Amazon vs. Toys R Us vs. GameStop: Which is the best trade-in service?
by JC Fletcher 
{ Mar 10th 2009 at 2:31PM }
Amazon and Toys R Us have set their sights on some of GameStop's market with their new trade-in programs. But will they succeed? Is there any reason for customers to offload their junk with any of these new services? Cheap Ass Gamer's Shipwreck compared the three services to try to arrive at an answer.Shipwreck examined each of the three services in terms of factors like commitment to used games, locations, ease of transactions, and, of course, price. The conclusion is a favorable one for GameStop: Shipwreck notes that GameStop has had competition before, and "Toys R Us and Amazon aren't positioned in ways that are significantly different than those who have already thrown their hats into the used game business ring."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Residentevil72501 @ Mar 10th 2009 2:35PM
I think Toys R Us will probably be the best overall. I never sell anything back to Gamestop because they give you like 15 bucks for a brand new game you bought less than a week before and resell it for 55 dollars instead of the retail of 59 lol. Amazon could be great tho! I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon and its always good business.
MarkHawk @ Mar 10th 2009 3:36PM
I've never really gone way out of the way for a TRU sale. So I don't see what savings I'll be making by trading into them since it's all Store credit. I do like how GS has promotional offers and used games but I really hate that my games are being sold back at SUCH a higher rate.
Recently I heard of Goozex from the Joystiq podcast. It's a game trade program. Trade games for points (similar to MS Points) then use those points to redeem other titles.
If your interested, you can click the link below. I can benifit from it if you end up liking the program and using it but so far I think it's the best value around. I could right a whole page on why I am supporting it but check it out for yourself. Especially if your sick of other outlets or looking to see what else is out there.
http://www.goozex.com/referral.asp?idr=6178756537285
JWC @ Mar 10th 2009 4:07PM
2nded, go with goozex my child.
megapenguinx @ Mar 10th 2009 10:57PM
I ended up with a free copy from Goozex, but I keep getting my inbox spammed. Personally I prefer Game Crazy
megapenguinx @ Mar 10th 2009 10:58PM
Oh by free copy I meant a free used copy of the original diablo
Latin_Trident @ Mar 10th 2009 2:38PM
I hope the conclusion isn't guaranteed. I would love to see a "Gamestop Liquidation" sign in front of the mall. Oh the joy!!!
BKB @ Mar 10th 2009 2:39PM
Pretty useless analysis. Basically anyone can debate the pros and cons of each store and their strengths and weaknesses.... but I want a dollars and sense analysis. If I have a copy of Halo 3, NHL '07, and Sneak King.... where can I take those games to get the lowest price on Halo Wars? I know it would be virtually impossible to track trade in values at all 3 places and keep up to date used game prices.... but that's what I'm hoping for. Until then I'm smart enough to know that selling games directly on Craigslist or Ebay always nets you more $$$ than trading in at a store.
Eh @ Mar 10th 2009 7:09PM
Pretty useless? More like ridiculously useless. Is the article giving advice on which company to buy stock in or which company to trade your games to? I dont see how it can be the latter.
"This means customers leave happy with their trade-in experience"
augh
PrarieD0G @ Mar 11th 2009 1:42AM
@ those complaining about the lack of analysis:
Did you even read/comprehend the article? The purpose of the article is NOT to aid YOU, the consumer in choosing where to buy your used games or which company to buy stock in. Nor is it an article praising GameStop for its stellar trade-in values or customer service. It's just a well-thought out prediction based on observations. In other words, an analysis.
Damn, learn to read. :P
Spartan @ Mar 10th 2009 2:44PM
I was going to say Gamestation, but then I remembered 2 weeks ago when I enquired about cashing in my old consoles.
For a:
Xbox
N64
SNES
PS1
Dreamcast
All in working order, with all connection leads, I was offered a grand total of...
wait for it...
£7.50 ($10.28)
Moral of the story. eBay it.
Huey2k2 @ Mar 10th 2009 2:48PM
Don't sell your old consoles. They are collectibles!
Unless you really want to in which case sell them to me.
Duke @ Mar 10th 2009 3:16PM
Dude, I'll give u $15!
Lee @ Mar 10th 2009 3:50PM
Last time I bought something from Gamestation some poor sap infront of me traded in Mario Kart DS, New Mario Bros, Animal Crossing and one of the Advance Wars games for....
Wait for this too...
£10 off a new DS game.
Or £8 cash.
Fuck you Gamestation! Fuck yewwwww.
Spartan @ Mar 10th 2009 4:31PM
All good posts.
I don't want to sell anything, but desperate times call for similar measures.
But yeah, screw gamestation.
Even the pawn shop was willing to give me about a tenner for the xbox and DC.
deanb @ Mar 10th 2009 6:16PM
Yeah go with Pawn shops for console's.
Or if your in NE go to CHIPS, their quiet good for retro stuff (how sad that by 'Retro' I mean anything, minus PS2, older than 6th Gen).
Personally I just don't bother trading in games, sure your getting your new game cheaper, but you still feel like your being ripped off.
neftones @ Mar 10th 2009 2:44PM
Gamefly has a trade-in service as well.
Dirty @ Mar 10th 2009 2:52PM
I was going to mention this as well.
WiredKnight @ Mar 10th 2009 2:46PM
"GameStop does an excellent job of maximizing profits by not offering too much for trade-ins and by reselling those used games at a competitive price."
By "not too much," does he mean "fuck nothing?" And by "competitive price," did he mean "300% of what they paid you for it, and $5 less than a new copy?"
Does this guy work for them or something?
I'd think as a "cheap-ass gamer" he would have taken a different point of view.
Insight @ Mar 10th 2009 2:47PM
The answer to this question is clearly Play N Trade.
mspade17 @ Mar 10th 2009 2:52PM
Try goozex. You don't get direct cash for your games, but you get fair value. You basically trade away games to get points, then spend those points on new games. Sure you have some waiting lists, but I just recently traded away Fable 2 to get Fallout3 and it only cost me 3 bucks ($2 to mail the game and another $1 transaction fee). So I basically got $57 for Fable 2.
http://www.goozex.com/referral.asp?idr=556829171504
URM0MLIK3SME @ Mar 10th 2009 11:39PM
@msspade
I signed up for goozex using your link that your provided (thanks awesome website) but can you clear up some questions I have.
1. Can you keep the games you get from points that you get from trading in your own games.
2. Do you have to pay for the shipping of your games that you trade to other members? Even if there from different countries?
3. How long do you usually have to wait to get/trade a game?
Thanks for you help
mspade17 @ Mar 11th 2009 7:27AM
1. Can you keep the games you get from points that you get from trading in your own games.
Not sure I follow this question, but any games you get from spending points are yours to keep. (And you can trade them right back when you're done)
2. Do you have to pay for the shipping of your games that you trade to other members? Even if there from different countries?
You can setup your account to do just US or also Canada and some Caribbean islands. I just do US. But mailing to US is like 2 bucks, Canada isnt much more.
3. How long do you usually have to wait to get/trade a game?
The key is to get on the waiting list the day a game comes out. I got GTAIV about a week after it came out. And from there it took 2 days to be shipped. The only bad thing is it's not instant gratification, but if you plan ahead (get on a list for a game you know you want) it works pretty well.
One other thing is when you send someone a game you don't get credit for the points until they mark it 'received' in the system. However, after you trade a few games (3 i think) you'll get those points instantly so you don't have to wait for the other person to receive them, that speeds things up a LOT.
WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Mar 10th 2009 2:55PM
Cheapy D gave Toy's R Us negative points for possibly offering you prices that were "too high" for your used games.
In effect, his assessment weighs "which company will do best with its service" not "which is the best service for the consumer."
He also fails to take into consideration that Amazon and TRU have other sources of income, whereas Gamestop only sells games. That means that if used games takes a hit overall, GS would be in a world of hurt, while TRU/Amazon could shrug it off.
*mandatory anecdote emphasizing Gamestop's evils*
butaneko @ Mar 10th 2009 3:10PM
I agree with your points, just wanted to point out that article is by Shipwreck, not Cheapy D!
lockheede @ Mar 10th 2009 4:10PM
Electronics sales account for ~40% of Toys r Us sales.
We (I'm an R-Zone employee) do have decent sales on occasion; there was a $10 gift card with Killzone 2, and there will be a $20 gift card for RE5 on Friday. We have $5 down for reserve on most AAA titles. I've asked the management if they knew anything about the program, but they were in the dark about it. I assume the test markets will be in larger cities (I'm in Buffalo).
I think there is potential there to hurt Gamestop. They've had free reign on trade-ins for too long, so maybe a little competition will help equalize pricing a little.
WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Mar 10th 2009 2:57PM
Also, as pointed out before, there are only two ways to sell games for a decent price:
Craigslist
eBay
All other options result in less money, or worthless excess store credit to spend on already overpriced products.
Vidikron @ Mar 10th 2009 3:15PM
Yeah, I think convenience is what places like GS have in their favor. You can usually come out better by selling directly to another person via Craigslist/eBay or even going to a forum and making a straight trade. But these things take up your time and you have to deal with waiting for a buyer, people potentially wasting your time, packaging and shipping, etc... OTOH you can just walk into GS on the same day you decide to trade in your games and be done with it.
WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Mar 10th 2009 3:17PM
That's true.
I guess it comes down to:
Is your time worth getting $40 cash for a game instead of $12 of store credit?
coleduke @ Mar 10th 2009 3:13PM
My vote is for goozex.
Deck @ Mar 10th 2009 3:50PM
I looked at Amazon's trade-in site last night. Its not really any better than GS it seems. Maybe a couple better deals and even though the postage is free, you still have to have the packaging as well as the effort to ship it and the patience to wait for the credit.
I love Amazon, and I am glad they are giving it a shot, but I really think they are going to have to intice traders with better trade-in values. I know the profit margin wouldn't be as big but, say an extra 15% on what they are doing.
The only other thing I could see Amazon doing is reselling them at a much lower cost than what GS does, even $5 below what they do, and it probably would make it worth it. As then your trade-in money would go farther.
RaFy186 @ Mar 10th 2009 3:53PM
eBay it or Craigslist.org is your friend for buying/selling used games. The end user wins not a company making profit off us
Eh @ Mar 10th 2009 7:21PM
Amazon Marketplace is faster than ebay and way safer than Craigslist. Its prices are also usually the highest.
And since everyone thinks ebay and craigslist are the only places to sell used stuff there isnt very much competition on amazon marketplace.
Chris @ Mar 10th 2009 4:06PM
GAME FLY!!!!!
Rudolphe @ Mar 10th 2009 4:18PM
Ebay, anyone?
Anyway Gamestop wouldn't be so bad if they didn't rape the holy shit out of you on how much they pay you for your old games. Bitches tried to give me $2 for mass effect 6 months after it was released!!
ecco6t9 @ Mar 10th 2009 4:19PM
You guy do know that Toys R Us is scraping by due to being privately owned.
Saria the Cat @ Mar 10th 2009 4:37PM
I like how people get all booty about GameStop giving you $10 and turning around and selling it for $50, like it's all some crazy evil scam. It's called business. There's nothing shocking about it.
What matters is you maximizing your personal gain, not what your buyer will be making later. So go wherever you get the most bang for your buck. Craigslist and eBay may be your best bets.
Kizzle @ Mar 10th 2009 4:51PM
Craigslist and Ebay if you want cash, Goozex if you're just looking to trade your games in for other games. The end.
XDragon @ Mar 10th 2009 4:54PM
In Canada, some Futureshop locations have started taking trades for store credit!
Overall, ebay or craigslist is prob your best but its more work.
Its so easy with EB/Games Stop but they don't give you much.
Rocks @ Mar 10th 2009 5:00PM
word, my vote is for Goozex for trades, and private sales online or offline for sales... don't bother with these middle men re-sellers....
middle men make me sick.
iiijeremy @ Mar 10th 2009 5:20PM
You must be one rather infirm individual, Rocks. Developed society is largely founded on middlemen: grocery stores, retailers, car dealers and the list goes on forever.
Think of that recent Samuel Adams commercial: the salesman takes the beer from the brewmaster and after tasting it says "you sure can brew it", to which the brewmaster replies "but can you sell it". That's basically our society, and every other developed society, in a nutshell. People find an area of expertise and put themselves to work: the glory in being the brewmaster or the salesman is the same, for without both, nothing would happen!
Try not to be such a hater. There's room enough for everyone to have some measure of success and the market will assuredly weed out those that cannot compete and thus do not belong. Welcome to the greatest society in the world, buddy!
Iridium @ Mar 10th 2009 5:00PM
No what Gamestop does is called extortion, not business.
A Gamestop employee actually told me that they lose money selling new games and that is why they have to give you so little for trade-ins. Also that they only make 10% on selling used games.
I laughed so hard I almost collapsed on the floor. I gave the moron a quick lesson in retail business and walked out laughing my ass off.
Part of the quick lesson was that Gamestop would not sell new games if they did not make money, even if it is only 15% which is what the margin is on AAA titles. Shovelware is aorund 40% margin. Then I said that if you buy a game for $60 and Gamestop makes 15% and then trade it in they make 100% profit off of the resale. When the game is bought new it is paid for. If Gamestop gave you $1 for the used game and then sold it for $2 the $1 they made is 100% profit.
Used games are 100% profit people. The least they can do is give you 10% below what they paid for the game initially.
MarkHawk @ Mar 10th 2009 5:29PM
Hey the kid is 16, give him a break. Besides GS does employee a lot of teens. It's a lot better then serving tables.
I like GS I do. I am a little sick of trading in my games and seeing them sold back for much but I am fixing that. I wil stop shop there bi-weekly and I hope they stay around for awhile. I do hope they offer clerence every now Now then or more sales. Maybe just a B1G1 free. Cant keep buying 2...
lasersanchez @ Mar 10th 2009 6:56PM
How is working at GameStop better than serving tables? Servers make pretty decent money compared to most retail clerks.
NOT ME @ Mar 10th 2009 10:57PM
Sorry but that guy lied to you. If you talk to a manager or someone who actually looks at the records, you will find out that trade in carries a nice size tax. So go in there and ask the you spoke to how much the uncle sam takes in from every game trade at gamestop.....you will definitely be surprised. Then there's operation cost. something has to pay the bills. and when talking about what you get back, think about this when other brick and mortor store do trade i.e circuitcity(rip) and toys r us. they make money because they sell hundreds of other things so they can affored to give back more money. GS on other hand only really makes any money on anything BUT trade in. so they have much less flexiblity when it comes to that. Its not like they can make any real money on consoles and new games. hell even the manufactures (except ninty) are barely making money of consoles and games. I don't know if you people know this but trade in value is based on demand AT THAT LOCATION. Soooo that being said if you go in and a game is only 2 weeks old (GTA 4) but you see like 8-10 copies Used on the shelf already, guess what? your gonna get a shitty return on that game. Even i noticed that a few years ago. Perfect example i just traded fear2 over the weekend I got 27. today my friend did it today and got 24. hey it happens. wait until you start trading in real stuff like cars or try to sell your house...then you'll understand that gamestop is no better or worse than anyone else out there......
ampMOD @ Mar 10th 2009 5:10PM
I don't understand why people would trade in their games with Amazon. You can just sell them on there! Sure they take a certain amount for profit after it's sold, but it's not a ridiculous amount. You can still sell games that are still fairly new or a couple years old and get a good amount of money for them. It beats trading in games ANYWHERE. I've sold over 10 games within the past year on Amazon already.
lasersanchez @ Mar 10th 2009 6:58PM
I think there are enough differences between normal sales over Amazon versus Amazon trade in to be worth it for some people.
John Perkins @ Mar 10th 2009 6:18PM
I don't think either one will overtake Gamestop, but I do see Amazon being somewhat successful.
First is the convenience. Personally, I'm interested in trading in games every now and again, but I rarely want to deal with going to the nearest Gamestop which is 15 minutes away, then have to deal with standing in what could be a 10-20 minute line (not all that unusual near me at the times I can go). Being able to surf Amazon's site, pick the games I want to return, then just ship them from my office is a huge bonus. Sure I miss out on the instant return, but it's easier for me to set it up through Amazon a couple weeks before a big release and have the game shipped to me, than to deal with two trips to Gamestop (or one on the day of release and hope they have a copy available).
Secondly, using eBay, craigslist, or Amazon merchant may give you a higher return, but there's no guaranteed sale. I could be waiting weeks for someone to be willing to give me my asking price for a game. Personally, knowing that I have guaranteed sale at a guaranteed price is worth losing the theoretical $10 or so I could have made selling the game to another gamer. I place a high value on my time, so anything that takes more effort effectively costs me more in a non-renewable resource. I'd rather lose money than time.
By using Amazon's service I am able save around 20 minutes or so of my active time vs. Gamestop, and probably at least 10 minutes vs. selling a game myself (plus the guaranteed sale). Personally, I can see myself using Amazon for a majority of my trade-ins and using some other method for games not listed by their service, or that have a much higher margin on eBay and the like (i.e. Ico, FFVII, etc.).
While I doubt Amazon will overtake Gamestop entirely, I know that I will probably use them much more than I use Gamestop for trading in games. Helps that I buy a good 30% of all my purchases through Amazon though.
deanb @ Mar 10th 2009 6:23PM
Does US just have Gamestop to buy games from? like Games-only retailers? As well as being the only place that does trade-ins?
My town has 4 Games-only retailers, all do trade-ins, 1 Games/DVD trade-in only store, and (upto two of them going under at Xmas) 3 stores that sold CDs/DVDs n Games. which HMV recently started doing game trade-ins too.
Too bad the Amazon one seems to be US only, I tend to get a few off my games n films off them so it would be nice to have a bit of cash off.
BigD145 @ Mar 10th 2009 6:23PM
No mention of Craigslist?
lasersanchez @ Mar 10th 2009 6:57PM
I've sold well over 100 games through half.com (which is a part of ebay) and I've had awesome experience with it. I definitely recommend that over trade in if you don't mind putting in a few minutes to sell a game.