Video games are a great source of entertainment. However, there may come a time when we get bored of our video games or don’t need them anymore. When this happens, you may think of selling your video games. If you want to do so, this article has compiled 12 best places for you to sell video games.
Places to Sell Video Games
Amazon
Almost everyone knows of the giant retailer Amazon these days. Using Amazon, you can either list your video game for sale or use Amazon’s Trade-in Program. If you just want to sell a few video games, you can sign up for an individual plan and get charged $0.99 per item sold in addition to other selling fees.
If you choose Amazon’s Trade-in Program, you can trade in gaming items, including consoles and video games, for eligible items. When you confirm your trade-in, Amazon will send you a prepaid shipping label. When the date comes to ship out the item, ship the item using this shipping label and wait for money to be added to your account.
eBay
eBay has a large customer base thanks to it being one of the oldest online markets. Since eBay is an auction website, you might get a better price for your video games compared to other websites listed. Yet, being a seller on eBay is not easy because you are typically charged a 10% fee of your final sale price and have to ship the item yourself.
For most categories on eBay, the seller is charged 10% of the final sale value. However, for the categories Books; DVDs & Movies; and Music (except Records), the seller is charged 12% of the final sale value. This means that if you list your video games under DVDs & Movies, you are charged 12% of the sale value in addition to shipping fees. Therefore, while eBay might give you a better deal, the high seller fee needs to be taken into account prior to selling.
Swappa
Swappa is one of the best places to sell your video games and hand consoles. Swappa is popular mainly because it skips the “middle man”. With no middle man fees, sellers have an opportunity to make more money due to not having to pay seller (service) fees. Sellers, however, need to pay for shipping.
To sell video games on Swappa, visit the website, list your video games for sale, and set a price. You can include a description of the game and photos that you think they will help interested buyers make a decision. You will be paid via PayPal when someone buys your items.
Decluttr
Prior to selling video games on Decluttr, you will receive a quote on the website by entering the barcode number. If you have access to the Decluttr app, you can also scan the barcode to receive a quote. The quote you get is valid for 28 days.
If you are satisfied with the quote, you will receive a free shipping label. Next, use this shipping label to ship the item to the Decluttr to be inspected. If the item matches your description, you will receive payment via PayPal, direct deposit, or a check, depending on which payment method you prefer.
Facebook Marketplace
While many people know of Facebook, not everyone knows that Facebook has a specific page designed for an online market called the Facebook Marketplace. Facebook Marketplace is similar to Craigslist: people create listings of things they want to sell, post photos and a description about that item, then wait to be contacted by interested buyers.
Facebook Marketplaces connects local buyers and sellers. The social media giant charges sellers 5% of the final sale value for each transaction, or a flat fee of $0.40 if the sale is $8 or less.
Craigslist
Craigslist lets sellers post free listings of items they want to sell. Unlike some other websites, there are no seller fees as Craigslist doesn’t charge a middle man fee. There are also no shipping costs. When potential buyers contact you, negotiate the price of the item you want to sell and where or how the item will be delivered.
If you’re having difficulty selling your video games, there’s a chance someone on Craigslist is interested and will pay for them due to the large customer base.
GameStop
GameStop is one of the largest gaming retailers in the United States. With over 6,000 stores in the U.S., GameStop local stores can be easily found in many metropolitan cities. GameStop offers store credit for most items you trade in. Currently, GameStop only offers cash for selected items.
You can either trade in your games at a local store or check your video game’s eligibility online before visiting a store. After viewing online offers, keep a copy of the offer and trade in your video game at the closest GameStop store. As mentioned, most of the time you will receive a store gift card instead of cash.
OfferUp
Offer Up is an online marketplace that is similar to Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Offer Up is best used if you are selling your video games locally instead if nationwide. If you are selling locally, Offer Up charges no seller fees. If you sell nationwide, Offer Up charges up to 12.9% of the final sale value as service fee with a minimum fee of $1.99.
If you need to ship the item, you can choose to set up whether the seller (you) or buyer will be responsible for the shipping costs.
Trade4Cash
Currently, Trade4Cash is temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is not taking new quotes. However, when Trade4Cash resumes its operations, you can access the website to trade in your video games.
To trade in your video games on Trade4Cash, you will first need to select the conditions your video games are in. Then, you will receive a quote for your games. If you accept the quote, pack your video games and ship them using the shipping label Trade4Cash provides. After the items are verified to have met the conditions you specified, you will get paid via PayPal, a check, or an Amazon gift card.
Gameflip
Gamers might know of Gameflip as a hub for eSports. Yet, Gameflip also has a marketplace dedicated to gaming-related items that are for sale. Selling video games is as simple as listing video games for sale on Craigslist or eBay: create a listing, upload photos, write a description, then wait for an interested buyer.
There are no fees for sellers on Gameflip except shipping costs. After the buyer receives the video games, the money is deposited to your Wallet, which can be transferred to your bank account whenever you’d like.
The Old School Game Vault
The Old School Game Vault allows you to receive an instant quote after you have identified which video game you want to sell. To sell your old video games on The Old School Game Vault, you need to have a total for sale value of at least $25. If a single video game does not meet this amount, you can add other video games or change the quantity until the total value reaches $25.
After your video games are shipped to The Old School Game Vault, you will receive your payment via PayPal, a check, or an Amazon eGift Card. The Old School Game Vault will send you a pre-paid shipping label if your order’s value is greater than $75 (in other words, free shipping).
DK Oldies
As the name “DK Oldies” suggests, DK Oldies is a great place to sell retro video games, especially games that are no longer produced. If the price for the specific video game you want to sell is not listed on their website, you can email DK Oldies to get a quote. If your items are listed on the price list, print out and mail in the page along with your items plus a note specifying your preferred payment method and contact information.
If the total value of your video games is greater than $20, you are eligible to receive a free shipping label.
Tips for Making the Most Out of Selling Video Games
You want to make the most out of selling your video games and I also want you to make the most from them. Therefore, I have compiled a few tips when selling video games to get as much value from them as possible:
- Look around for the best deal. Like with selling most things, don’t settle for the first deal you see. While the websites recommended in this article are great resources to sell video games, it does not mean they are the only resources out there or have the best deals on video games. Look at more than one website before making any selling commitment. Along the way, take notes of which website has the higher offers, then compare shipping fees, seller fees, etc. It might take a few hours of your time but, in return, you will get the best value for your video games.
- Video games’ conditions matter. No one wants to play video games that are laggy, glitchy, or otherwise in poor conditions. Many trade-in companies will inspect the video games to make sure the condition is still good, or at least acceptable. If the video games’ conditions are not as you describe and are not satisfactory, these companies will not accept them. At that point, not only did you waste time, you might have also wasted shipping and other fees. To avoid this, be honest about your video games’ conditions when you sell them, and if the conditions are too bad then you may need to accept the fact that you won’t be able to sell them.
- Assess how rare the video games are. Generally, rare video games, especially those that have been discontinued or are of limited editions, will pay better. However, this is not always the case. Rare video games don’t always mean they are high in demand. Therefore, while you may be able to bargain a higher price for a rare video game, research that video game’s demand first and look at other sellers that sell similar video games to see what the average selling price is. In other words, get to know the video game’s market prior to selling it.
- Avoid the middle man. Avoid the middle man when selling anything as much as possible. Websites like eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, etc. all have a middle man. This means that the website is not the buyer, but rather the “man” in the middle that connects the buyer and the seller. Websites that are the middle man or use a middle man often have a seller fee, also known as a service fee. These fees may be a flat fee or a percentage of your final sale value. With video games, you probably are not getting a lot of money from selling them, thus even the smallest of service fee eats into your money. Therefore, avoid the middle man and his fees as much as possible when selling video games.
- Explore gaming forums. Even if trade-in websites and online markets don’t find your video games to have a high value, there may be online gaming communities that want your specific video game badly enough to pay a higher price for it. Some popular forums to look for are Reddit, Discord, and possibly Quora (Quora can be a hit or miss). Look around the forums for a while and preferably find the forum that involves the specific video game you want to sell. Then, join an ongoing discussion or make a post or offer of your video game. It’s possible that someone from one of these forums will be interested in buying your video games.
- Look into international markets. Access to video games is not evenly distributed across the globe; therefore, what is widely available (and therefore is of a lower value) in one country might be considered rare and desired in another country. Not to be repetitive, but forums can be a great way to reach international markets and connect with potential buyers. Otherwise, look at other countries’ online marketplaces. You can either do so by going on websites such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist and setting the location to another country or research other countries’ online markets.
- Don’t forget local retailers. While local retailers do not have the advertising power that bigger companies do, they may take in a wider variety of video games thus offer have more flexibility. Additionally, they may be able to monitor better which video games are in demand, thus offering you a better price if you trade in a video game they want.
What to Look Out For
While there are many great resources for selling video games, there are also many possible scammers. Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you avoid them:
- Scammers or scam websites. The resources listed in this article are legitimate and reliable. However, during your search, you may find other resources that offer a higher price for your video games. Prior to utilizing those resources, make sure that they are not trying to scam you. Signs that you should look out for are grammar errors on the website, misspellings, having a domain name that is similar to the actual website (Nike.com versus BuyNike.com), and having limited to no method of contacting the company or a representative.
- Unsecure websites and payment methods. If you are going to make a payment on a website that involves entering your personal information (especially your credit or debit card’s information), PayPal information, etc. make sure that it is a secure website. A secure website starts with https:// while a nonsecure website starts with http://. A secure website will encrypt your data, making it more difficult for data to be stolen should a security breach happen.
- Watch for hidden fees. Hidden fees are frustrating and may eat into your sale proceeds. Hidden fees may include, but are not limited to, shipping costs, seller fees, listing fees, etc. Therefore, try to avoid running into hidden fees by using reliable websites that are verified by other sellers and getting to know a website’s service fees.
Conclusion
Hopefully, with the resources listed in this article, selling your video games will be an easy process and brings you as much money as possible. During the selling process, remember the tips regarding how to sell video games to make the most out them, including looking into international markets and avoiding scammers. Good luck with selling your video games!
