Trump's trade war with China is causing major concerns in the tabletop game industry

[Sherman A1]

President Donald Trump’s trade war with China is causing a panic inside the board game industry. A list of tariffs on Chinese imports proposed by the United States trade representative would raise the cost of virtually everything needed to produce modern tabletop games. John Stacy, executive director of the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA), says that tariffs could dramatically reduce the number of new games in production in the United States. Even worse, they could cost workers and business owners their livelihoods.

GAMA is a non-profit organization that represents more than 1,000 companies in the hobby games industry. That industry includes board games, card games, dice, role-playing games, and miniatures games. It’s a sector that has seen remarkable growth over the last decade thanks to a number of factors. Among them is the birth of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, but also a modern renaissance in board game design. Meanwhile the tabletop RPG sector, lead by Dungeons & Dragons and made viral by actual-play experiences, is more popular than ever before.

In total, Stacy says that hobby games now produce as much as $5 billion annually for the U.S. economy. But that number is now at risk thanks to Trump’s proposed tariffs.

“We’re very concerned about it,” Stacy told Polygon. “There’s been a lot of conversation among our members in the last two days about the impact of this and how it’s going. It’s potentially a 25 percent increase on the costs of importing products from China. We’d pass those increases on to the retailers, who would pass them on to consumers. And so there’s definitely this ripple effect in the economy.”

https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/17/18628486/trump-trade-tariff-china-tabletop-games-rpgs-cards-dice?fbclid=IwAR3ZBaKA9kCP7VYFDz_XkqWbX6e7-BiY6XwwbX2EGbcYnhD5kiKDnKRT7LM

[bobbieinok]

1. I've learned from son that many people enjoy playing board games, learning new ones

I believe there are restaurants around the country serving board game players.

There are groups who get together at homes weekly or bi-weekly to try out new board games.

[Wounded Bear]

2. Board games are a great social event...

encouraging actual face to face contact. Imagine that.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

5. Republicans are against that sort of nonsense....

such as unity and community.......

Defies their driving philosophy of divide and conquer......

[Sherman A1]

3. Yes, as odd as it sounds in this electronic age

This is The Golden Age of Boardgaming, with more product available than at any time in the past. Currently there is a large boardgames convention in progress about 15 miles from me that sells out every year and we have one of those boardgames restaurants you mention in your post in our city.

I personally prefer tabletop historical miniatures gaming, but have a selection of both family and historical games in a cabinet in the basement ready to go.

[Wounded Bear]

6. Used to play all the time...

Now I have a collection of historical games that I never get a chance to play.

[Sherman A1]

7. I understand

What have got in the collection? I still have SPI's Soldiers and AH's B-17 Queen of the Skies as a couple of my favorites.

[NewJeffCT]

4. Yes, there are now restaurants/pubs that cater to boardgamers

This one is fairly close to me and is right next to the campus of Wesleyan University

http://www.boardroomct.com/

It's gotten a lot of good reviews overall