How to sell video games on eBay, in short: pick the condition grade eBay's definitions fit, price from what the same game and edition actually sold for (not from asking prices), photograph the disc, case and manual, ship with tracking, and know that if a buyer says the game isn't as described, you pay the return shipping. The rules below come from eBay's own help pages, checked on October 30, 2026, and the sources are listed at the bottom. Policies change, so recheck before you list.
This guide builds on our full guide to selling on eBay. Nothing here is a promise of what you'll make: prices move, copies come back and some stock doesn't sell.
What sells: sealed, used and retro
Most video game flips fall into three buckets. These are our observations, not eBay data.
- Sealed new releases and limited editions. Collector's editions, special bundles and first-run copies that sell out at retail. The upside is the biggest, and so is the risk: you pay retail up front and prices can fall after launch hype.
- Used games that are in demand. Complete copies of games people still search for. Margins are thinner and depend on condition.
- Retro games and bundles. Older cartridges and discs, and lots of several titles. Condition and completeness (box, manual, inserts) can matter as much as the title.
Whichever you pick, the method is the same: know the exact edition, grade it honestly and price from sold data. Our guide to how we find products that resell covers sourcing. Our Lowkey Flips channel is where our team shares what it's watching.
How eBay grades condition for video games
eBay's condition-by-category help page lists these options for the group "Movies & TV, Music, Video Games" (checked October 30, 2026). The wording below is paraphrased except where quoted:
| Condition | What eBay's page says |
|---|---|
| Brand new | Never opened or removed from the manufacturer's sealing, in original shrink wrap where applicable |
| Like new | Looks as if it was just taken out of the shrink wrap, no visible wear, flawless and intact |
| Very good | Used, no case or cover damage, instructions and box included, disc "doesn't skip" |
| Good | Used, minor case or cover damage allowed, instructions included |
| Acceptable | "Obvious and significant wear but is still operational"; instructions and box may not be included |
eBay also lists refurbished grades (Certified, Excellent, Very Good and Good Refurbished) for manufacturer or professional refurbishment.
For game consoles, the page uses a different list: New, Open box, the refurbished grades, Seller refurbished, Used and "For parts or not working." eBay's "Used" for consoles means fully operational and working as intended, and "For parts or not working" covers items that need repair or are missing essential parts.
Two honest limits. The page doesn't say which list applies to the Video Games & Consoles category as a whole, so use the grades your listing form offers. And we found no page from eBay that sets rules for "tested" notes, region codes or photos specific to games, so treat anything on those topics below as our advice, not eBay's rule.
How to price video games from sold listings
An asking price tells you what someone hopes to get. A sold price tells you what a buyer paid. Price from sold data:
- Match the exact item. Platform, edition, region and whether it's sealed, complete or loose. A collector's edition and a standard copy of the same title are different items.
- Match the condition. Compare a sealed copy to sealed sales, and a loose disc to loose-disc sales.
- Look at several recent sales, not one. One unusual sale (an auction that ran hot) isn't a price.
- Check the trend. Is the price rising, flat or dropping since launch?
Where to find sold data on eBay: sellers with Seller Hub can use Product research, which eBay says gives access to the last 3 years of eBay sales data. It can be filtered by date range, condition and listing format, and eBay says it shows the actual price an item sold for, even when a Best Offer was accepted. Separately, eBay says you can find your own sold items for the last 2 years in Seller Hub or My eBay. That's your sales only, not the market.
We didn't collect sold prices for a specific title for this guide, so no market figures are quoted. When we do share prices in our other posts, we label them with the date checked.
The fee math on a sealed game
eBay's selling fees page, which we read for our eBay seller fees guide on October 27, 2026, lists a final value fee of 13.6% for most categories plus a per-order fee ($0.40 on orders over $10). It has no separate Video Games & Consoles row, so we can't confirm a special rate for the category. Confirm the rate in your Seller Hub before you rely on it.
Here is an illustration using the standard 13.6% rate. Every input is an assumption, not a market price:
- Retail price you paid: $70
- Sold at: $100, with $6 shipping paid by the buyer (sale total $106)
- Fee: 13.6% of $106 = $14.42, plus $0.40 = $14.82
- Your shipping label: $6.00, supplies $1.00
- Left: about $14.18 ($100 + $6 − $14.82 − $6 − $1 − $70)
Move the sold price to $85 (same $6 shipping, fee $12.78) and you keep about $1.22 after the same costs. The edge is thin, which is why the math comes before the purchase. Sales tax is part of the fee base too; see the fee guide for the tax example, and the reseller fees comparison for other platforms.
Photos and what to show
eBay's pages we read didn't set photo rules for games, so this is advice:
- Front and back of the case, plus the spine. Buyers check spines.
- The disc or cartridge itself, with the label visible, and the manual and inserts if included.
- Seals. For sealed games, photograph all sides and any tears or dents in the shrink wrap. Say plainly if the wrap is damaged.
- Serial or region info from the case or label, so the buyer knows what they're getting.
- Any wear, up close. A scratch you don't photograph becomes a return later.
What to check before you list
- Platform and region. Say which console it's for and where it was sold. Regional versions can't always be played on every console.
- Completeness. Case, disc, manual, inserts, download codes. Say what's missing.
- Does it work? If you can test a used game, say you did and what you checked. eBay's page doesn't require a test note, but "disc doesn't skip" is part of its Very good definition, so be sure before you pick that grade.
- Is it genuine? eBay's counterfeit item policy says unauthorized copies aren't allowed on eBay and gives burned or copied software as an example. Don't list anything you aren't sure is the real thing.
- Digital codes. eBay's electronically delivered items policy says such goods can only be listed by eBay-approved sellers, and lists software keys the seller isn't authorized to sell as not allowed. Don't list loose codes unless you've read that policy.
Shipping and packing
Games are small, but a cracked case or crushed box hurts a collector's value. Our advice: use a rigid mailer or small box with padding, keep sealed games from shifting, and put a cardboard sleeve around valuable boxes. For consoles, use a box with room to cushion on all sides.
Always ship with tracking. eBay's seller protections page says that if you ship within your stated handling time and upload tracking from an integrated carrier that shows delivery, you aren't responsible for a refund on an item-not-received claim, with exclusions such as orders over $5,000. eBay's help page also says that for a delivery to count, tracking must come from an integrated carrier and be uploaded to eBay, and orders of $750 or more need signature confirmation. If tracking shows no movement for 7 days or more, eBay says you must refund.
Returns and the Money Back Guarantee
This is where video game sellers lose margin. Per eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy and return help pages (checked October 30, 2026):
- If an item doesn't match the listing, the buyer can return it for a refund even if you don't offer returns, and the seller pays return shipping. The refund includes the original shipping.
- You must respond to a return request within 3 business days. You must refund within 2 business days after receiving the item back.
- If you offer returns for change of mind, the listing's return policy applies. eBay's page says you can decline a change-of-mind request if your listing says no returns.
- For item not received, the buyer gets a full refund including original shipping if the item doesn't arrive. The buyer can report it within 30 calendar days after the estimated or actual delivery date.
- Sellers may deduct up to 50% of the refund for used or damaged returns, per eBay's seller protections page. Deductions can't be used for restocking or postage.
The takeaway: a vague grade is a return. If the disc has a scratch, say so, or choose Good or Acceptable instead of Very good.
A checklist before you buy inventory
- Check sold prices for your exact edition and condition.
- Run the fee math with your own shipping and supplies. Does it still leave margin if the sale price is 10% lower?
- Check that the game is genuine and that you can list it (no unauthorized copies, no loose digital codes).
- Decide how fast you need to sell. Sealed hype items can fall after launch.
- Plan for a return: keep a cushion in the margin.
Sources (checked October 30, 2026)
- eBay: Item conditions by category
- eBay: Product research
- eBay: Finding your sold items
- eBay: eBay Money Back Guarantee policy
- eBay: How to handle a return request as a seller
- eBay: Seller protections
- eBay: Help a buyer with an item they didn't receive
- eBay: Counterfeit item policy
- eBay: Electronically delivered items policy
- eBay: Selling fees (read October 27, 2026)
The worked example is our own arithmetic on labeled assumptions, not eBay figures. Results vary by item, shipping cost and tax.
eBay is a trademark of eBay Inc. Friends & Family is an independent reselling community and isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by eBay. This is educational, not financial or tax advice, and resale prices aren't guaranteed.