Buying Used Video Games: A Guide

There are many advantages to purchasing used video games, the obvious ones being the money you save and the wide availability. However, before you go out and spend your hard-earned money on a copy of Final Fantasy III or Xenosaga 2, make sure that you are armed with the knowledge of how and what to look for in a used video game. Though most online video game shops, including the Gaming Graveyard, will allow returns on non-working cartridges and discs, local pawnshops, Ebayers, and people selling in the classifieds usually do not.

Classic Video Game Buyer's Guide

Though we think you should buy all of your used video games and systems at the Gaming Graveyard, there will inevitably be that small proportion of you who don't, and rather than see you get completely frustrated with the whole idea of buying used video games. First, we'll go through what you should look for when purchasing a collection of video game cartridges, discs, or a video game console. Next we'll look at the different place you can get these games, and some buyers tips for getting the best deals.

Purchasing Used Video Games and Systems: What to Look For

The type of media for console-based video games usually falls into two categories: cartridges and cds/dvds. Both formats have specific areas that you should pay attention to when making a purchase from an unknown buyer such as through Ebay, classified advertisements, or pawn shops. Often times, you will find that sellers falling into these 'unknown' categories don't have any sort of quality control on the games they sell: the games may be dirty, covered with stickers, be scratched (in the case of DVDs or CDs), and in the worst case, may not function without proper cleaning, or at all.

Buying Used Video Games on Ebay

First, let us say we're not sure why you might want to consider making your video game purchases on Ebay. Though Ebay used to be a bastion of good deals for the discerning classic gamer, trying to to wade through all the bulk-uploaded garbage can take quite a bit of team and lead to a frustrating online shopping experience. When coupled with the fact that ebay purchases are made to an anonymous seller who may or may not guarantee your games or even be contactable after the purchase, you are taking your chances. For instance, we at the Gaming Graveyard have purchased used Nintendo Entertainment Systems, and in about 90% of them, they all need a new 72-pin Connector before they are playable, regardless of whether or not the auction stated the NES was working. So what can you do? Read on.

There are a number of tips that will help you purchase your used games from Ebay successfully and without issue:

Successful Buying Tips for Ebay Purchases

  • Check the buyer's feedback rating - don't just look at it, but read some of the feedback, especially any recent (within a year) negative feedback. Although negative feedback may indicate an unreliable seller, some negative feedback is the result of unreliable buyers.
  • Examine the shipping charges for getting your items - are the charges reasonable? You can probably estimate how much shipping charges for bunch of used video games will be; just head on over to the Post Office to get an estimate (you may have to guess the weight if you don't know). Keep in mind, that at the Gaming Graveyard, we always display the shipping charges for an item when you view you the product in our store. Just remember, there is probably also going to be a handling charge associated with any shipment, as it does take money and time to package and ship your products. Note that unreasonable shipping charges from an Ebay seller combined with a low item price indicates you might be dealing with a dishonest seller - after all they are trying to cheat Ebay on fees by offering items at a low price and high shipping.
  • Check the return policy. The return policy for sellers is usually listed at the bottom of the auction, so you'll have to look carefully. Many sellers will state in the auction description that items are sold 'as-is', meaning they are probably untested. Purchasing an untested used video game is taking a gamble, which is why we clean and test all of our games and video game consoles at the Gaming Graveyard, as well as state our return policy on each product page.
  • Carefully read the product description. Many buyer's will gloss over wordy descriptions, but beware - you may be missing important terms the buyer hoped you wouldn't notice by placing them in the middle of the description.
  • Make sure that the payment method you wish to use is accepted by the Seller (PayPal, credit card, money order, personal check, bank transfer). The safest purchases are those made by credit cards, as you always have buyer's protection. This isn't necessarily the case with PayPal, and certainly not with a check or money order.
  • If you do get shafted on an Ebay purchase, be sure to file a dispute with Ebay here as soon as possible.

    Stay tuned...more to come...

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