The 6 Best Websites To Trade In Your Used Video Games

The 6 Best Websites To Trade In Your Used Video Games:

Video games are an experience, and once that experience is over, you may not have much use for the game anymore. Sure, maybe one day you’ll pick it up and start playing it all over again, but let’s face it. You probably won’t.

Trading in your games can be a good idea, and there are a number of stores that offer this service. They might low-ball you, however. Fortunately, the Internet can expand your options even if you’ve taken up residence at the end of the Earth.

Trading Games For Cash

One of the problems you run into when trading in games is the lack of cash offers. Most stores want you to turn around and buy from them, so they just offer you store credit.

Fortunately, there are two online sites that can help you step around this obstacle, and they both start with a G – Gazelle and Gylde. Neither site is dedicated to games alone. They are both aimed simply at people looking to get rid of old things, as well as people looking to buy used things. You might think that the freedom of cash would result in a penalty, but I looked at some offers and found them to be roughly comparable, and sometimes higher than, the store trade-in credit typically offered for the same titles.

Of the two I think Gazelle, despite a more muddled front page, is probably the better. They will quote you a price on your trade-in without requiring that you create an account. Glyde, on the other hand, wanted me to create an account complete with credit card information before conducting any activity.

Gazelle is also a direct, no-hassle item for cash trade. Gazelle pays shipping on items over $1 and once the item is received and its condition verified, you will receive cash by check or through PayPal. Glyde lists your item and then sends you a mailer to ship it to the buyer once it sells.

Trading Games For Store Credit

If you’re simply like to trade in your game for credit from a big online retailer, you’ll find that Amazon and Best Buy can help you.

Both of these companies run online trade-in programs and they work in basically the same way. You search for the game you want to sell in the company’s database and receive a price for it. If you accept it, you’ll be sent a free mailing label (but the packaging is up to you). After you send it in, the game is verified and a gift card is sent out.

These are simple, easy services with trusted retailers, which is why they offer low trade-in values. The sacrifice is particularly obvious on Amazon.com. If you browse the used marketplace you’ll find games going for two to three times the amount of store credit Amazon will give you for a trade-in.

That’s the price you pay for convenience. You’ll receive less for your game but you don’t have to wait for your item to sell, you don’t have to worry about buyer feedback and you don’t have to pay shipping.

Peer To Peer Trading

Gamers have been trading games in to companies for cash or credit for years. But what if you could skip the middle man and instead trade directly with other games? Wouldn’t that provide a better value? There are in fact two sites that facilitate such trades – Goozex and Mooch. The idea here is simple. You post the games you have up for trade and the games you’d like to receive, then the system tries to find a match for you.

Despite their similar goals, these two sites differ in how they work. Goozex charges a flat $1.99 fee for all trades. They also provide a shipping label, but you have to pay the price of shipping yourself. That may sound expensive, but it works out to be an amazing deal if you’re looking to trade new and popular games.

Mooch is different. The service can be used for free, but it uses a rather complex system of “Mooch points” to try and balance what are considered uneven trades. Mooch points are pricey, so you’re more or less corralled into the $19.99 yearly membership (which includes 100 free points). You also need a paid membership to have access to customer service and guaranteed trades. Shipping is not covered, so you have to pay that as well.

Of the two, Goozex seems better to my eye and has a better reputation online. It’s a much easier system to use and there’s no chance that you’ll end up wasting money on it, something that’s possible if you buy a Mooch membership but then can’t work out any acceptable trades.

If It Were Your Game….

I tend to sell on Amazon when they’re relatively new. That nets a decent price. I’ve used game trading before, and had a good experience with it. But I find the process to be more time-consuming then I’d like.

What system do you prefer? Let us know what you think in the comments.