How to Sell Old Video Games for Cash

There are two basic ways to get cash for old video games. The first is to sell them yourself, on an auction web site or in person. This method takes time, however, and can be tricky. Your second option is to sell them using a service like RadioShack's Trade and Save Program.

Store trade-in programs have become extremely popular among gamers. You beat a game or grow tired of it and you want something new for your console; just take them to the store and get cash for your video games. This way, your older games won't languish unused in an entertainment center cabinet.

How It Works

Stores such as RadioShack often buy back games based on their current retail value. You can obtain an estimate either in the store or online. If you choose the latter, you'll be issued a shipping label to send the item to them; for the former, you'll just hand over the game and complete the transaction.

Once the store has received your video game, you'll get store credit in the form of a gift card, which can be used like cash to buy new games or anything else sold by the company. You might choose to put your money toward a new television, for example, or a digital camera.

Do Your Games Qualify?

Whether you're selling your old video games for cash on eBay or using a trade-in program, you'll first want to make sure your games are in good working order. If possible, they should be stored in the original packaging, and should be free of any defects.

Keep in mind that some video games have no current retail value. For these games, you can choose to recycle them through RadioShack or you can attempt to sell them to a private party.

Either way, the more you know about your video games, the better chance you have of getting proper reimbursement. Research the popularity of your games before obtaining a price quote.

When to Trade

It's a good idea to trade in video games for cash if they are relatively recent titles in good working order. You might want to sell several games at once so you'll get cash for all of them at one time.

The good news is that video games are not seasonable items. There is no better time of year to trade than others, which means you don't have to wait around with stacks of video games cluttering up your home. Whether you sell to a private party or go through a store trade-in program, just make sure to take care of your games while they are in your possession.