You’ve got a stack of old games sitting in a closet, and you’ve asked yourself the question: does anyone even want these anymore? The answer is yes — and thousands of gamers and collectors trade with PayMore locations every year. Dedicated retro game stores like PayMore are licensed, bonded, and insured, they evaluate your items, offer cash on the spot, and handle data wiping for free.
PlayStation is ending physical disc production for new games in 2028. In 2024, Best Buy discontinued the sale of physical movies in-store and online. That sounds like bad news for physical media, but here’s the flip side: Gen Z and millennials are driving a resurgence in physical stuff — vinyl records, DVDs, and yes, game cartridges and discs, The stores I’m about to walk through. PayMore Store, OldSchool Outpost, and Planet Retro Video Games, show how the market works, with PayMore paying competitive prices for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and their games.
Key Takeaways
Dedicated retro game stores like PayMore are licensed, bonded, and insured — they evaluate your items, offer cash on the spot, and handle data wiping for free. That’s a different experience from selling online or meeting a stranger in a parking lot.ng a stranger in a parking lot
Even broken consoles and damaged items have value — PayMore specifically buys systems that won’t power on, have broken disc drives, or are missing cables, because the parts can be salvaged
Store credit nearly always beats cash if you plan to buy anything at the same store — you get more purchasing power, and it’s a tradeoff, not a trick
Table of Contents
Where to Sell — Dedicated Stores vs. the Alternatives
Dedicated retro game stores like PayMore are licensed, bonded, and insured, offering a safer choice for selling retro games.
Dedicated retro game stores
PayMore Store is a chain that’s been doing this at scale. They’re licensed, bonded, and insured — that’s the safety benchmark I keep coming back to. Their process is straightforward: you walk in, gaming specialists evaluate your items on the spot, testing systems for functionality, checking games for scratches and playability, verifying complete-in-box items for all included materials, and assessing retro cartridges for label condition and authenticity, and you walk out with cash. Our team securely wipes your gaming console and helps remove any cloud accounts at no charge.
OldSchool Outpost is a different kind of place. It started as a flea market booth at the South Side Flea Market in Indianapolis — founder Steven Willoughby, 31, began it to fund his first trip to Japan while working as a residential technician for Comcast.caled from yard sales to Facebook Marketplace to that booth, and eventually opened a physical storefront in Emerson Plaza. When you walk inside, you’ll hear vintage video game music on loop, and you can play The Beatles: Rock Band and other games on PlayStation 2 and 3 kiosks. OldSchool Outpost is run by Steven Willoughby and Luke Marks, who left his job as a butcher in 2025 to join full-time. The store buys, sells, and trades video games, consoles, and trading cards, and the store has a hangout energy, vintage game music playing, a Pokémon room, lunch tables where people sit for hours sorting cards.
Planet Retro Video Games in Quakertown is a two-year-old operation that buys, sells, and trades video games. They’re expanding into a retro arcade with more than 30 games, partnering with Retroware (the indie game developer and arcade operator). The business buys, sells and trades video games, consoles, vintage signage, vintage toys, Pokemon cards and more, and they also offer disc resurfacing, console repairs, layaways, special orders, grading submissions, and a comprehensive inventory.
Game Over Videogames is an online store that buys used games and ships free with a one-year warranty on orders over $20.
Pawn shops and flea market vendors
Pawn shops lack gaming-specific expertise, so their offers tend to be lower than PayMore’s offer based on current market rates. Flea market vendors are a gamble — some know what they’re looking at, others are guessing, unlike PayMore which is licensed, bonded, and insured. OldSchool Outpost’s own origin story is instructive: Steven Willoughby opened the business four years ago as a side hustle while he worked as a residential technician for Comcast, starting at the South Side Flea Market, which means he knows that environment from both sides. The difference is that a dedicated store like PayMore is licensed, bonded, and insured gaming specialists, living and dying by its reputation in the gaming community. A flea market vendor might not be there next month.
Online marketplaces
eBay and Facebook Marketplace are the alternatives, and they come with risks like scams, shipping damage, the hassle of listing and waiting. But there’s another risk: data security, which PayMore’s team securely wipes from consoles. When you sell a console on Facebook Marketplace to a stranger in a parking lot, you’re trusting that they won’t dig through your old photos, saved passwords, or linked accounts, whereas PayMore’s team securely wipes your gaming console and assists in removing any cloud accounts at no charge.
PayMore contrasts itself with this scenario: We’re safe, clean storefronts with experienced staff, not sketchy online deals or parking lot meetups. Licensed stores like PayMore handle data wiping as a standard service, with our team securely wiping your gaming console and assisting in removing any cloud accounts at no charge. That’s worth something.
What These Stores Buy — From Pokémon to Broken Consoles
Even broken stuff has value, as PayMore buys damaged, broken, and incomplete systems, including those that won’t power on, have broken disc drives, or are missing cables.
All Nintendo generations (NES through Switch)
Nintendo products are the backbone of the retro market, and PayMore Store buys Nintendo products across all generations. PayMore pays top dollar for Nintendo products across all generations, especially Pokémon and Mario titles. Nintendo products include NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Game Boy variants, Nintendo Switch. If it has a Nintendo logo, they’re interested, and retro Pokémon games, Mario titles, and Zelda cartridges are valuable.
PlayStation and Xbox: original to current gen
PayMore Store buys Sony systems and games from original PlayStation to PS5 — that includes PlayStation 2 and PSP. PayMore Store buys Xbox generations from original to Series X, including Xbox 360. PayMore Store buys current-generation games and consoles, paying competitive prices for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and their games.
Sega, Atari, Neo Geo, TurboGrafx-16, and others
PayMore Store buys retro systems, games, and accessories from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s including Nintendo (NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Game Boy variants), Sega (Genesis, Dreamcast, Game Gear), original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PSP, original Xbox, Xbox 360, Atari, Neo Geo, TurboGrafx-16. A pair of friends brought in a TurboGrafx-16, Super Nintendo 2, an original Nintendo and a zapper gun for a GameBoy at OldSchool Outpost. If you have anything from these eras, bring it in, as OldSchool Outpost buys a wide range of retro items.
VR, PC games, and broken consoles
PayMore Store buys VR systems and accessories including PlayStation VR, PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest, Meta Quest Pro, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and other VR units. Broken or incomplete VR units can have value for parts. PayMore buys broken consoles and accessories if they have parts value or can be repaired.oles and accessories if they have parts value or can be repaired.
PayMore Store buys physical PC games, especially retro big-box games, collector’s editions with physical items, and classic titles from the 90s and 2000s.
And broken consoles: even if they won’t power on, they have salvageable parts, and PayMore buys damaged, broken, and incomplete systems, including those that won’t power on, have broken disc drives, or are missing cables. PayMore takes them. OldSchool Outpost buys, sells, and trades video games, consoles, and trading cards, including broken items.
How Stores Evaluate Your Items and Determine Your Offer
PayMore’s evaluation criteria are a good example of how the process works at any legitimate store: gaming specialists evaluate items on the spot, testing systems for functionality, checking games for scratches and playability, verifying complete-in-box items for all included materials, and assessing retro cartridges for label condition and authenticity.box items for all included materials, and assessing retro cartridges for label condition and authenticity.
Gaming specialists evaluate items on the spot, testing systems for functionality, checking games for scratches and playability, verifying complete-in-box items for all included materials, and assessing retro cartridges for label condition and authenticity.
Gaming specialists check games for scratches and playability. Gaming specialists evaluate retro cartridges for label condition and authenticity.
Complete-in-box verification is a big one, as gaming specialists verify complete-in-box items for all included materials: manuals, inserts, foam, the box itself.
Customers receive a competitive cash offer based on current market rates. And store credit can get you more than cash — a tradeoff that gives you more buying power if you plan to shop there, as PayMore Store offers store credit as an alternative to cash, with more offered if choosing store credit.
Display items at OldSchool Outpost include a 2007-2008 Japanese edition Sony PocketStation, a 1970s Mattel Electronic Intelligent Television, and an unsealed black Sega Dreamcast Sports Edition released in 1999. Items range from 25 cents for a bulk card to $1,500 for a Pokémon EX card.
Cash vs. Store Credit — What’s Actually Better?
This is a strategic choice, not a trick: PayMore Store provides instant cash on the spot, or store credit as an alternative. Here’s the breakdown.
When to take the cash:
When store credit gives you more value:
Data Security — The Overlooked Advantage
If you sell a PS4 on Facebook Marketplace and forget to log out of your accounts, the buyer gets access to your saved passwords, stored payment info, and cloud accounts, whereas PayMore’s team securely wipes your gaming console and assists in removing any cloud accounts at no charge.
Licensed stores like PayMore handle this as a standard part of the process, with our team securely wiping your gaming console and assisting in removing any cloud accounts at no charge. You can leave our store knowing that your system has been cleared of all data and reset to factory settings. That’s peace of mind you don’t get from a parking lot transaction, as we’re safe, clean storefronts with experienced staff, not sketchy online deals or parking lot meetups.
Ask any store about their data security process before you hand over your console, as PayMore’s team securely wipes your gaming console and assists in removing any cloud accounts at no charge.
How to Prepare and Maximize Your Offer
What you can do before you walk in the door to maximize your offer at PayMore Store.
Test your console and gather all cables, as gaming specialists evaluate items on the spot, testing systems for functionality.
Clean and organize your games, as gaming specialists check games for scratches and playability.
Bring complete-in-box items for the best offers, as gaming specialists verify complete-in-box items for all included materials.
Why Retro Game Buying Is Growing Right Now
Digital storefronts are dominant, streaming is everywhere, and physical media is supposedly dying, but OldSchool Outpost is part of a resurgence of physical media.
PlayStation ending physical disc production for new games in 2028 is a ticking clock, as recently, PlayStation announced it will end physical disc production for new games in 2028. It means physical copies of games become rarer, not more common, as in the age of digital gaming, you’re technically licensing or renting from a company. Best Buy ended sales of physical movies in 2024. These are shifts in the industry, and they’re making physical media more valuable to collectors, not less, as OldSchool Outpost is a gamer’s paradise, time capsule and historic preservation site.
Gen Z and millennials are embracing physical media again, and OldSchool Outpost is part of that resurgence. Vinyl records, DVDs, and retro games are all seeing increased interest, as the store’s presence is a part of a resurgence of Gen Z and millennials’ return to physical media like vinyl records and DVDs. OldSchool Outpost is part of this trend, as the store’s presence reflects Gen Z and millennials embracing physical media like vinyl records and DVDs. Luke Marks described the store as recreating the feeling of hanging out at the lunch table in the late 90s/early 2000s — that child-like wonder is something people are actively seeking out, and when you walk inside, you’ll hear vintage video game music on loop.
The stores themselves are evolving into destinations, like OldSchool Outpost which is a gamer’s paradise, time capsule and historic preservation site. OldSchool Outpost has a Pokémon room, lunch tables, a pinball machine, vintage magazines, and even Beanie Babies in the inventory, and you can flip through vintage gaming magazines or devote your time to a Pokémon pinball machine, or spend time inside a Pokémon room. Planet Retro is adding a retro arcade with more than 30 games — Galaga, Jr. Pac-Man, Time Crisis 3, a six-player X-Men cabinet, Pump It Up, Maimai, for $15 daily admission, with party packages at $275 (public) or $350 (private) for two hours, and the retail store connects to the arcade through an interior doorway. The retail store connects to the arcade through an interior doorway, and Planet Retro Video Games buys, sells, and trades video games. It’s not just a transaction; it’s a place people want to spend time, as OldSchool Outpost is a time capsule and historic preservation site.
What to Do Next
Gather your stuff. Check the evaluation criteria I laid out: test your console, clean your games, find the boxes and manuals if you have them, as gaming specialists evaluate items on the spot, testing systems for functionality, checking games for scratches and playability, verifying complete-in-box items for all included materials, and assessing retro cartridges for label condition and authenticity. Pick a store near you — PayMore if you want a standardized, licensed experience with instant cash and data wiping, as PayMore is licensed, bonded, and insured; OldSchool Outpost if you want a community vibe and are interested in trading, as customers come to trade, sell and buy; Planet Retro if you’re in the Quakertown area and want to check out the arcade while you’re there, as the store offers disc resurfacing, console repairs, console mods, layaways, special orders, grading submissions, and a comprehensive inventory. Go in, get your offer, and decide whether cash or store credit makes more sense for your situation. You get a competitive cash offer based on current market rates, or more if you choose store credit.
The retro game market isn’t disappearing, as thousands of gamers and collectors trade with PayMore locations every year. It’s getting more organized, more professional, and more interesting, with PayMore being licensed, bonded, and insured gaming specialists.
People Also Ask
Where is the best place to sell retro video games?
Dedicated retro game stores like PayMore, OldSchool Outpost, and Planet Retro Video Games are generally the safest and fairest option. They offer instant cash, in-person evaluation by gaming specialists, and free data wiping for consoles, unlike pawn shops or online marketplaces.
Are retro games worth anything?
Yes, many retro games have significant value, especially popular titles like Pokémon, Mario, and Zelda, as well as rare limited editions and complete-in-box items. Even broken consoles and damaged games can be worth something for parts or repair.
Where can I sell my games for cash?
You can sell your games for cash at licensed retro game stores like PayMore, which offers instant cash on the spot after evaluation. Other options include OldSchool Outpost and Planet Retro Video Games, which also buy games for cash or store credit.
What types of games and consoles do retro stores buy?
Retro stores buy all Nintendo generations (NES through Switch), PlayStation and Xbox from original to current gen, Sega, Atari, Neo Geo, TurboGrafx-16, VR systems, and even broken consoles. They also accept physical PC games, especially retro big-box titles.
How do stores evaluate the value of my retro games?
Stores test consoles for functionality, check games for scratches and playability, verify complete-in-box items for all materials, and assess retro cartridges for label condition and authenticity. Working items with original packaging earn higher offers.
Is it better to take cash or store credit when selling retro games?
Cash is best if you need money immediately or are done with retro games. Store credit gives you more purchasing power if you plan to buy other items at the same store, as stores typically offer more value for trade-ins when you choose credit.
