Looking to sell your retro video game collection in Illinois?
- Whether you're in Cook County, downstate, or anywhere in between, The Old School Game Vault offers the highest payouts for your classic games, consoles, and accessories.
Born in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood
- (Sheffield & Belmont), now operating from Morton Grove, IL, we've spent 18+ years serving Illinois collectors. We've helped thousands of gamers across the state turn their old Nintendo, Sega, PlayStation, and Xbox collections into cash.
Free quotes. Free shipping. Fast payment. Illinois trusted since [2008].
Ready to sell your retro video games? Get instant quotes on thousands of titles.
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Why Choose Us for Selling Games in Illinois
- Local expertise, national reach – Started The Old School Game Vault in Chicago, down in Wrigleyville. For many years we had a store front on Sheffield and Belmont
Ave. Now we moved out to the suburbs in Morton Grove, so we understand the Chicago area, we understand Illinois collectors while accessing buyers nationwide.
- Better prices than local stores - Since we buy 80% of our inventory nationally, our trade-in prices match or exceed the national average. We consistently pay 30-50% more than other Illinois retro shops because our prices must be competitive to attract sellers nationwide.
Convenient options for Illinois sellers:
- Free shipping labels (we pay shipping costs). No Matter where you live in Illinois, we pay the shipping cost.
- Local pickup available in Chicago metro area. We meet customers at our mailbox location in Morton Grove.
- With our website we have trade in prices for nearly 20,000 games, consoles and accessories. Get a price quote instantly on our website, any day of the week.
- No fees, no hassle - Unlike eBay or Facebook Marketplace, you get paid directly with no seller fees or scams.
The Illinois Retro Gaming Market in 2025
Fun Fact: Did you know IGN - who is a video game media company with 475 million users. IGN had a corporate office in downtown Chicago located at 200 N La Salle St. IGN - 2014
Illinois has a thriving retro gaming community, from Chicago's collector scene to downstate treasure hunters finding gems at estate sales. We've purchased collections from every corner of the state:
Chicago Metro Area, Cook County - Our home base, where we've built relationships with hundreds of buyers and sellers a like.
- Collar Counties - DuPage, Lake, Kane, Will, McHenry - regular pickup routes.
- Springfield & Central IL - Strong Nintendo and Sega collecting community.
- Rockford & Northern IL - Often overlooked market with great finds, not to far away from Chicago for a road trip to see a solid collection.
- Champaign-Urbana - University area with young collectors upgrading, to the latest games and consoles on the market.
- Southern Illinois - Estate sales often yield rare, untouched collections.
"Last week, we purchased a Sega Saturn collection from John M., a collector in Peoria, Illinois. He sold us 39 games for a total of $1,008.47. John's collection was full of RPGs and highly sought-after titles that sell quickly—but Sega Saturn games appeal to a niche collector market today.
Selling these games one-by-one would have taken John months on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. We completed the entire sale in just 4 days, handling everything from quote to payment."
What Illinois Retro Games We're Buying the most of
- Sega (Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast) - "Strong Sega collecting scene in Chicago area"
- PlayStation (PS1, PS2, PS3) - "Common finds in Illinois estate sales"
- Xbox (Original, 360) - "Growing market in suburban Illinois"
- Game Boy, DS, PSP - "Popular in college towns like Champaign"
"We're especially interested in complete-in-box (CIB) games and sealed games often found in Illinois attics and basements where they've been protected from humidity."
How to Sell Your Games in Illinois - Quick & Easy
Step 1: Get Your Instant Quote
- Visit our video game selling guide for more strategies.
- Search your game titles by name - no barcode or photos needed - Follow our Keyword Guide for maximum results.
- See real-time trade-in prices instantly
- Works for any game, from any Illinois location
Step 2: Add to Your Trade-In Cart
- Add your games, consoles, and accessories
- Use our search tool: game title + system (e.g., "Super Mario 64 N64")
- Review your total offer before submitting
Step 3: Ship Your Items
Free Shipping Option (Orders $100+):
- Orders totaling $100+ get a free USPS or UPS Ground prepaid label.
- Pack securely with bubble wrap or foam.
- Include your printed order confirmation.
- Ship from any Illinois location - we provide tracking - Read our Shipping Guide Here.
Local Drop-Off (Chicago Metro Area):
- The Old School Game Vault's, Morton Grove mailbox location available by appointment.
- Serving all of Cook County, Chicago neighborhoods, and surrounding suburbs - Perfect for large collections or if you prefer in-person transactions - Contact us to schedule your drop-off or call 312.423.6583
Step 4: Fast Inspection & Payment
- Receive "Package Received" confirmation email.
- We inspect and test within 24-48 hours (business days).
- Note: No processing on weekends or holidays - if we receive your package Friday, expect payment by Wednesday.
- Choose payment method: Zelle, PayPal, or check.
Total Timeline for Illinois Sellers:
- Quote: Instant
- Shipping: 2-3 days within Illinois
- Processing: 24-48 hours
- Payment: Same day after approval
- Average total: 5-7 days from quote to cash in hand
Serving Retro Game Sellers Across Illinois
Cook County (Chicago Metro - Our Home Base):
- Chicago - all neighborhoods
- Morton Grove - The Old School Game Vault's current headquarters & mailbox meeting location
- Evanston, Oak Park, Cicero
- Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Palatine
- Plus all Cook County suburbs
Collar Counties:
- DuPage: Naperville, Downers Grove, Wheaton, Aurora
- Lake: Waukegan, Libertyville, Gurnee
- Kane: Elgin, St. Charles, Batavia
- Will: Joliet, Bolingbrook, Plainfield
- McHenry: Crystal Lake, Woodstock
Northern Illinois:
- Rockford, DeKalb, Freeport
Central Illinois:
- Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana, Decatur
Southern Illinois:
- Carbondale, Edwardsville, Belleville, Marion
Anywhere in Illinois - we provide free shipping statewide on orders $100+
Real Stories from Illinois Sellers
- I’ve sold to The Old School Game Vault multiple times now. Every time has been quick, easy, and fair.
- James Davies 2024-12-04 17:48:55 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- I needed a quick sale for some rare video games, and The Old School Game Vault came through. I emailed brandon and since I live in Chicago, brandon was able to meet with me, and he issued payment via Zelle much faster than expected.
- Nino, IL 2019-11-09 06:55:50 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- They even buy accessories, I sold some controllers and a GameCube GameBoy Player adapter that were collecting dust. The Old School Game Vault gave me a fair offer and paid quickly. Brandon was able to meet me since I live close to his store.
- Matt, Skokie IL 2019-12-07 21:06:50 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read our Customer Testimonials Here or Our Trustpilot Reviews Here
Frequently Asked Questions: Common Questions from Illinois Sellers
Do you really cover all of Illinois?
- Yes! We provide free shipping labels to anywhere in the state. For Cook County or the Chicago metro area, we are happy to meet you at our mail box.
How do Illinois prices compare to other states?
- We pay the same competitive rates regardless of location. Your Peoria, Illinois collection gets the same national market pricing as a Chicago or California collection.
What's the benefit of using an Illinois-based buyer?
- Local accountability and trust, plus we understand the Illinois sellers market. Since we buy video games nationwide, our trade-in prices are much higher than your local video game store that’s near you.
Do you buy collections of any size in Illinois?
- Yes! Orders just need to total $100+ to qualify for free shipping. We've purchased everything from single rare games to entire store inventories.
- Our most recent order we bought in Chicago, IL was from DJ who sold us his Sony PSP Series 2000 Console & games. We recently bought a $7,500 Nintendo collection from a seller in California. Whether you have 10 games or 10,000, we're interested.
Are there any Illinois-specific games or items you want?
- We buy everything, but we're always excited to find Midwest treasures that stayed in attics and basements.
Can I sell video game consoles along with games in Illinois?
- Yes! We buy consoles, controllers, and accessories along with games. Most of our Illinois customers send us complete setups, as we buy systems in bundles. N64 with controllers & hookups, PS2 systems with memory cards, hookups & controllers.
What platforms are popular for selling video games in Illinois?
- Illinois sellers typically use eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, or local stores like GameStop. Each has trade-offs: eBay charges around 15% in fees, Facebook has scam risks, and GameStop offers lower payouts. We provide an alternative with instant quotes, free shipping, and direct cash payment within in 48 hours.
Are there video game resale shops in Illinois that offer cash instead of store credit?
- Most Illinois game stores (GameStop, Disc Replay, etc.) prioritize store credit, which is usually 20–30% higher than cash. The Old School Game Vault offers cash, PayPal, or Zelle payments with no pressure to take store credit. You’ll receive the same competitive rate regardless of payment method.
