I have been on a minimalism kick lately after listening to a TED Radio Hour episode that contained a segment by Graham Hill on how much stuff we accumulate throughout our lives.
This episode and this talk in particular inspired me to take notice of what stuff I had accumulated in my relatively short time on this planet. In particular, my eyes fell upon a shelf above my desk filled with old video games, some of which I had yet to even crack open and all of them gathering dust. I didn’t want to just toss them or leave them on the curb outside for some lucky stranger to stumble upon. No, I was willing to go through the tedious process of listing them all individually on eBay and shipping them to their new owners. What follows is the process I took to accomplish this.
1. Using your preferred device (in my case, iPhone), take pictures of every game. For cartridge games, I took 3 pictures (front, back, side that includes game title). For disc games, I took 4-5 pictures depending on the number of discs (front, back, side that includes game title, inside).
2. For each game, search eBay for a similar listing. If you have the case with a barcode, the search bar in the iOS app includes an option to search by scanning the barcode. I found this the easiest method to find the game I was looking for.
3. Tap into a listing with a good title. I found a good title to include the game title, system, and year the game was released. For example, “Spyro the Dragon (Sony Playstation PS1, 1998)”. After tapping into the listing, scroll down and look for a button labeled “Sell One Like This”. This simplifies the selling process greatly. Tap this button and the listing creation screen will pop up with a lot of information pre-filled.
4. Add the photos taken earlier for the title, set the proper condition, set the format to a weeklong auction and price to $0.99, and list it! I suggest using the auction format at a low price so that the item actually sells. The goal, after all, is not to make money. You’d be surprised at how much some titles actually fetch, though. A note on shipping options: I went with what eBay suggested, although if you’re feeling up for the challenge, you can go pretty in depth with what shipping options you offer.
5. Complete steps 2-4 for each game. eBay allows a certain number of free listings per month. Be careful when listing that there is no fee to list it.
6. Once all the auctions have begun, it’s time to pick up some shipping supplies. I ordered a bunch of bubble envelopes from Amazon that even PS2 games manage to snugly fit into. These are great for mailing out individual games, but there are some instances where you can combine shipping. In these cases, I went to my local shipping supplies store and picked up envelopes on an as needed basis. In addition to envelopes, clear packing tape is a must.
7. Wait until all the auctions end (in case the same buyer wins your first and last auctions and wants to combine shipping). Once the payments start rolling in, you can begin printing shipping labels via eBay, taping them to each package, sealing the game up inside, and dropping them in the closest blue mailbox. Make sure to also leave positive feedback for your buyer.
8. You’re done! Swim in your Paypal balance like Scrooge McDuck. Seriously, I’ve amassed over $500 by doing this.
I managed to clear out a lot of old games that are available digitally on newer platforms if I suddenly feel the urge to play them. I took down the empty shelf and the apartment feels more open and less encroaching. I feel far less overwhelmed by all the games that have traveled with me for so long. And now I can make the money earned work for me via an investment account. Far better than old, dusty games sitting on a shelf taking up space and not being played.
I encourage you to watch the TED talk above and listen to the podcast. Maybe you will have a change of heart like I did and realize that many of the things surrounding you on a day-to-day basis are things you don’t use or need.