board, according to a mainstream press article on old games.
• Prices quoted in articles on old games are indicative: compare completed sales of the same edition, complete and in the same condition.
• I found no reliable source on possible counterfeit board games: the most common risks are reproduced instructions and non-original pieces.

Sources : Wikipédia (Storm Over Arnhem) · BoardGameGeek (Storm Over Arnhem, édition folio de 1993) · BoardGameGeek (Submarine, seconde édition d'Avalon Hill) · Wikipédia (liste des jeux d'Avalon Hill) · Toy Tales (savoir si un jeu ancien est complet) · Appraisily (identifier les jeux de société anciens)

Updated on Oct 6, 2026. These pointers are indicative and do not replace an expert's opinion: for a valuable piece, have it appraised.