Where & How to Get the Most Bang for Your Video Game Trade Ins
A frustrating experience for gamers is wanting to buy a newly released game but lacking the funds to do so. There are options for the gamer whose cash flow is not quite up to snuff, a lot of retro video games do have high trade-in values.
The biggest issue is trying to find the best online trade in offer for those old games & gaming consoles. Then trying to figure out your best options can be difficult, but here are some options that will help.
Understanding Video Game Trade In Value
Research the value of your games & consoles to determine if the Trade-In process is the right fit for you. You can easily track sales data for many of the more popular games like: Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Pokémon, and Mario bros to name a few. Just go to eBay, type in the name of the game and click view completed sales.
Doing this will give you a current value of your games and video game console sales. Another popular to use is https://www.pricecharting.com/.
One thing to keep in mind, a new video game is like a new car. As soon as you open it
or drive it off the car lot, the value tends to depreciate at a steady rate. With most games losing 70% of its value after one year. A highly rated game after one year of being on store shelves will retain 50 to 100% more value.
Remember franchise games, such as Madden and Call of Duty, lose value even faster. These yearly releases are only worth about 20% of the original price once the new release hits shelves.
Here are a few tips to increase the value of what you're selling
Try and Sell Some of the more popular video games. Nintendo 64 games are in high demand, especially titles like Mario Party, Zelda, and various Pokémon games, which generally sell for good prices.
All the original Super Mario Bros games from the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES. Sonic the Hedgehog games from the Sega Genesis library are very popular.
The Original Packaging Can Help Increase the Value. The better your video games look, the more they will bring on the secondary market. When you purchase a new video game, it's important to keep the original packaging, along with the case and any inserts.
Making the video game look like new will help it stand out from the row of similar titles at the video game store. If you choose to sell your video games online, having the original packaging available can give your video game trade in an edge over sellers of similar items who may not have been so careful.
Awesome Tip, The Cleaner, the Better. So dust off those used games and gather the manuals and original packaging if it still exists. Often overlooked, these little things add extra cash to your video game trade ins. This is especially true of games produced prior to the year 2000.
Not having the original packaging can cause a loss of 10% or more of the trade-in value of the games. Take a little time to clean the dust and debris off your cartridge games, as this can easily increase their value.
Where to Trade In Video Games for Cash?
How do you complete the Trade-In Process with The Old School Game Vault? Use our search brand, just type in the name of the game you are trying to sell. Then find it on the search page results, then click the "sell it button" and the game goes into your Trade-In cart.
Then just do that process to sell all your games. We also buy console and gaming accessories as well. The same thing would apply to trade in your video game consoles & accessories.
The next step would be shipping your order to us, which is super easy. We will send you a pre-paid shipping label to USPS label. Then just drop off your package with them. Doesn't get much easier, not to mention you avoid any shipping costs when you trade in over $100.
You can get some real money using a company like The Old School Game Vault. You won't receive the annoying store credit, or cash payout, We offer the following payment methods, a direct deposit through Zelle, Venmo, gift cards from Amazon, PayPal, or paper check (A Paper Check generally takes 1 to 5 business days to arrive).
Working with Large Retailers
Here's a handy tip if you choose to partner with larger brands. GameStop often offers a video game trade in promotion that provides bonus trade-in credit for pre-ordered games. Savvy gamers can trade in their games to earn this credit, then cancel the pre-order while keeping the bonus credit intact for another game purchase.
However, note that some employees might be aware of this approach and may not approve. To stay on the safe side, it's smart to wait a day or two before canceling the order and using the credit for another game.
Here are some strategies to maximize trade-in value with major retailers. Many of them offer a membership card that offers benefits like a 10% boost on trade-in values and a 10% discount on new game purchases. Gamers who frequently trade should definitely consider getting one of these cards.
The savings from these benefits will likely offset the card's cost within a year. Membership perks also include exclusive email coupons that enhance trade-in values and special promotions often stackable with card benefits.
Selling on Facebook or other Marketplaces
This method has its own distinct advantages and drawbacks, but the convenience is nice. There will be more competition on auction sites than on Facebook, which will drive prices down a bit. Also, getting funds from eBay takes a bit longer than a face to face transaction. There is, however, a smaller chance of something bad happening during the transaction.
Not many people get products stolen when posting on an online auction site. Not to mention a Service Fee, many Online Marketplaces have fees involved with the selling process. Whereas selling via The Old School Game Vault or Facebook marketplace, you won't encounter any silly fees.
Sell During the Holiday Season
Video games are consistently popular during the last week of November through Cyber Monday. To reach gamers while they are still eager to spend, you might want to list your top titles before Black Friday hits.
Consider experimenting to determine the best timing for selling your games. After you have sold or traded some old games, you'll start to understand which titles are in demand at various times.
For instance, first-person shooter games may attract buyers in the weeks before Thanksgiving and Black Friday, whereas role-playing games might sell better in the summer. Consulting with other gamers can also help you gauge when interest in your trade-in titles might increase.
In Conclusion: Always Keeping Your Selling Options Open
A frustrating aspect of trade-in values for new games at major retailers is that a game only a month old is often valued at just thirty to thirty-five dollars. This amount is significantly less than the $60 or $70 you originally spent.
Consequently, you shouldn’t anticipate receiving cash as compensation. Stores like Best Buy and GameStop usually provide store credits or gift cards to encourage you to return. While you can opt for a cash payout, you’ll receive even less compared to store credit.
Remember, The Old School Game Vault is a great place to sell retro video games. For the enterprising gamer, there are many online options to get some for cash or credit toward new games.
You can also find several video game trade sites that allow you to trade games directly with other gamers if you want to maintain a steady variety of different games in your collection.