Our Catan games have been played until the cards are in shreds.
I decided to get all new games for Marc for Christmas although I knew it would be expensive to replace not only the games themselves but also the EXTENSIONS.
I write that in capital letters because I have since learned through bitter experience that there's a big difference between EXPANSION and EXTENSION games.
The EXPANSIONs refer to any game that isn't the original basic starter game including Catan Seafarers, Catan Cities & Knights, Catan Traders and Barbarians, Pirates, etc., etc.
The EXTENSIONs make it possible to play the same games with 5-6 players rather than 4.
To mix them up is trouble.
See, I went off blissfully ordering one of each, I thought.
Since the EXTENSIONs are cheaper than than the basic EXPANSIONs, I had to shop around to find a good price on everything.
I ended up ordering part of what I needed from Walmart, part from Amazon and part from Barnes & Noble bookstore.
I probably spent about $400 by the time I saved myself shipping by buying extra stuff.
The packages began arriving about the week before Christmas.
One came in duplicate and didn't match the new set of games I was trying to assemble.
Another one said it was delivered and signed for by a lady in Lehi whom we have never heard of.
Two came as EXPANSIONS rather than EXTENSIONS.
So now I'm spending time chatting with nice people overseas who want to help me.
It's become quite the negotiation game.
First I have to explain the games and why I want them.
Then I have to make certain they understand the difference between EXPANSION and EXTENSION, not an easy task when you're working with people who barely speak English.
Then I get transferred to the marketplace seller because Walmart doesn't deal with these orders directly.
I'm burning up lots of phone and computer time trying to sort this out and in the meantime, I have a couple extra copies that I think I'll just give as gifts to people who don't even know they need one!
Anyone interested?
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