PaigeFTW: A Reseller’s Paradise
I recently purged some of my physical game collection. I am an idealist, but even I have to admit that it’s unlikely that I am going to spend 30 hours playing an obscure, 12-year-old JRPG for the Nintendo DS anytime soon.
I asked several friends if they wanted anything, and a few lonely games found new homes. But I was still stuck with about 20 unwanted games. I’m a lazy person. I wasn’t worried about making money. There was only one convenient place to go.
Anyone who keeps up with the pulse of gaming retail has noticed the slow decline of its giant, GameStop. As digital sales rise in frequency, the necessity of a secondhand retailer naturally diminishes.
I noticed it firsthand when I packed everything in a bag to bring to the nearest GameStop — only to learn that at least two of its Hawaii locations had quietly disappeared, including the one closest to me.
This threw me off so completely that I put my bag of games down and ignored it for three months. But this past weekend, I dusted off my to-do list and resolved to get rid of these games, one way or another.
That’s how I discovered Amazon Trade-In.
Yes, somehow Amazon is trying to muscle in on the GameStop market even as it tries to nip at Steam’s heels. But I’m lazy, so I gave it a shot.
I first searched Amazon’s database of eligible titles, and found that 18 of my games qualified for Amazon credit. After analyzing the condition of each title, I printed out a pre-paid mailing label, packed everything up and walked the 5-pound box to the nearest UPS Store.
If all goes well, I’ll be $81 richer. If Amazon decides it doesn’t want my games, or that their quality is lower than I claimed, it will mail them back to me, free of charge. It may well be the most painless resell process I’ve ever endured.
Amazon Trade-In also accepts DVDs, books and electronics. And hey — if we’re going to sell our souls to a corporation, we might as well get gift cards out of it.
