How Turnip Cake Works

Let’s be honest… shipping a board game can feel like rolling the dice.

First, there’s the cost. Shipping a single game in the U.S. can easily hit $15 or more. That’s money that could go toward your next expansion instead.

Then there’s the waiting. The tracking. The “out for delivery” anxiety. The hope that the box isn’t crushed, soaked, or mysteriously replaced with something you definitely didn’t order.

When you meet in person, it’s simple. You see the game. You check the contents. You make the trade. Done.

The perks of in-person deals:

• No shipping fees
• No packing materials
• No waiting around
• No lost packages
• No label mix-ups
• No damaged boxes
• No porch pirates

Just gamers meeting gamers. Quick, easy, and stress-free.

No. Turnip Cake does not hold or manage the payment for the games themselves.

The agreed purchase price is paid directly between the buyer and seller at the time of the in-person exchange.

This keeps the transaction simple and allows both parties to complete payment face to face.

No.

Turnip Cake’s role is to connect buyers and sellers and provide the structure for arranging a deal. When the exchange takes place, the transaction is handled directly between the two parties, and both are responsible for the outcome.

Because deals are completed in person, buyers have the opportunity to inspect the games before finalizing the purchase.

Turnip Cake reduces many of the common issues that come with buying games online by removing shipping from the process.

Because transactions are completed in person, buyers can inspect the game before paying, and sellers receive payment at the time of exchange. This eliminates common shipping-related problems such as delays, lost packages, damaged boxes, or items not matching their description.

While no marketplace can remove all risk, the in-person model helps keep transactions more transparent and straightforward.

No. Turnip Cake is not an auction platform.

Listings do not have bidding timers or automatic price escalation. Instead, it works more like a yard sale: buyers can make offers, and sellers are free to accept the offer that works best for them.

This allows both parties to negotiate directly and agree on a price before meeting in person.

Transactions are completed in person, giving you the opportunity to inspect the games before finalizing payment.

You can inspect the games to make sure everything matches the listing. Payment is made at the time of exchange, so you only complete the purchase once you are satisfied.

We make it easy.

Just type in the name of your game and pick your version. We'll find pictures, add descriptions, player counts, mechanics and more. We'll even research the market and suggest prices based on the condition of your games. We do the heavy lifting so you can get selling fast.

You’re paid directly by the buyer at the meetup.

After the buyer inspects and accepts games' contents, payment is made on the spot and the exchange is completed then and there.

No. Turnip Cake is free to use during the public beta.

Yes.

When a buyer adds games from the same seller, they are automatically bunded together, and buyers can offer a single price for the bundle.

If you receive multiple offers for the same game, you are free to accept whichever offer you prefer.

You have full control over which buyer you choose to move forward with.

Turnip Cake Events are exclusive online marketplaces where attendees make deals online and then meet at a set time and place - typically a convention or a game store or a game cafe. Exchanging games at conventions is much easier when everyone is already gathering and cheaper because it eliminates shipping for everyone. Turnip Cake Events at game stores and cafes are also a great time to buy and sell games close to home, and you don't have to wait a full year between conventions. While you're meeting new gamers, you might as well play some games together.

Using Turnip Cake during the public beta is free. Event hosts may charge entry fee to their events. For example, a convention may require a ticket to enter the convention itself, a game cafe may charge their typical day pass, or a game store may charge entry for a special event. Check the event's page for details.

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Turnip Cake uses passwordless authentication, so there is no traditional password tied to your account.

Instead, login is verified with a one-time code sent to your email. Passkeys are also supported and encouraged. Passwordless authentication is a modern and secure way to protect your account while reducing risks associated with weak or reused passwords.