I can sympathize; I too suffer from BDCS: Boardgame-related Downstairs Clutter Syndrome.

You were missed at Gulf Games.  Good luck with the ants.

I need to hit me a game convention flea market sometime soon.  I have a number of games I’d gladly sell to another gamer rather cheap (they’re not exactly ranked high on BGG), but am not quite so ready to hand them over to Goodwill.  (And I’m not about to sell them piecemeal and pay postage on each little game...)

I sympathize, and I don’t attend nearly as many conventions as you do!

Regarding the rules print-outs, I have mine in an expanding folder. I file them alphabetically and bring along to big gaming events. If I get the game, I add it to the box. If I play the game and decide that I am not likely to ever get a copy of my own and I know someone who owns it, I ask them if they could use an extra set of rules. I have not ever had someone say that they did not want an extra set (although the formatting of some print-outs leaves something to be desired and folks pass on those).

Another thing that seems to accumulate in my collection are the “games/expansions I bought in German because it looked like they would not be released in English, but an English language edition was eventually published (and was added to my collection”. Between publishers being mum about their future plans and the challenges of forecasting demand, I fear that this may happen more often in the future. Getting these into hands that will appreciate them is much harder than anything else (without shipping them back to Germany, of course!).

The souvenirs present a bigger problem. I would like to hang on to them, but they do pile up. Freebie games do, too. I trimmed a few things recently, but there’s more to do.

It looks like I may have to cart a few things to the BGG.Con flea market - if I can’t move them in a math trade between now and then, that is!

Maybe rhetorical, but here’s my take.  Granted I have a fairly large corner of the basement for my games, so some of these may not be practical for everyone. :)

>Expansions for games you don’t own
If it’s a game I am not going to get (there aren’t many in this category), I give to to someone I know with the game.  Otherwise, I have a box for game parts or they stay in the magazine mailer envelope.

>Name badges from the 20+ different game
>conventions you’ve attended

If they have a Tom Wham drawing, I have a place to hang them.  Otherwise, the badge holder is given to the local game club and the part with my name is pitched (except for the really cool hologram one from Gencon a couple years ago).

>An old copy of Knucklebones and a dozen old >issues of Spielbox

On bookshelf in gameroom (corner of basement) with expansion pieces if they aren’t in the game or given away.  I put my swag bags on this bookshelf, too.  I have a couple milk crates full of Dragons and Dungeons in the gameroom, too.

>Rules that you downloaded and printed for a game >you don’t own but plan to play some day

Some are on my desk at work for lunchtime reading, others are in pocket folders at work and at home in the computer desk.  Some are laying around the gameroom, next to the bed and/or all over the house (depending on who you ask).  If they get too dogeared, I pitch them.

>Souvenir dice, poker chips, meeples, game bags, >and other memorabilia from game conventions

Some are on the game shelves in front of games or in small cubbies in the game shelves.  Many of the rest are in a box in the gameroom.  As well as a select few (ones I’ve not stashed) on the shelves by my computer.

>Six copies of a small card game often given away >at recent game conventions but designed and >published by a dear friend so must be treated >with respect

Gifts and/or donations for raffles at the game club.  Make sure and keep a couple.

>Used up copies of Tichu
I don’t have this problem, but as long as you have enough cards for any prototyping needs (like more Dominion), pitch them.  Maybe you could give them to the Gencon group that builds a card castle?

>Several copies of the useless non-Tichu deck >that used to come with Tichu

If they are regular playing cards, donate them to an old folks home or a school?  This is another issue that I don’t have, although the beam in my gameroom ceiling an I-beam, so my souvenir card decks as well as some I hold for sentimental reason are “displayed” there.

>A card case of Magic card rares that the Gen Con >dealer wasn’t interested in buying (the commons >and uncommons are already put to very good use >in Dominion prototypes)

Gencon auction, eBay auction, hand them to some young Magic player to watch his face light up?  I keep a big box full of collectible card games. because someday (TM) I am going to play them before I decide to get rid of them.  I sold off all of my rares other than the ones in Zen decks when I got out of Magic in a package deal.

>An envelope from 2 Origins ago labeled “Castle >Builder Expansion Spoilers”

I spoiled CBE, then pitched it

Good luck cleaning!

>Used up copies of Tichu.

If they’re not in too bad shape, your local game club might use them. One or two of their copies are in really really worn down. (hint, hint)

>Expansions for games you don’t own

BGF auction???