Videos
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Gather all your stuff, including cables and controllers (if you are trading a system,) and bring it in. We love trades, we always want them. Please don't call and ask the price for 10 games you already know you are gonna trade. If you want to know prices ahead of time, use the website. Please don't format your system, we will do that for you. And super PLEASE don't bring a large trade in 20 minutes before we close.
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When you get to the counter, BE BOLD! Don't just stand there looking at me holding the items. There is a large counter, pull everything out of the bags/boxes, and put it all on the counter. This may come as a shock, but we can't process your trades until you give us all the items.
2b) Did I mention put EVERYTHING on the counter? Do not put the games on the counter one at a time, slowing down the process, and making your fellow guests wait longer. Just hand us the whole pile, we like to sort them and stuff.
3) Don't waste your time telling us everything works. We will test everything.
4) Enjoy your new wealth, re-up your power up card, reserve a game and buy some fun stuff in the store!
Bonus Tip) Take a minute or two to clean up the systems, unplug the cables, maybe even give it a quick dust. If the system is dirty enough, we might have to put a defect fee on it and you will lose value. We get systems that are so dirty sometimes we need to wash are hands after touching them.
You need to add "bring your VALID ID or an adult with one if under 17" 👍
I'd like to add please don't dump all your cables into one bag without separating them with something like rubber bands, especially if you're trading in multiple systems. I don't like having to stand there trying to untangle them all.
I’m going to get flamed for this, I realize it’s an unpopular opinion, but still. but still. I don’t get why people pity those who trade stuff in to GameStop.
The type of people who trade games in, usually are not collectors like us. Some people just do not care to sell games themselves, which is fine, I can see why they sell to GameStop given how easy it is. Maybe they’re parents, kids who’s folks won’t let them eBay them, or folks who don’t even game anymore. Gamestop will take in most games and give you either cash or credit that same day. Life gets busy, and the opportunity cost for a few more bucks gained by selling it yourself is high sometimes.
GameStop should offer more for higher value trade-ins, true, but in buying a physical game, they are taking on the risk of placing them in a brick and mortar location where they may not sell for months (idk how they prioritize which items get shipped to their warehouses for online distribution, but same general rule applies). Prices (both buying and selling price) have to factor in the cost of returns, the opportunity cost of having that item on the shelf, and staff time. I’m a buyer by profession, you would probably shit your pants if you knew how much the markup is for some of the machines I buy, because R&D, administrative, and other overhead has to be taken into consideration.
No one is holding a gun to Gamestop customers’ heads telling them to sell to them. Customers always have a choice and they can always do their research to tell if they are getting a good deal or not. Pricecharting is free, as are sold eBay listings, and the barrier to entry to selling your own games is low.
Also… independent game stores, in my experience, also offer crappy trade-in values compared to “retail prices”, and no one cares. I prefer supporting them over GameStop anyways, but people in this sub fundamentally do not understand how retail businesses make money, just that “Gamestop bad”.
Not trying to defend a billion dollar company here with shitty business practices in some areas, it just gets tiring hearing this same argument rehashed over and over again in the collecting community when they fundamentally do not understand why the disparity between pricing exists.
(Edit: I want to clarify, I really like independent game stores as a whole, was just pointing out that they also have to give trade in values far under retail, but don’t really get flamed for it, compared to GameStop).
I've never done a Gamestop trade-in before, and I know their trade in values are kind of a meme. I can't tell you when the last time I actually went to Gamestop was. But I do have both a Switch 1 and Wii U sitting around.
Just from looking online, who is buying a Switch 1 at this point, and for $150? Sure, people price it like that on eBay, but there's no buyers. And who's buying a Wii U to begin with? You'd be lucky to even get $96 out of it.
Both my Switch 1 and Wii U are in great condition (the Wii U is virtually untouched). No boxes for either, though. Not sure how much that affects trade value. But potentially getting $246 (minus Pro fee) credit on a Switch 2 doesn't seem that bad?
This being a limited deal through 12/24, I'm assuming the trade values will drop afterwards.
Does anyone have any experience trading in an old console towards pre-ordering a new one?
I want to trade in the Switch OLED, Switch Lite, and a few accessories, amiibo, and games.
Is there any benefit to waiting until pre-order day to do it? Or should I do it this weekend to get the credit in my account? Also, should I join the $25 "Pro" membership to get 10% more for my trade-in?