GameStop to experiment with retro game and console trade-ins [Eurogamer.net]

[DP ServBot]

http://forum.digitpress.com//images.eurogamer.net/2013/articles/1/7/4/9/2/1/5/gamestop-to-experiment-with-retro-game-and-console-trade-ins-1429140125878.jpg/EG11/resize/300x-1/format/jpg/1749215.jpgGameStop is going to experiment with accepting and selling used retro consoles, accessories and video games.
The popular retail chain revealed this upcoming trade-in program to IGN (http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/04/15/gamestop-to-offer-classic-consoles-and-games), where it noted that this will begin as an experiment across roughly 250 locations in New York City and Birmingham, Alabama.
IGN reported that starting on 25th April participating locations will accept video game goods dating all the way back to the NES era. If the program is successful, GameStop hopes to expand it nationwide by the end of the year.
Read more… (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-04-15-gamestop-to-experiment-with-retro-game-and-console-trade-ins)

[Nz17]

Nobody will probably read this, but I'm going to write it anyway.

GameStop? In the classic games business? Good God, I hope their experiment runs afoul and they drop this venture! We don't need people trading in CIB copies of really old games and consoles so that GameStop can pay the people pennies while shucking the boxes and manuals into the trash. It is hard enough to find this stuff complete as is!

[FieryReign]

I'd like to know where they are going to put their inventory? You cant even walk in one of those tiny ass stores as it is, with all of that promotional junk everywhere. I don't see this lasting long, I hope it fails so hard that it puts them out of business.

[celerystalker]

My initial thoughts were similar-screw them. Then, as I thought about it, I wonder if an executive or advisor has seen the writing on the wall with modern physical media, and has identified used retro games as collectibles as the sustainable business model for the future. There's no margin on new consoles, and with this newest generation's scare from Xbox One about not being able to sell used games before launch, surely the push toward DRM-laden digital copies must be evident. If so, they're probably making the smartest future-forward decision available to maintain sales and profit expectations and minimize down-sizing.

One potential consumer positive-if they do this, the broader availability of old games could very feasibly drive prices down a bit by reducing consumer competition on online outlets like ebay. I think it's worth watching before getting too worked up the more I think about it.

[retroguy]

One potential consumer positive-if they do this, the broader availability of old games could very feasibly drive prices down a bit by reducing consumer competition on online outlets like ebay. I think it's worth watching before getting too worked up the more I think about it.

Actually, it looks like ebay prices are already starting to come down. In the last couple of weeks, I've noticed that a lot of stuff, even the cheap stuff, isn't selling. Alongside that, I've noticed new listings for stuff at lower prices than they used to be awhile ago and it still isn't selling. That tells me that any arguments about "supply and demand" are invalid because the demand doesn't seem to be there anymore. Admittedly, this could just be a temporary dip, but I'm hoping it's a permanent one.

[celerystalker]

It'd kind of difficult to tell if a current dip is anything, as March-June are typically low volume retail season, whereas October-December are peak. If summer hits and it stays down, that'd be sweet.

[Tanooki]

I'd like to know where they are going to put their inventory? You cant even walk in one of those tiny ass stores as it is, with all of that promotional junk everywhere. I don't see this lasting long, I hope it fails so hard that it puts them out of business.

The story I read said it was sales through the website alone. People will bring in old systems and games, and GS will have the employees box them up (weekly?) and ship them to their main warehouse dedicated to this. There they'll clean or address any issues, pitch the broken crap the min wage kids don't bother to check properly, then catalog, inventory, and shove it up on the website to buy.

Personally I'm all for it, as long as they don't go stuffing manuals and boxes into the incinerator. It will shove a lot more product out of hiding as people find stuff and want cash/games(modern) for their 'old crap' they don't use. Two, since they're so damned huge, they can then lowball all the scalpers online and screw with the bottom line of what sells for and still make a killing on it. And I have no problem with that either. :) (If they did it.)

[bb_hood]

Actually, it looks like ebay prices are already starting to come down. In the last couple of weeks, I've noticed that a lot of stuff, even the cheap stuff, isn't selling. Alongside that, I've noticed new listings for stuff at lower prices than they used to be awhile ago and it still isn't selling. That tells me that any arguments about "supply and demand" are invalid because the demand doesn't seem to be there anymore. Admittedly, this could just be a temporary dip, but I'm hoping it's a permanent one.

Prices in general will go up and down with the season. Flea market season pretty much has begun and more people are spending time outside. Wait a few months and prices will go back up.



since they're so damned huge, they can then lowball all the scalpers online and screw with the bottom line of what sells for and still make a killing on it. And I have no problem with that either. :) (If they did it.)

Yeah, keep dreaming. If you think GS will undercut ebay prices you are living in la-la land. There is no secret treasure trove of Chrono Trigger & Earthbound games that GS will be dishing out at 20$ each.

The reality of GS is that they just suck. They plaster stickers over everything used, and their prices are just not good. Dont want to turn this into a GS bashing thread, but if you are a collector who values the condition/completeness of the items you buy, then you are probably just better off not dealing with GS at all. Get ready for loose copies of Mario 3 at 50$ each and 'beat-to-shit but working vintage consoles' at 100$ each. If anything it would raise prices.

GS cant even handle Amiibo preorders. What makes anyone think they can handle vintage game trade-in is beyond me.

[Tanooki]

I never said they'd be $20. I'm thinking of people as they have been keep trying to inch stuff up, and then GS being the big lazy gorilla in the room just sets say EB normally sells for $150-170 and GS sets $150 and leaves it there for awhile, it'll make it a little harder for some ebay scalper to keep trying to inch the price up when you have a ready supply of limited used copies from GS $10-20 less. That's what I was thinking, not that you'll find games back down to the prices they were years ago. We need that well deserved correction for that to happen. They handled vintage game turn in and turn over during the previous decade and did fine with it, sure the quality of the games were hit and miss just like at any random location, but they handled it fine before. I'm not a fan of them, but if they don't go torching paper stuff I don't see a problem with it.

[Sailorneorune]

Local GS manager said the old stuff is mostly going to the largest stores in major cities (read: nowhere near most of us), and to international markets. It MIGHT be available online. I think we should expect the "good stuff" to be out of reach monetarily, geographically, or both.