Goozex Game Trading: Turning Lemons into Lemonade

Written by Ryan Johnson Wednesday, 29 December 2010 06:00

Did you get some lemons this year?

Did Grandma buy you the "hit game" because she heard about it on the TV when it is COMPLETELY not your genre?

Did your college bud give you a copy of a game that you beat and traded away four months ago, because he didn't pay attention?

Or worse yet: Did any of these games have to be opened on Christmas to make it look like you enjoy your present, or get purchased on Black Friday so you can only get 25 cents return on a $60 game, so there's no going back to the store?

Well, my friend, it's time to take lemons and make lemonade. A recent article on Yahoo! brought up a few ideas, and I feel Goozex is the best. Why, you ask?

Gamestop is a great store, but they make a killing in the used game industry, barely giving you any credit compared to what they sell for. Amazon's trade credit is a good deal, given they send you a shipping label and everything, but it turns straight into Amazon credit. You may find a good deal there, and you may not find exactly what you want. eBay is a great site, but you have to price low to show interest, and risk selling for less than what you expected to.

The article says, "trading a game won't let you recoup the full retail price back," but you can get close with Goozex. The only thing you need there is patience. A queue forms as people get rid of a game, as well as those requesting. If you're lower in the line, it may take some time to get your game out. If you got a game that's a big seller this year, though, chances are it will garner some good points that you can spend in the greatest variety of ways:

1) Value Bin: Games with good prices and great reviews. Can't go wrong there. Just picked up Transformers: War For Cybertron myself, and plan to do a rewind review for it soon. Many other great games are at great prices here.

2) Available Now: This button hits games that have supply but the demand is to where you can click a button and be the first in line to get a copy. While not as sifted as the Value Bin, here's another instant-match opportunity.

3) Movies: Goozex opened the door to movie trading. Imagine sending out a popular, but not interesting to you, game worth 1000 points, and getting to pick up instantly (through the Movie Value Bin) anywhere up to 10 movies, depending on your tastes? Definitely an awesome opportunity.

4) Vintage Games: You can't trade a PS3 game at Wal-Mart for a classic NES game. You're lucky if you find one on Amazon. You can browse eBay and try to find the right copy of the right game. Or you can get to Goozex, find the game through their search engine, and pop on the waiting list if one isn't available now, getting an email the moment it is on its way to you. If you're a classic collector, which way is best?

The only thing Goozex takes is patience. It's a wonderful matching service dedicated to the gamers (and movie buffs now!). Instead of plowing through the glut of return lines or getting less than expected for your return, you really should research Goozex, and give them a try. Each time you request a game, it'll only be $1.99. Not a bad price for such excellent service, and it can make those Christmas lemons you got a lot sweeter.