Gaming, dating back as far as 1972 (1950 for those who want to split hairs), has had a controversial, yet fascinating history.
Now, 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 market 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
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or analog, the fact is that at some point along its evolution, its older formats and paraphernalia are going to be outdated and replaced by what’s new.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 them 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.
“Tetris” for the Sega Genesis. One of the rarest and the most expensive cartridges. Source.
A great example would be something like the SD Gundam Dimension Wars from 1995. Released on the Virtual Boy, an early
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 supplier 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
Now, there is a bit of a crossover between where to sell new video games 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.
Sourcing Your Video Game Inventory
Selling used video games requires a bit of research because if you don’t already have a collection amassed, some hunting will be required. You want to take a look at the market and see what people are searching for and what games they are desperate to hunt down. You can then find these games to offer them within your store.
In the early days, it may take some time to source a collection of games worth selling. You can browse garage sales, eBay listings, and Facebook marketplace to begin building your inventory.
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.
Video Game Niches
When selling video games online, there are a couple of different niches to understand. Knowing and understanding these can help improve marketing toward these groups.
Collectors
Of course, collectors are often looking for coveted, old, or rare games. These can be some of the best customers within the video game market, as they are knowledgeable and fans of the industry. They may be searching for particular games or even older consoles that are no longer available.
Fans of a Genre
Some buyers may even be into a particular genre of game that is hard to find. For instance, certain older horror games are highly sought after and go for a higher price, such as Silent Hill or Resident Evil titles.
This is also the case for certain RPG games or fighting games as well.
Competitive vs Casual Players
Competitive gamers are often looking for the next best game to play, or they may be looking for accessories that often offer advantages, such as a style of controller or control pad that performs better within certain games.
Casual gamers, on the other hand, are more
Marketing Strategies for Selling Video Games Online
A key part of being successful at selling video games online will be employing the right marketing strategies. There are many online video game sellers, so you will need to use targeted marketing to bring in traffic to your store.
This includes factors like:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO means optimizing the text within your page or storefront to help you appear higher in search results.
For instance, if a common search is “old fighting game titles,” it can be advantageous to work this into your page. This is a simple example, but it serves to show the point of SEO. You want to meet your customers at what they are searching for.
Digital Ads
Digital ads are another way to get your store out there. When running your own store from a website, this means advertising in places like Google.
If you are using a
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing can be an incredibly effective way to find game lovers. There are two separate parts to social media marketing.
Firstly, you can run ads across social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Secondly, you can create your own media content on social media posts to build an audience and bring in customers.
Influencer Partnerships
With game streaming being a massive industry, partnering with influencers can be a good way to get your store out there.
This doesn’t mean you have to go right for massive streamers or influencers with millions of followers. This can potentially be an option down the road, but early on, it can be expensive.
Instead, you can reach out to smaller streamers with growing audiences of a few thousand. There could still likely be a fee, but some may be happy with receiving a free product in return for promotion.
Prior to working with any influencers, you should create an influencer contract or find a template online. This helps to establish the guidelines for the working relationship, as well as helps protect both parties.
Returning Customer Incentives
Another great way to get your business going is to offer returning customers incentives. This can be done through coupons for their next purchase or a discount for referring a friend with a particular code tied to it.
You could also offer a loyalty program so that people get a certain discount after buying so many things or spending so much. To reach out to previous customers, make sure to get their emails when they buy so that you can send out email campaigns.
Monitor Your Efforts
Don’t forget to monitor any marketing efforts that you start. You want to keep track of it’s performance and metrics like impressions, conversions, traffic, etc.
These metrics will help tell you whether your marketing efforts are working or if they need some tweaking to improve.
Sell Video Games on Your Own Store with Ecwid
If you are looking to launch your own online store to sell new or used video games, then Ecwid can help.
Our ecommerce software makes it easy to have your own online store up and running in no time. You can see all of your key metrics at a glance and even integrate across numerous other platforms, including eBay and more. This makes it easy to see everything you need on one easy dashboard.
The best part? You can get your own store started today for free. Moreover, you can check out the Ecwid Academy to learn everything you need to know about running a successful online store.
