What is the best way to sell high value Saturn video games?

March 7, 2016 3:33 PM

Where is the best place to quickly sell $1500 - $2000 worth of Saturn video games?

I have a number of high value Saturn video games. Each one typically sells for $200 - $300 on Ebay, when you can find them. I would like to sell them all at once, but Ebay limits my postings to $500 a month. Is there another forum, website, or online marketplace where I could easily sell these games? Or, is there an easy way to have Ebay expand my monthly limit?

posted by hworth to Shopping (7 answers total)

Ebay is probably limiting liability. And people selling those games for $200-$300 are probably willing to hold onto them for as long as it takes for them to go.

One way is to reach out to the people selling those games and offer to sell your entire collection in one go for some fraction of list value- maybe you can argue your way to 80% of what you think they are worth.

And also, how can ebay possibly limit you to $500? If you list 10 games for 1$ apiece, and they are all bid up to $200 apiece, what does ebay do? Cancel all the auctions? Are you talking about a reserve price limit?
posted by Maxwell_Smart at 4:44 PM on March 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

You could try calling eBay and asking for an increase. That process might be reserved for accounts with a 90 day history of some sales, but it's surprisingly easy to get a real person on the phone. Doesn't hurt to ask. If you're willing to break a few off and sell them to test the waters, your limit will increase drastically on its own. Started selling off some stuff in January, my limit went from 500 to 5000 to 10000 in no time.
posted by Lorin at 5:02 PM on March 7, 2016

Also as a new seller there would likely be a 21 day hold on any funds so quickness is going to be relative even if you do get an increase.
posted by Lorin at 5:05 PM on March 7, 2016

There are Saturn forums with sales areas. Posting there might be the fastest way of selling them, though you might have to go through a broker if you're an unknown on the scene.

Amazon also has people selling used rare Saturn games, so you can post them there, though I have no idea how many buyers actually look there.
posted by Candleman at 5:59 PM on March 7, 2016

Response by poster: To answer a few questions.

1) Not a new seller, though it has been awhile and typically only sold one or two things under $100 at a time. Have a positive customer rating, if that matters.

2) Yes, the limit is the reserve price limit. While the games are regularly selling at $200 - $300, I didn't want to risk letting them go for too little. That might have been an error in judgement and will rethink.

3) When I called eBay I got immediately routed to an automated system, I'll try again tomorrow and try to get a real person and see if something can be done.

It looks like eBay is still the best bet, so I'll work through it one way or another. Thanks for the help. Other suggestions welcome.
posted by hworth at 6:07 PM on March 7, 2016

The best way to maximize profit on ebay is start a 10-day listing on a Thursday (so it gets 2 full weekends) and start at $1 (so it looks like a Super(!) Bargain(!!)). I have routinely sold camera lenses and games for more than I paid for them using this method, but, as always YMMV.
Definitely check what these games are 'trending at' before you commit.
posted by sexyrobot at 6:49 AM on March 8, 2016

Try to work with Ebay's automated system, selecting the relevant options for increasing your limits, and it should eventually take you to an agent. I've worked on that system and recall this option exists but you do need to cooperate. :-)
posted by Dragonness at 8:10 AM on March 8, 2016 [1 favorite]