Want to Sell Video Games Online?

It’s 2021 and gaming is everything. The idea that a standard “gamer” is someone spending way too much time in their parent’s basement or garage is a long-antiquated idea. Gaming, dating back as far as 1972 (1950 for those who want to split hairs), has had a controversial, yet fascinating history. Video games and their fan culture extend as far back as the Magnavox Odyssey. Electronic gaming started out simple, with titles like Pong or Tetris that many people could probably now play or even write the code for on modern phones. Video games had a humble beginning, relying solely on pixels and basic commands for fun, family entertainment.

With new titles like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Contra, and the legendary mustached plumber, Mario, making their debut in the ’80s, it was clear that video games were growing into something wonderful. Now, in the year 2022, it is one of the most rapidly developing fields of electronic media. Video games are at the front page of competitive sports, take various shapes across computers and consoles, and can be hosted or developed in Virtual Reality formats. Gaming has become one of the biggest and profitable businesses across the entire world.

With a business as large as this, there are plenty of those seeking to build collections of more niche and retro video games, meaning there is a wide market to sell video games, and to sell old video games—especially for those hunters of rare titles. There is a space for everyone looking to get a piece of the pie.

Leveling Up, Left Behind

With any form of media, be it digital or analog, the fact is that at some point along its evolution, its older formats and paraphernalia are going to be outdated and replaced by what’s new. Many of it will sadly be forgotten and lost in trash piles and dusty boxes and might sit there for a long, long time. Some things get better with age, thankfully, and certain video game titles are no exception. There are versions of cartridges that have gained a reputation as being incredibly rare, either due to something unique that happened by accident during development, or simply due to being out of production.

A great example would be something like the SD Gundam Dimension Wars from 1995. Released on the Virtual Boy, an early not-so-great attempt at virtual reality, a copy of this game is set to sell on average for $950. Now, this is a rare case, but should give an example of the possibilities that trying to sell old video games can offer. There is space for anyone who wants to sell video games, old and new. How each is handled is completely different, though. Whether or not a game is something lost in an attic or fresh from an unopened case at your local video game store may determine how it can be sold.

New School

Let’s take a look at where to sell video games that are newer and most likely not going to be on the radar of any vintage seller. These games are going to be your big titles like Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, and all of the big sports games like FIFA, Madden, NFL, and NBA. These are titles that are going to line the shelves of stores like GameStop, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and so on. This doesn’t mean that it’s only possible to sell video games like this by working for or running one of these big department stores. All it takes is finding a distributor and setting up a contract, then getting the proper licensing. You’ll need a virtual location to act as a stable market to sell video games.

Okay, this sounds like a lot of official business and paperwork. This is the longer route one can take when determining where to sell video games, but the new video game market offers a degree of stability that trying to sell old games doesn’t usually offer. The new market is also the only source for selling digital titles, as no digital download code can ever be used more than once, completely eliminating them as an option. Trust us when we say that wanting to sell old video games completely changes the rule book.

Old School

Wanting to sell old video games goes by an entirely different set of standards. Some of these are great, with a fair tradeoff compared to selling licensed, new video games. The world of where to sell used video games truly opens up when you sell vintage; it gives a seller the freedom to conduct private sales, participate in auctions, and utilize third-party resources to set up a place to sell their collection.

Now, there is a bit of a crossover between where to sell video games that are new and where to sell used video games. We’re sure you’ve all seen the used video game collections at larger corporate video game retailers. While these are technically used, it is still being facilitated and monitored by a larger corporation that’s been given the right to distribute used titles. It’s not the same as selling that old box of Atari games on eBay. Selling used video games requires a bit of research, because if you don’t already have a collection amassed, some hunting will be required.

Sites like eBay are great for setting up postings to sell old video games, while it is also possible to set up your own site using one of the many fantastic content management systems available online. Ecommerce methods like this place inventory, sales, and other facets wholly in your control.

A Home(screen) for Everyone

Finding where to sell used video games also opens up the world for a more niche community of family-run stores that specialize in the collection and redistribution of things that no longer have a home in the modern video game market. These stores are where to buy, sell, and trade those early 80s and 90s consoles. Take a peek next time you’re trying to find the next hot item to sell, or even when you’re trying to take a trip down memory lane.

If you want to learn how to sell and buy games online, set up your ecommerce store today with Ecwid’s help.