Which platforms do you buy?

We currently buy the following platforms (but the list is increasing regularly):

2600, 32x, 32x CD, 3DO, 3DS, 7800, Amiga, C16, C64, CD32, CDI, ColecoVision, CPC464, Dreamcast, DS, Game and Watch, GameCube, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, GBA, Gamegear, Intellivision, Jaguar, Jaguar CD, Lynx, Master System, MegaCD, Megadrive, MSX, N64, NeoGeo AES, NeoGeo CD, NeoGeo Pocket, NES, PC Floppy, PC CD, PC DVD, Plug and Play TVs, PS Vita, Playstation, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, PSP, PSP UMD, Saturn, SNES, Spectrum, ST, Switch, Tabletop, TurboGrafx, Vectrex, Wii, Wii U, XBox 360, XBox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

How do I get paid?

We offer two methods of payment:

Retro-Games Shop Credit

Over 49,000 titles

We don't just buy games, we sell them as well! As soon as we book in your games, your account will be updated. The next time you log in, the credit will be ready to use. This option offers the best value for money and there's no time limit on when you have to use it up.

842,558 Product Pictures

We have thousands of pictures of actual products on the website, both listed and sold. You can be rest assured that the item you are buying is the item you will receive.

Detailed Descriptions

In addition to the pictures, every item is described in detail by our product experts, and we have a dedicated customer service team to answer any questions you may have. Every item we sell is in full working condition (unless stated otherwise).

30 Day Returns

Don't like your item? No problem, you can return it within 30 days for a full refund*.

*Item must be in its original condition. See our full terms and conditions.

PayPal instant transfer

Immediate Payment

We've been using PayPal to pay for millions of pounds worth of games on this website for the past 15 years. It enables us to send payments immediately without the hassle of writing cheques or handling your bank details. We will cover the standard PayPal transaction fee for you.

Widely Accepted

You can use the funds immediately to buy goods from anywhere that accepts PayPal.

Can be transferred to your bank

PayPal allows you to transfer the money to your bank account within minutes.

One Requirement

We will send you a quick PayPal verification email to the email address you use on the quote (unless it's the same as your Retro-Games account). This will need to be verified before we can send the payment.

International Customers/Currency

Please ensure that your default receiving currency is GBP. This can be checked in PayPal -> Money/Manage -> Currency. If you aren't using GBP, PayPal will charge you a currency conversion fee which you will be liable for.

If your PayPal account is set up in a different country, you will be liable for the PayPal fee when PayPal converts the GBP payment into your currency.

When do I get paid?

Turnaround

Current Quote Status (15/03/2025) - High Volume

At Retro-Games, we strive to get you paid as quickly as possible. The time it takes to process payments can vary. Below is a list of statuses describing the current volume of quotes being processed and how it may affect payment times:

Rapid Turnaround

Payments are being expedited; shorter wait times than normal.

Normal Volume

A moderate number of quotes are being processed. 90% of quotes are typically paid within 2 working days of receipt.

High Volume

A large number of quotes are in the queue; payments may take longer than usual.

Peak Volume

An exceptionally high number of quotes are being processed; expect delays.

Check your Email

You will receive an email from us when your parcel(s) arrives. The email will indicate your position in the queue for processing and the estimated time for processing. High value or quotes with a large number of consoles/ accessories will typically take longer to process.

Payment

When your quote has been checked, you will receive an email notifying you that your quote is ready for payment and the email will include a reconciliation of differences (if any) between the stated amount and the amount paid. If you have chosen shop credit, the credit will be available immediately. If you have chosen PayPal, the payment should be in your account within 2 hours.

How do I grade my items?

We recognise great collections

At Retro-Games, we believe that customers who have managed to keep their collection in good condition should get a better price for their games than those that have not. We have developed our selling basket so that you get the opportunity to tell us about missing or scruffy cases, inlays or instructions and get a valuation for those before you place your quote. We believe that we adopt a fair approach to grading the quote when it arrives so that you should not get any unpleasant surprises when the quote is processed.

Terminology

When you add your games, accessories and consoles to the selling basket, they will appear in the basket in good overall condition, complete with instructions and inlays. It is then up to you to identify whether there are missing parts, scruffy parts or faulty items. The following (not-exhaustive) list explains what we consider to be scruffy or faulty items:

Scruffy discs/carts

• The disc has "fingernail" scratches: deep scratches that can be felt with a fingernail
• It is significantly scratched: literally hundreds of marks
• There is a void, retailer or similar sticker firmly glued to the top of the disc
• Should any disc exhibit these "fingernail" scratches, or be significantly marked, it will not pass our initial inspection. Such discs must undergo testing, be processed through our machines three times, and then be subjected to a final test. This extensive procedure is the reason we offer a lower price for discs in poor condition. Fortunately, we don't receive many of these!
• If they fail the testing stage, they will then be classed as faulty
• 2mm-10mm in total of hairline cracks in the centre of the disc/ spindle area which require a reinforcement sticker to be applied (see the faulty discs section below)
• Cart casing cracked or broken (including PSP/UMD cart casings which are are difficult/time consuming to replace).

Faulty discs

• The disc has dents, indentations, warping or cracks rendering it irreparable
• Cracks extending from the centre of the disc to the inner band separating the inner spindle area from the data area which will worsen with continued use
• Splintering/missing fragments (usually in the middle of the disc due to the action of taking the disc out of its case) which may cause the disc to spin unevenly and damage the console
• It has data damage e.g. scratching to the top face of the disc which has impacted the data layer of the disc
• When tested, it fails to load, freezes during gameplay or has jumpy audio or video.

Scruffy cartridges

• Badly corroded or discoloured contacts
• There is a void, retailer or similar sticker firmly glued to the top of the cart
• If it has an onboard memory battery which is flat
• The cart plastic is quite heavily scratched or damaged
• Game plays in English but cart stickers not UK language
• The cart sticker is missing, ripped, torn, artwork faded/rubbed out

Faulty cartridges

• When tested (after being cleaned), it fails to load, freezes during gameplay or has jumpy audio or video.

Scruffy manuals (and inlays)

• The manual/inlay has suffered damage as a result of being chewed or bitten
• There are corners cut off, pages torn out, ripped or torn pages (rips or tears under 2cm are acceptable as long as the page is intact)
• It has been written in using indelible ink or written in pencil so hard that the writing is embossed in the page (including writing in notes section)
• There are food/liquid stains, mildew or it has clearly been used as a tea mat
• It is heavily creased to the point where the crease has caused a ridge in the paper or ink loss e.g. a creased white line (over 20cm in total)
• It has suffered damage as a result of exposure to damp or liquid or noticeably sunfaded
• Undulating ridges have formed as the paper dries from staining (the ridges are visible and can be felt but they cannot be ironed out)
• There are stickers firmly attached or retailer initials written in indelible ink
• Manual staples have rusted and stained the manual
• The pages are loose, badly glued in place or attached with tape
• Inlays are defined as the printed artwork which is normally in the front/back or sleeve of the case to identify the game. Sega Saturn and Nintendo card box games e.g. SNES etc have the inlay built in to the box.
• Inlays or manuals will be classed as missing if they are not the correct ones for the game or they are not in English. They will also be classed as missing if they are unusable e.g. pages stuck together or missing, words illegible, fire damaged or generally extremely scruffy.

Scruffy used game cases

• The case is complete but cracked (cracks over 1cm long)
• The case is complete but ripped or torn (thin tears over 2cm long, ripped areas over 1x1cm)
• There are food/liquid stains or mildew
• Part of the case is missing
• Hinges are broken or card box flaps (including side/dust flaps and end/closing flaps) are missing
• Card boxes noticeably squashed, ridged (see above) or misshapen
• Card boxes heavily creased to the point where the crease has caused a ridge in the cardboard or ink loss e.g. a creased white line (over 20cm in total)
• There are retailer stickers firmly attached (genuine publisher/developer stickers are fine)
• PS1/ Dreamcast - we don't mind broken disc holders as these are easily replaceable
• Please note that missing or scruffy inlays/game artwork are graded seperately
• A case is classed as missing if it is clearly different from the intended case for the game
• Unusable cases will also be classed as missing e.g. not fit for purpose, falling apart, significant pieces missing, fire damaged or generally extremely scruffy.

Scruffy consoles

• The case is cracked or noticeably scratched or yellowed/faded
• Port cover/cart slot cover missing
• Disc tray sticking
• The console is barred from using an online service e.g. Xbox Live

Faulty consoles

• When tested, it fails to load games, fails to power up, overheats, excessively noisy
• Freezes during gameplay or has jumpy audio or video
• Laser struggles/slow to read discs
• Power or aerial/AV socket loose
• Faulty or missing power supply
• Certain functions don't work for example PS2 won't play DVDs, controller port not working

Scruffy PS3/PS4/WiiU/XBoxOne/PSP/UMD/DVD-9/Blu-Ray discs

PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One games and Blu-Ray films have a very thin plastic layer between the playing side (underneath) and the data layer. This is dictated by the Blu-Ray technology as Blu-Ray has a short wavelength compared to DVD. Because the layer of plastic is so thin (5 times thinner than a DVD underneath) it has been hard-coated to resist all but the most brutal of scratches. We cannot repair these scratched discs to the level of quality expected by our customers and we find that a quantity which pass our initial tests still fail during subsequent gameplay. PSP and UMD discs rely on the plastic case for protection and there is no protective layer on the disc itself - any scratches on these discs can cause data damage. Some PS2 and Wii games are on dual-layer DVD-9 discs (e.g. Super Smash Bros) and have similar issues to Blu-Ray. For this reason, scruffy PS3/PS4/WiiU/XBoxOne/Blu-Ray/PSP/DVD-9/UMD discs are priced lower than other discs and we reserve the right to return them without payment.

New/Sealed Items

We Pay More

We may offer an additional amount for new sealed games. The tickbox will be visible when you click to edit your item in the selling basket.

Condition

To qualify as a new sealed game, the case must have no cracks, dents, squashing, no sign of liquid ingress or any other damage which would be otherwise classed as scruffy. There can be no sign of attempts to open the wrapping (small tears in shrinkwrap are acceptable - 4cm in total). The wrapping must be as stated by us for the item e.g. "Factory sealed with tearstrip". If the tickbox is ticked for a game which is damaged or not sealed in accordance with our description, the new price will not be paid.

Loose Discs

When we find that a disc is loose in the box and cannot be pressed back into position, we can only conclude that the box/case is damaged. In this situation, the case is graded scruffy.

Wrapping Seal

If the seal on a new game is not watertight, liquid and moisture can penetrate the seal and damage the inlay. Where we identify ridged inlays on a sealed game we can only conclude that it is a sign of liquid getting in and staining the inlay. In this situation the inlay is graded scruffy.

Authenticity

We do not shrinkwrap used games and resell them as new sealed, but unfortunately it is a common practice in the industry. These games are easily recognisable. If the item is not genuinely new/sealed, it will not be eligible for the new sealed price.

Do you accept copied/counterfeit items?

Short Answer

No.

Identification

Retro-Games staff are trained to spot fake games on receipt. We have a range of pointers for identifying fake Gameboy Advance games, DS games, Megadrive carts, reproduction cases, sleeves etc. We do not offer any money for fake items; any items identified as fakes by us are immediately rendered unusable and disposed of. Please note, we do not offer a price for "Converted" carts/carts with chips soldered onto donor circuit boards (Megadrive, Neo Geo AES etc).

Third Party is accepted

In the selling cart, we offer a price for "nongen" accessories. This price is for third-party equipment which does not infringe the rights of the original manufacturer for example Joytech handset, Madcatz memory card etc.

How do you calculate the prices?

Market Value

We work out the prices that we offer for your games based on a market value which reflects the demand for each individual title. These prices are matched in the market on a regular basis. The price may change with seasonality but games prices generally fall over time (apart from some collectible rare titles). Our prices also change based on the quantity we have in stock e.g. we will pay you more for a game if we have a low stock holding.

Condition

The condition of the games also affects the price - you can select the condition for each item and the price is adjusted accordingly.

Do you accept Consoles and Accessories?

Yes, but there's a limit

Consoles and accessories are an important part of our business but they are very time consuming to check and test. We have found that unless there is a cap on the level of accessories allowed in a quote, we can quite easily get too many accessories to be able to process quotes promptly.

Game-to-Console ratio

As a result of this time crisis, we have introduced a limit on the level of accessories that we will accept.

The limit works by calculating the ratio of games to accessories as you add to the quote. A warning is displayed if there are too many accessories and you will not be able to checkout until some are removed from the basket, or enough games are added to correct the balance.

Please note that if you decide to send additional accessories as extra items not listed in the quote, you will not receive payment for them if they exceed the limit of allowed accessories for that quote.

Consoles

Consoles are counted as the sum of the parts which need to be tested. Most consoles count as 4 accessories (console/controller/leads), some are higher. e.g. Wii consoles count as 6.

Games with accessories

Games with accessories also count as the sum of the parts which need to be tested. For example, a Guitar Hero Complete Band counts as 3 accessories.

March 2025

The current level of games required in a quote is 55%. So if you have 33 games to send, you can also send up to 27 accessories.

Do you buy large bundles of low priced games?

We get enough low priced games in the general course of business and regularly sell these in bundles of 50 or 100 - so we're not looking to buy additional bulk lots of low value games from resellers. As a result of this, we have introduced a quality threshold which means that you cannot checkout if you have a large quantity of games which work out at an average price of under £2.20.

Do you accept Promo/ Ex rental or Demo games?

We pay half the equivalent price of full games for promo and ex rental games - provided they contain the identical software to the full game. For example, if the price quoted for an original full game with no manual was £4.50, you would receive £2.25 for a promo game with no manual (brief instructions on inlay does not count as a manual). The quote would be adjusted on receipt if there was no promo/rental code in the cart. We only accept a limited quantity of demo games and offer no price for demos which are not in our catalogue.