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Where can I buy and sell authentic, quality retro video games and consoles online?
As the owner of an online retro video gaming store, I will admit this blog is biased. However, I am going to go through other online shopping avenues for you to find retro video games, consoles, and accessories for your collection!
I am going to primarily cover why you should shop with us here at Videogamegemvault.com
How it started!
I am in my 30s, and my love for video games started young! The first system that was truly mine was the Sony PlayStation 2 slim. I got older and played other systems and started getting more and more into games. I got hit with the “gaming bug.” Before Facebook Marketplace, the place to find video games was Craigslist. There weren’t many places to buy the “older” games. People always wanted to sell everything in a lot which is understandable when it comes to cherry picking. But… I kept getting duplicates! I started to trade them in at a game store eventually, but often times, I would get non-working games, but at their volume size, I understood. Finally, I decided to put them on Ebay. Boy, how I loved Ebay! They sold… fast. It was a rush! I kept buying a lot of broken consoles and super scratched game discs over the years. In the very beginning, I bought some reproductions, but thankfully I did research before accidentally sending someone a fake game. Often times, just the feel of it is “off.”
One day, I was looking at this NES game and console lot I had just bought, and I remembered when my mom told me about how she had worked extra hours at GM to have enough money for bills and also to buy my older 3 brothers the Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas. The NES console in the lot I had picked up had an annoying blinking red light! I didn’t know how to fix it and I couldn’t fathom the idea of throwing it out, so I’d sell them as is for parts or repair online. They sold fast! But, why? Humans and gaming consoles alike… age… We get wrinkles, and NES consoles get a blinking red light. met a person in a Facebook group years later who could “repair” NES consoles. He fixed mine, but not really. I had this annoying yellow screen, but later figured out why. I thought if this guy can do it… I can. Took me days to disassemble and clean that system. Looking back, my first refurbished console was actually the dirtiest motherboard I have ever seen on an NES. Challenge was accepted and conquered! I wanted to fix everything! I have fixed an NES console, now I can repair everything! My one victory led me to exploration, and I broke a lot… a lot… of systems. These lessons were thankfully cheaper than my college tuition, but they still were not cheap. When I felt overwhelmed, I explored avenues, asked for help, and always thought back to that first NES I fixed so many years ago.
Why buy games and systems from Video Game Gem Vault?
Why not? 😉 We are not a huge retailer. We don’t have thousands and thousands of titles in stock, but we take pride in our work. We don't just "push gaming products" in and out the door. We clean, test, photograph and take time for each individual item. It sounds like a line. I know, very cliché thing to say, I hear myself, but we really do! The price of a game is not even a thought when it comes to disassembling and cleaning the interior of a game, not just the board but the casing shell too! We collect and play video games, and all of us and probably you as well have been duped and sent games that didn’t match the description. It had never occurred to me to take a picture of the bind/side of a video game’s case until I received a copy of Fable II Platinum Hits (has extra content) with a large tear on the bind of the artwork. It never occurred to me to hide that. So, you are a gamer who just wants a working disc, I get it. We’re here to get you that game because every single game (unless new) gets tested, and not just to the main screen. So, you are a collector who wants to know if the game is black label or greatest hits, you will always know because we do not use stock photos. See this short clip as to why! …..https://www.tiktok.com/@videogamegemvault/video/7477236720610577710
As far as gaming consoles aging, as mentioned before we know that they will always have an issue eventually as time goes on. Maybe tomorrow, maybe 20 years, something will need to be cleaned or repaired just as sure as snow falls in Michigan (where we are located). Often, a console stops working simply because it is dirty and needs a little love. This is why unless a console is CIB, fairly new, or in obvious “Mint” condition (very rare), then it is always going to be disassembled and thoroughly cleaned. Working or not, that SNES will get a new pico fuse, that NES lockout chip will get taken care of. A Sega Genesis NON-TMSS console won’t be recapped unless required due to collectability and keeping the system original. This is important to many collectors. I will always make sure I sell the kind of console that I would expect someone to sell me when they claim they refurbish and love gaming. We should never settle for less. If 9 out of 10 game cartridges work that are tested on an NES console that has been restored, that’s not good enough for us. It is most likely the game, but I am going to test it on another console to ensure that it is. I’m not going to sell a partially working console. It’s not just a “job,” it’s something that I love that I turned into a business with my partner. These systems are pre-owned and not spring chickens, they will have wear. However, that wear will never be categorized as “good” or “flawed.” You will see that corner chip in a picture and read about it in the listing’s description. Every console is unique in its own way and has a specific model motherboard that you will see in the description. I have seen people collect every motherboard release for certain consoles. We back our consoles with a 1-year warranty. We back our video games. We back our accessories. You will get your money back or a replacement! Of course, we test games, controllers, and gaming systems, but before polishing the game disc, my copy of Gears of War 3 didn’t glitch until…. “the scene.” I’m not going to spoil it, but you know if you’ve played it.
Why sell my gaming products with Video Game Gem Vault?
Well, let me be honest and start off with “we are resellers and do not pay high end retail for games and consoles.” I am not going to be a company who claims “Top dollar paid, over 90 percent of pricecharting.com value. No business does that, but yes higher percentages come into play with high dollar, rare, extremely sought after titles. But we are more than fair with our cash offers. If you get a better offer, send it to us and we’ll add an extra 10 percent just for the initial insult of an offer! We offer a few different options when it comes to payment so contact us and we'll be more than happy to discuss which payment option works best for you! PayPal G&S, Cashapp, Venmo, a Gentleman's agreement, check, and cash if you are local!
Let’s talk about other game stores online that sell retro video games, consoles, and accessories!
I am going to try to stick with more “facts” rather than opinions (besides Ebay), because I don’t like bashing on other games stores for personal gain. They are a lot of people who offer “insight” on YouTube and other blogs, but the only way to truly know is to try it out yourself!
Ebay – This company has been around for years, and it’s established. I love Ebay. I buy a lot of vintage stuff there! Most people post actual photos, sometimes not many. You can check their feedback but honestly don’t be discouraged by a few negative reviews. I only didn’t buy from someone based on that because of their “less than professional” response to the bad reviews. So, for Ebay sellers, if you cancel X amount of sales and have X amount of negative reviews for X amount of items sold (sorry, don’t know exact numbers) Ebay will suspend you as a seller. Do not be discouraged by no returns accepted. If a seller sends you a non-working game that was stated to be working, then you absolutely can return it. Unfortunately, some people do the “old switcharoo,” but Ebay will track this as well as suspend buyers.
Mercari – They are not as established as Ebay, but they are a similar platform that has gained a lot of popularity recently. I have heard from many sellers that policies are changing often. I don’t believe they offer a huge window for returns on a defective video game. I’m one of those people who may not get to playing a game for months, but that’s okay. If it is pricey, then I would definitely test it to ensure it at least works. I am mixed on Mercari in general, but they haven’t been around since the dinosaurs so I’m sure they are still figuring stuff out.
GameStop – This is an obvious one. GameStop finally dived into the retro video game market! My friend does work there and they are very picky about the titles they accept, so they usually don’t offer a lot of inexpensive games.
Goodwill – This is a joke.... ish, but they do…. At very high prices!
Lukie Games – This is a huge online retailer of video games, accessories, consoles, and tons of items. They also sell on Ebay as well. They are well established, and their prices are most of the time lower than DkOldies from what I have seen. I have yet to purchase from them, but they do have good overall reviews! They do use stock photos for games, I am unsure if they put up real photos for expensive titles.
DkOldies – They have a very big presence on social media and people are very mixed about them to say the least. They are the game company people “love to hate.” They do use stock photos for systems and games. I did notice they do mark up (over Ebay prices) highly sought after titles such as Pokémon video games, and they still use stock photos for those. I did purchase from them before while doing online competitor research and the games were authentic.
Retro vGames - Based in Tennessee (according to the phone number area code) I have been hearing more about Retro vGames. They sell old to new generation video games and consoles. The majority of their pictures are stock photos. I do like their orange theme. They went with it! They have free shipping for orders over $120 that are international and free shipping with no minimum in the USA. I have not bought from them yet, but they sometimes used to drop my video games I had listed on Ebay, but I am assuming it was due to an inventory count being off and realistically every larger retail store or food chain has an inaccurate inventory count.
Level Up Video Games – They use stock photos also. They do sell collectibles, apparel, and Japanese imported games as well.
Do you have additional questions? I am sure that I definitely missed some sites, so let us know your thoughts and experiences shopping on these platforms! We would love to hear from you! 😊
Happy Gaming!😊
- Lauren @ Video Game Gem Vault
We'd love to hear from ya!
Call or Text: (269) 213-5006
Website: www.VideoGameGemVault.com
Email: play@videogamegemvault.com
Office Location (by appointment): 1231 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 205, East Lansing, Michigan 48823
