I have come across some Avalon Hill board games and am looking for some info on them. I am trying to find out if they are worth anything or not. Any info would be greatly appreciated

Yes, they are worth something, but don't expect to quit your day job  ;-)

Check out ebay and boardgamegeek.com      Most of those have seveal copies for sale, and it'll give you an idea of the price.  I was actually surprised at how low some of the prices were, given the age of them.  However, most of them are fairly modestly rated, and probably have more sentimental value than anything.

I own Third Reich and Blitzkrieg. Third Reich being one of my most played games (probably right below VITP).

Anyway, these games are "classics" from AH's heyday and were probably all among the most popular AH games (at least wargames). AFAIK, there are lots of copies of these still floating around although vg to mint condition ones are probably getting harder and harder to find.

Thanks guys for the info. I wasn't really thinking of selling them ,but I have never seen these types of games before and I am 49 years old and would have been about the right age in the early 70's when they were around. They appear to be complete down to the original score pads being almost full. I don't believe they were played much. I picked them up at a yard sale, $2 for all 6 of them. I have a display in my home where I keep a bunch of antiques I will probably add them to that.

                                           Thanks,

                                                        JD

Originally Posted By JD466US (5 AUG 2012 5:28am)

Thanks guys for the info. I wasn't really thinking of selling them ,but I have never seen these types of games before and I am 49 years old and would have been about the right age in the early 70's when they were around. They appear to be complete down to the original score pads being almost full. I don't believe they were played much. I picked them up at a yard sale, $2 for all 6 of them. I have a display in my home where I keep a bunch of antiques I will probably add them to that.

 

                                           Thanks,

                                                        JD

$2 for those 6 games?! You got the deal of the century

Blitzkrieg was my very first wargame. My Grandmother purchased for me from a 5&10 in the Dallas area when I was 12 or 13 (around 1976/1977).

I got Blitzkrieg after my friend brought home Luftwaffe. We were both avid WWII buffs and this game just looked cool. I doubt that we ever played it properly.

Later, my friend got Afrika Korps and then Third Reich. We played each of those several times.

The cream of the crop was when Squad Leader came out soon after in '77. I've never played Tactics II (which was one of the first AH games that were commercially produced).

The others are correct; those games were as "mass produced" as any in board wargaming history so they are plentiful but they are classics and you just may find yourself enjoying the hobby with a new perspective (the way it was meant to be played

Plenty of good games.  I have recently been building back my collection, including classic games like these, so am somewhat familiar with prices on Boardgamegeek and Ebay.  My guess is they are worth anywhere from $10 - $35 each. 

I also cut my teeth on some of these games when I was a wee lad....(Luftwaffe was my very first wargame). 

But the sad truth is that the state of board gaming has far eclipsed these old titles.  AH was certainly cutting edge at the time these were published, but from a gaming / entertainment standpoint, I think more recent games have an edge on these old fellows, and the market for used games tends to reflect that.  

Afrika Korps for example, often comes down to being decided by one or two die rolls around Tobruk.  The early AH combat resolution tables were also pretty brutal....Attacker/Defender Elims being a common result, in a game with not many counters to begin with.  

Don't get me wrong, not saying these aren't good games.  But I think all the current game designs have learned from these venerable games, and improved on the designs.  If you want to go from collecting to actually playing, I recommend looking at some more recent titles on the same subjects.

For example:

The Lufwaffe 2007 remake by Decision games.  Adds many critical game elements the original didn't have.

Normandy 44 by GMT...

Afrika Korps by Decision Games