14 tips for selling your games on eBay

Selling your used games at GameStop or other trade-in stores often leaves you feeling like you got a raw deal, especially when you see the game you just sold on sale for three-times what you sold it for.

Choosing to sell online is a great way to cut out the high street middle-man and get a fair price for your used games. I’ve sold my games on eBay for years, and found it’s a great platform to do so.

Here are some some tips based on my experience:

1. Save money on packaging and postage

Something that surprised me the most when I started selling old games on eBay was how much I was spending on the postage and packaging. It’s always worth sending your games in high-quality padded envelopes rather than paper-only, and it isn’t worth going for boxes unless you’re sending multiple games at once. Depending on where you live, the size might also affect the cost, so check this out before you buy.

The best thing to do is buy in bulk online and avoid buying at the post office, where they are inevitably more expensive. I use these envelopes for all my games and it does the trick.

2. Check the going prices before you list

It’s always worth checking the going rate for any games you’re about to sell. You never know – some games may surprise you and be rarer/more sought after than you thought, and some games may go for so little that it isn’t worth your time selling them.

3 Boxes and manuals matter

It’s especially important for older games, but selling your game with the original packaging and instruction manual makes it much, much more valuable. It’s worth rooting around in the attic/basement for old manuals if you’re missing some, as this will be what collectors really go for.

Alternatively, do an eBay search for manuals themselves, as some people have the opposite problem – a manual but no box or game – and sell the manuals standalone.

Also, as a note for the future, keep your game boxes and manuals in as good a condition as you can.

4. Don’t worry about minimum thresholds

Minimum thresholds really aren’t worth going for, and only serve to put off prospective buyers from bidding.

5. Always go 7 days

7 days is the maximum time to list an item on eBay, and unless you’re in desperate need of a quick sale it’s always worth going for this options. It simply means more eyeballs on your games, which means more potential watchers and bidders.

6. List on Sundays

The stats show that Sundays are the best days for eBay sales, as this is when most people are online. Another truism is that items receive the most bids in their last 24 hours of being on sale, so the best way to maximise your potential is to combine these two facts by publishing your listing on a Sunday, meaning the final day of the auction will be on a Sunday.

7. Always go auction

In my experience, it’s always best to go with the auction option rather than the Buy it Now. For one, it makes your product stand out amongst the trillion other ‘eBay Store’ listed items, and the final auction prices almost always go for what you’d have listed as the Buy it Now price. eBay also charge a fee for Buy It Now items, so you’re saving already.

8. The more photos the better

There’s a reason eBay are constantly telling you to upload more photos when you sell – it works. The stats show that the more photos of a product there are, no matter how similar, then the more that item sells for. Go for close ups, full shots, and different lighting/angles. The more the better.

9. Always use real photos of your games

Speaking of the photos, always use genuine photos of the actual game you are selling. Don’t use stock photos of the game’s cover, and don’t bother with screenshots. People shopping for the game already know what they’re looking for, they want to know about the quality of the specific item they’re buying.

10. Communicate with the buyers, don’t be shy

Customers really love it when you send them a personal message once they win the bidding. Congratulate them on winning, and ensure them when their item will be delivered. It puts their mind at ease and differentiates you from the faceless eBay Stores.

11. Describe everything about the condition of your games to manage expectations

Whatever you do, do not exaggerate the condition quality of your games. If there are sratches on the box or the manual is torn, don’t lie. It’s much better to manage their expectations so people know what they are buying – it’s better to over-deliver than disappoint, as you’re guaranteed negative feedback if someone’s disappointed with the quality.

12. Title is key

When selling  game, make sure you include the title of the game, platform of the game and localisation in the product title. For example:

Rayman Legends – Playstation 3 (PS3) – PAL (European) Version

… will get a lot more views than just ‘Rayman PS3‘ or something equally less descriptive/accurate.

13. Stick to your delivery promises

If you say you’ll do next-day delivery, make sure you hit that target. People get annoyed when they expect prompt delivery, and if you fail to deliver they may not buy from you again. There’s nothing wrong with committing to delivery 2-3 days later.

14. Thank people and rate them

Ratings mean everything on eBay, for both buyers and sellers. If someone is prompt in payment, give them positive feedback. It will go a long way and increase the likelihood that they buy from you again.

Here’s that link again to those envelopes. Good luck!

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