10 essential tips for selling your Switch games on eBay
Selling your Switch games once you’re fnished with them is always a great move, as it allows you to save money and potentially purchase more games. After all, gaming isn’t exaclty the cheapest of hobbies.
What’s unique about the Nintendo Switch is that its games tend to retain their value really well, meaning you can often sell your games for close to what you paid for them, particularly if they’re Nintendo-published games like Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Selling your Switch games on eBay is by far the best method of selling, too. Whatever you do, do not sell or exchange them in a retail store like GameStop. You’ll be ripped off completely. Cutting out the middle man with eBay means you and the customer both get the best deal.
But it isn’t that straightofrward, and there are a few easy mistakes to make. I’ve been selling my games on eBay for years, and over that time I’ve learned the best practices to ensure you get the most views, bids and highest possible value for your Switch games as possible.
Here are my 10 tips based on what I’ve learned from my experience:
1. Save money on packaging and postage
What surprised me the most when I started selling my Switch 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 can be more expensive. I use these envelopes for all my games and they do the trick.
2. Research the prices – don’t get greedy, and don’t be too generous!
Possibly the most crucial tip here. You may be tempted to list your copy of Mario Kart 8 as full price, but you may find it’s going for a little less. And on the flipside, some games might surprise you and be worth a lot more, so it’s equally important to check that you’re not listing things too cheaply!
3. Accurately describe the condition
There’s nothing worse than a seller that isn’t 100% transparent about the condition of the product. If your copy of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has some scratches on it, or the box is a little chipped – say so. This has multiple benefits, as it a) builds trust with the customer, and they’re more likely to return, b) differentiates you from the soulless ‘eBay stores’ that don’t actually have an individual behind them, and c) 99% of people don’t actually care about blemishes – they know they’re buying a used copy, so don’t sweat it!
4. Provide clear pictures, and lots of them:
When it comes to photos, the golden rule is that there can never be enough. The stats show that the more phots there are of your game, no matter how similar they may be, the more likely the product is to sell. So don’t be shy, get close ups of the Switch cartridge, the box and the manual if there is one.
Ensure the camera is decent (most smartphones have good-enough cameras now), and the game is in a well-lit area with no clutter surrounding it. I like to take mine on a nice wooden table, as it adds some rustic quality and re-enforces that I’m just a guy selling my games, not a faceless corporation. And people like wood!
5. Use keywords in the title
Another easy mistake to make is not being specific enough in the listing title. Always ensure you include the title of the game, platform of the game and localisation in the product title. For example:
Pokémon Legends Arceus – Nintendo Switch – PAL (European) Version
… will get a lot more views than just ‘Pokemon Arceus‘ or something equally less descriptive/specific.
6. Offer fast shipping
Thanks to Amazon Prime, people not only love fast shipping, they expect it. Consider offering expedited shipping options and accurate tracking information, and this will really enhance the experience and differentiate you form other buyers.
7. Respond to questions promptly
This one is also huge. Do not be shy with your customers – responding to them quickly in an honest, personal and friendly manner goes such a long way. If people have a greivance, 90% of the time they just want to be heard and understood.
I also like to take this one step further and congratulate the winning bidder with a personal ‘Well Done’ message. People love it and again it helps build that trust for future sales.
8. Offer combined shipping
This one can save you a lot, and encourage people to make more than one purchase if you’re selling a bunch of Switch games at once. Combining the shipping essentially offers a discount to bulk purchases, as you can bundle all the games together and spend less on the packaging and shipping yourself.
9. List with a Buy It Now price
This is an often-debated point: should you include a Buy it Now price? I used to avoid it, but with Switch games I’ve found it’s often what people want. Generally people buy Switch games don’t fancy a bidding war, they know the value and they want the game now. So a Buy-It-Now price allows you to sell your games faster, as you don’t have to wait for the auction to run its course. It’s worth experimenting with this to see what works best for you.
10. Be aware of regional restrictions
This one can catch you out, as some Switch games have regional restrictions, so check these before listing and state any restrictions clearly in the description. It’s the absolute worst when someone in America buys your European-region only game, and rightly demands a refund because it wasn’t clearly stated. Repeat it multiple times if you have to!
11. Offer a warranty or return policy
A warranty or return policy again has multiple benefits. You can build trust with the customer, differentiate yourself from other buyers, and just generally appear like the trustworthy seller that you are. This one is a no-brainer.
And a final bonus tip that should go without saying – thank people, and rate them! Ratings are everything in eBay, and it costs you nothing to do.
Here are those handy envelopes again. Happy selling!