diff --git a/src/bggpipe/resolve.py b/src/bggpipe/resolve.py
index a9606cf..1c92cd9 100644
--- a/src/bggpipe/resolve.py
+++ b/src/bggpipe/resolve.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 import typer
 from rapidfuzz import fuzz
 
-from bggpipe.bgg_client import BGGClient
+from bggpipe.bgg_client import BGGAuthError, BGGClient
 from bggpipe.config import Config
 from bggpipe.models import GameVersion
 from bggpipe.normalize import normalize_title
@@ -417,12 +417,20 @@ def run_resolve(
 
     new_rows: list[MatchRow] = []
     skipped = 0
+    blocked: list[str] = []
     for entry in entries:
         key = _row_key(entry.title_raw, ";".join(entry.source_photos))
         if key in existing:
             skipped += 1
             continue
-        row = resolve_entry(client, entry)
+        try:
+            row = resolve_entry(client, entry)
+        except BGGAuthError:
+            # No API token yet: cached titles still resolve; the rest wait.
+            # No row is written, so a future run picks them up untouched.
+            blocked.append(entry.title_raw)
+            typer.echo(f"  {entry.title_raw!r} -> waiting on BGG API token")
+            continue
         new_rows.append(row)
         detail = f"{row.bgg_name} ({row.bgg_id})" if row.bgg_id else "-"
         version = f" [{row.version_status}]" if row.version_status else ""
@@ -438,4 +446,11 @@ def run_resolve(
         f"Resolved {len(new_rows)} title(s) ({summary or 'nothing new'}); "
         f"skipped {skipped} already in {cfg.matches_path}."
     )
+    if blocked:
+        typer.echo(
+            f"\n{len(blocked)} title(s) are waiting on the BGG API "
+            "(register at https://boardgamegeek.com/applications, then set "
+            "BGG_API_TOKEN and re-run resolve — everything above is saved): "
+            + ", ".join(blocked)
+        )
     return new_rows
diff --git a/tests/test_resolve.py b/tests/test_resolve.py
index 95197db..4c9f897 100644
--- a/tests/test_resolve.py
+++ b/tests/test_resolve.py
@@ -294,3 +294,52 @@ def test_wrong_year_hint_never_drives_a_version(client):
     assert (row.match_status, row.bgg_id) == ("auto", 2529)
     assert row.version_status == "version_unknown"
     assert row.version_id is None
+
+
+# -- graceful degradation without a BGG token ---------------------------
+
+
+def test_run_resolve_saves_progress_when_token_missing(tmp_path):
+    """Cached titles resolve; uncached ones wait for the token instead of
+    crashing the run and losing everything."""
+    import shutil as _shutil
+
+    partial_cache = tmp_path / "cache"
+    partial_cache.mkdir()
+    for f in FIXTURES.glob("search_query=Catan-*"):
+        _shutil.copy(f, partial_cache / f.name)
+
+    data_dir = tmp_path / "data"
+    data_dir.mkdir()
+    (data_dir / "titles.json").write_text(
+        json.dumps(
+            [
+                {"title_raw": "Catan", "source_photos": ["a.jpg"]},
+                {"title_raw": "Wingspan", "source_photos": ["a.jpg"]},
+            ]
+        )
+    )
+    cfg = Config(data_dir=data_dir)
+    unauthorized = BGGClient(
+        cache_dir=partial_cache,
+        transport=httpx.MockTransport(
+            lambda req: httpx.Response(401, text="Unauthorized")
+        ),
+    )
+
+    rows = run_resolve(cfg, client=unauthorized)
+    assert [r.title_raw for r in rows] == ["Catan"]  # cached one made it
+
+    with cfg.matches_path.open(newline="") as f:
+        saved = list(csv.DictReader(f))
+    assert len(saved) == 1  # blocked title left for a future run
+
+    # future run (fixtures now "recorded"): picks up only the blocked title
+    full = BGGClient(
+        cache_dir=FIXTURES,
+        transport=httpx.MockTransport(
+            lambda req: (_ for _ in ()).throw(AssertionError("network"))
+        ),
+    )
+    rows2 = run_resolve(cfg, client=full)
+    assert [r.title_raw for r in rows2] == ["Wingspan"]