Interesting look at a Gamestop "used game factory" (IGN)

[storino03]

I like this article because you rarely get to see what the inside of these factories are like and what they do.



http://m.ign.com/articles/2012/08/02/what-happens-to-your-used-games

[FiftyQuid]

Thanks for sharing.  When did GameStop start trading old iPods for $$$?  Or did I misread that?

[storino03]

Not sure when, but they started selling android tablets and ipads within the last year.

[SignOfZeta]

Well, that was depressing. Thanks.

[hizaygizirlz]

Interesting read.

I still don't know why people trade games to them when there are so many better alternatives.

If it is for quick cash they rip you off even more cause don't they knock off 20% of the meager number they would give you in credit.

It's just like that gamefly commercial where they get offerd $9 on a fairly new game.

[wilykat]

Let see:

eBay, wait a week, pay about 20% total in eBay fee and Paypal fee (assuming buyer pays up), run to post office to mail it, get shafted 2 weeks later when the buyer files CC chargeback.

Or list it on CL, get a few people interested, but they are conveniently "short" a few dollars when they meet you in hope they get it cheaper than original offer.

Or wait a few weeks on the forum.  Still got to pay online payment fee. PayPal sucks they charge too much.

If I had something to sell and it sits for a while or if the best offer is close to what local Gamestop pays, I might drop it there.

Or get less money unloading old junk with no waiting.'

Bottom line: Gamestop and places for someone who wants to get rid of junk fast, otherwise go to forum or craigslist.  Yes, eBay may get more money but after fee you may end up less than on forum or CL anyway.

[Bernie]

Gamestop sucks..  That is all.

[motdelbourt]

It's weird that they would bother sending discs there for repair. I suspect that there are other reasons like inventory control and storage. I wonder how many games they have just flat out destroyed over the years?

Used hardware on the other hand has the potential to be disgusting, roach ridden filth. And of course they want to wipe the memory from everything.

[SMF]

When i was younger me and a friend dumpster dove and pulled out NES,SNES,N64, Genesis, Dreamcast games and some systems. I always wondered why they would just toss them in the trash. Granted they tried to destroy them but cmon whats a cracked case gonna do?

Thats also where i picked up a few game boxes and system boxes lol. Now you dumpster dive and you get crap or a padlocked dumpster lol.

[SignOfZeta]

Let see:

eBay, wait a week, pay about 20% total in eBay fee and Paypal fee (assuming buyer pays up), run to post office to mail it, get shafted 2 weeks later when the buyer files CC chargeback.

Or list it on CL, get a few people interested, but they are conveniently "short" a few dollars when they meet you in hope they get it cheaper than original offer.

Or wait a few weeks on the forum.  Still got to pay online payment fee. PayPal sucks they charge too much.

If I had something to sell and it sits for a while or if the best offer is close to what local Gamestop pays, I might drop it there.

Or get less money unloading old junk with no waiting.'

Bottom line: Gamestop and places for someone who wants to get rid of junk fast, otherwise go to forum or craigslist.  Yes, eBay may get more money but after fee you may end up less than on forum or CL anyway.

I have an even faster solution: don't buy junk.

A better deal can be had at indie game stores. Most indie shops pay significantly more than Gamestop does. Unfortunately, most people are too stupid/lazy to even learn about the indie shops in their town.

[munchiaz]

Let see:

eBay, wait a week, pay about 20% total in eBay fee and Paypal fee (assuming buyer pays up), run to post office to mail it, get shafted 2 weeks later when the buyer files CC chargeback.

Or list it on CL, get a few people interested, but they are conveniently "short" a few dollars when they meet you in hope they get it cheaper than original offer.

Or wait a few weeks on the forum.  Still got to pay online payment fee. PayPal sucks they charge too much.

If I had something to sell and it sits for a while or if the best offer is close to what local Gamestop pays, I might drop it there.

Or get less money unloading old junk with no waiting.'

Bottom line: Gamestop and places for someone who wants to get rid of junk fast, otherwise go to forum or craigslist.  Yes, eBay may get more money but after fee you may end up less than on forum or CL anyway.

I have an even faster solution: don't buy junk.

A better deal can be had at indie game stores. Most indie shops pay significantly more than Gamestop does. Unfortunately, most people are too stupid/lazy to even learn about the indie shops in their town.

This. Also with an indie game show they are way more flexible and can give u deals that gamestop cant. I was at my local store today and they priced out the games a guy was selling to $38, and then bumped it up to a even $40. Once because the guy has traded there before, and 2, because they can. They will take the time and look up wha price the games are going for and let you know what they sell for at other retail places before you trade it in. 

[DragonmasterDan]

I have an even faster solution: don't buy junk.

A better deal can be had at indie game stores. Most indie shops pay significantly more than Gamestop does. Unfortunately, most people are too stupid/lazy to even learn about the indie shops in their town.

In some areas there just aren't many or any indie game shops. I live in a major metropolitan area and up until a couple of years ago there really weren't many alternatives to GameStop. In the past few years a number of Play N Trade franchises have opened (and quite a few have just as quickly closed) to provide some competition. But for people looking to buy or sell old games, there weren't many alternatives without driving quite a distance and burning up a lot of gas.

[Chuplayer]

wipe hard drives at least three times.

Security is key here. Not just the suspicious-boss kind that prevents anyone from pocketing a couple of iPhones. But the kind that makes sure your gamer-tag records or your credit card details or your girlfriend’s phone number are wiped clean

Somehow I don't believe this. I've gotten enough crap games from Gamestop over the years, and I even got an Xbox 1 with an active XBL account on it. I was literally able to play on XBL because the previous owner still had their info on there, and somehow it was still being paid up.