SpareDeck is a service that rents out Magic: The Gathering cards, individually or by the deck. The idea is to allow players to try out new decks, or even play them in competition, without the tremendous upfront investment often required.
SpareDeck ships cards without sleeves and “slight play wear is fine.” However, there is a verification and approval process, and if a card suffers any significant damage (such as folding or tearing) the renter will need to pay its replacement cost.
Cards and decks can even be reserved in advance to ship on a specific date.
A quick check of some of the common archetypes showed an Abzan Aggro or Green-Red Devotion available for around $42 including shipping for a 3 day rental.
Games on Wheel is a tabletop game rental service operating in India. It’s founders were keen to promote the playing of modern strategy games as a fun and stimulating activity for adults but recognized the high cost of imported games as a significant barrier.
Though service is currently limited to Delhi, the cost of a 1 week rental is only in the 600 Rs range (just under $10) and includes home delivery.