How to cash in on old video games
- Best Buy takes older and more obscure titles
- Amazon takes games in %27good conditon%2C%27 offers store credit
- Glyde lets users sell directly to other gamers for cash
We have a bin of video games in our home that just got a little fuller over the holidays. So I decided it was time to pare down the library. By promising the kids they could resell any titles they were willing to let go and keep the proceeds for future game purchases, we found about 20 titles to trade in. Just like trading in your old electronic devices, determining where to trade-in video games to get the best price takes a little research. No one site delivers the best prices across the board and some sites only offer store credit. So it literally pays to shop around. Here's how the best trade-in sites stack up.
Best Buy
If you're looking to trade in an older or more obscure title, head over to the Best Buy Trade-in Site. There, you'll find more titles that will be accepted for trade-in than the other sites listed here. Prices track on par with Amazon and like Amazon, you're limited to a store credit. Once you've accepted the quoted price for all of your games, you'll get a prepaid shipping label to send them in. And as long as the item is in good condition (fully playable, but can be missing the case and manual), you'll get a gift card within a couple of weeks. For immediate gratification, you can also bring your games into participating Best Buy stores.
Mario Kart for Nintendo DS: $3
Madden NFL 13 for Xbox: $12
Little Big Planet for PS3: $3
Amazon
For relatively new titles, Amazon is a good choice for trade-in. You'll find it has prices similar to Best Buy and also only issues store credit. However, a credit on Amazon can pay for just about anything you need, making the payout more useful. Games are taken in "good" condition (fully playable plus having the case and manual) or "acceptable" (fully playable but missing case and/or manual) condition. Once you've accepted the quoted price for your items, you'll be issued a prepaid shipping label. After Amazon reviews your games, an Amazon.com Gift Card for the value of your trade-in will appear in your account, usually in two days.
Mario Kart for Nintendo DS: $3 good condition, $2.48 acceptable condition
Madden NFL 13 for Xbox: $12 good condition, $8.40 acceptable condition
Little Big Planet for PS3: $2.80 good condition, $1.95 acceptable condition
Unlike Best Buy and Amazon, you are selling directly to another person throughGlyde, so you may get a better price for your game. You also get cash, instead of a store credit. However, you only get your money when someone buys your game. Glyde lets you list your product in "new" condition (factory sealed, never opened), "excellent" condition (game plays perfectly, minor damage on the disc, case or manual), "good" condition (game plays perfectly, wear on case or manual, manual may be missing) or "cartridge only" (game plays perfectly, no case or manual). When your game sells, Glyde sends you a shipping kit, including a prepaid shipping label. You get paid 48 hours after delivery to the buyer. You can transfer the money from your Glyde account to your bank for free or get a paper check for an additional fee of $2.00.
Mario Kart for Nintendo DS: $8.87 new condition, $8.21 good condition
Madden NFL 13 for Xbox: $24.71 new condition, $20.31 good condition
Little Big Planet for PS3: $9.75 new condition, $0.51 good condition
Suzanne Kantra is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Techlicious. Email her at techcomments@usatoday.com.