Adelaide Couple Share Why Now is a Great Time to Dust Off and Sell Your Unused Retro Gaming Consoles and Games
Adelaide Couple Share Why Now is a Great Time to Dust Off and Sell Your Unused Retro Gaming Consoles and Games
Whether you’re having a spring cleaning mission or looking to make an additional income, it might be wise to consider dusting off that long-forgotten gaming console and your old video games. Retro gaming is popular right now, and selling your unused games on eBay could turn out to be a lot more lucrative than you might have thought.
“Selling those old consoles right now is a great way to earn a little bit of extra income whether you are a mum, a student or just need a few extra dollars to make ends meet,” explains Brad Kain, from 2AussieThrifters. “There has never been a better time to go through your cupboards and boxes and find those old (or new) video games and consoles.
The video game market has seen a huge increase over the last 6 months, fuelled by lock-downs and isolation. There are a lot more people staying at home who want something to keep themselves entertained.”
Adelaide couple Brad and Jas, started their reselling journey three years ago from a small two bedroom unit, and now share their experiences and tips on Youtube and Instagram to encourage others to earn an extra income. Starting with just $1500 and an idea, the thrifty pair’s eBay store now grosses six figures annually, reselling new and used items found at thrift stores, op shops, garage sales, auctions and store closeouts.
“Initially I was a collector of video games, buying bulk lots to grow my collection and I didn’t really know what to do with the doubles. I had a look around and stumbled across a few YouTube channels in the US talking about selling used items online to make money.”
“I decided to try it out, and when I sold my extra video games, I realised the potential of selling online; so I did some more research, watched a heap of YouTube videos and started trying to find ways to get more items to resell.”
“Reselling has now helped us save to buy our new house, contributes to our holidays and now pays one of our wages.”
So, how do you know whether your console is worth digging out?
“All consoles have their following,” explains Brad, “but older consoles and games are definitely in high demand as people feel nostalgic for the games of their childhood or want to share their childhood pastimes with their own children. Consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (Nes), Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Nintendo 64 (N64), Playstation 1, Sega Master System and Sega Mega Drive are all very popular at the moment.”
“Games with popular characters like Mario or Zelda on the cover tend to move fast, but it’s always worth searching on eBay to see the price that items have sold for recently.”
“The best way to work this out,” explains Brad, “is to do a simple eBay search for the item.”
“Type the item name into the search bar and which console it is from, for example: ‘Super smash brothers N64.’
“This will show you what is currently listed on eBay. Sometimes these results alone can be a little deceiving, as they don’t show you the price that items have actually sold for. To get the most accurate read on the market:
“On mobile filter the results by:
Clicking on ‘filter’
Scroll down to ‘show more’
And click the ‘sold items’ button.”
“This will show you the most recent sales for this item. You can then have a look at items in similar condition to determine the value of your video games.”
“Any game with its original packaging and manual will demand a higher price than unboxed or loose games. In some cases, if the box is in good condition it can potentially double the price of the game (and in some cases much more).”
When it comes to cleaning up your console, the 2AussieThrifters recommend caution.
“When it comes to cleaning though, be very careful how you go about this,” Brad warns, “so as not to damage the item. But it never hurts to try and remove any dust or marks on a console or game just with a clean damp cloth or a product like Goo Gone for tough grime or sticky residue (do not use on any paper, labels or stickers that you don’t want to remove). “
Should you discover that your faithful old console is no longer in good working order 2AussieThrifters say that all is not lost.
“You can even sell gaming consoles for parts only if you cannot get the item to work; this will of course devalue the item, but people do look for parts to fix their consoles.
If you take accurate photos of any marks or damage then buyers will be able to decide for themselves if it’s an item they are willing to buy.”
Feeling inspired to dabble in reselling unused things from around your home? Visit eBay here to get started!
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