Top 5 #shelfie tips you wish you knew

Wutanfallhaus
BOARD GAME NEWS
​Volume 1 • Issue 7

Let’s face it: #shelfies are a big deal, especially if you’re hoping to boost your presence on BoardGameGeek’s social media. But it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Check out the top 5 shelfie tips the fellows at Wutanfallhaus have put together so you can become a shelfie champ.

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For those who are just getting up-to-speed on board game social culture, a shelfie is, at its core, a photograph of your personal collection of board games. Whether or not those games actually rest on a shelf is hotly debated among gamers, but one thing is certain: the quality of shelfies separate the true gamers from the posers.

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No. 1: Your copy of Monopoly shouldn’t be visible
Sure, we all own it. Most of us even own more than one version, but NEVER under any circumstances include it in your #shelfie. Jim Gaffener, a member of the BGG Facebook page since 2007 remembers his fatal flaw. "It was only partially visible,” he says. “Really just the corner of the box!" Gaffener received 152 comments about whether it's okay to like Monopoly but only received 2 likes: one from his mom, and another from CDarrow89 who replied, "nice!"

No. 2: Explore the worm's-eye view
Everyone's seen the straight-on, fill-the-frame kind of pic. But crawl on the floor and suddenly you've got a unique angle that will make it look like you spent hours creating it. Your collection might look minuscule next to your life-size Lego statues of the Avengers, but your audience will appreciate the nuance you've brought to your shelfie. And who knows? While you're down there you might just find that red road piece you lost from Catan last month.

No. 3: Purchase a Kallax
All board game enthusiasts know that real street cred comes from owning a Kallax or eight. Those beautiful 5x5 grids of shelving glory can hold more games than you could possibly play in a year, and provide the brand power your shelfie needs in order to reach share-level status. "I don't always share other people's shelfies," says Jonathan Goldsmith "but when I do, they rest on a Kallax."
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Bonus: Check out BoardGameShelveswithScott for a 20-minute in-depth shelving review!

No. 4: Leverage all your resources
Here's one that goes without saying: many of us don't actually own all the games on our shelves. Before taking your shelfie, make sure you call up a few friends and ask to borrow some of their favorites. Stock up on empty boxes from Goodwill. Print out the box art of the hottest new games so you can tape them on old Amazon boxes. And don't be afraid to purchase a couple from Target that you plan to return later. Empty space in your shelfie is humiliating. Don't be that sort of lamer gamer.

No. 5: Use your words
It wouldn't hurt to spend five or six hours scrolling through BGG's instagram gallery to take note of the captions people use. Avoid overused ones like "It's small, but growing" and "FINALLY got organized." Instead, use original captions like "I LOVE BLOODRAGE!" and "You'll never guess which game I just added!" You'll stand out like a leaf in the forest!

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