99gamers.com - What it is and why you should trade your games there.

As a gamer, I'm always looking for the best possible value out there. From Steam Sales and checking deals on CheapAssGamer.com to following various gaming accounts on Twitter and subscribing to gaming newsletters, I'm always in search of a deal before I drop money down on a game.

As a former EBGames/GameStop employee (as a few of us on this blog are), I'm well aware of the highway robbery that comes when trading games at that establishment. While convenience can be a factor when it comes to trading with GameStop, I just can't get over the fact that my games lose more value than a new automobile after driving it off the lot. Games should retain a higher value for longer and if you trade at GameStop, that just isn't the case 90% of the time. You may catch a crazy trade-in promotion which happen occasionally, but not frequently enough for my liking.

So, after I left GameStop, I began searching for a way to trade games that was more beneficial to me, my wallet, and my game collection. I was tired of getting pennies on the dollar. While checking out some gaming forums regarding game values, I learned of a website called "Goozex" that was basically a gaming community where people traded games with each other. I checked it out and started using it, but unfortunately it was at the end of it's life cycle. The community was dwindling due to the site being sold to a third party. People lost faith in the site, so they jumped ship. I was disappointed because I had some good experiences in the short amount of time I used the site. But, as quality games were becoming less and less frequent, I decided to cash out all my tokens and move on.

With Goozex shutting down shortly after I left, I began searching for a new community/website to trade games. I received an email one day from a former Goozex user that saw my positive feedback and had a proposal for me. He wanted to know if I would be interested in joining his new site called 99gamers. He was recruiting all the best traders from Goozex and also posting on Reddit to build a community. I figured I had nothing stopping me from giving it a shot, so I signed up to be a beta tester. My plan was to trade something of lower value to see how it worked and if I got burned, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. The first game I traded was Max Payne 3 for the Xbox 360. And it just so happened to be the creator of the site was the person I traded it to.

Went off without a hitch. And from there, I was hooked.

Let me break down how the site works, why it is awesome, and why you should trade there.

Firstly, you go to www.99gamers.com and sign up. It's free, you can use Facebook to sign up, and it's easy. From there, you can browse games that are listed or add games you want to sell yourself. The way you trade isn't just a game-for-game type system, as that wouldn't accurately reflect the value of a new release like Watch_Dogs vs. an old sports game like Tiger Woods PGA 2008. Instead, there is a currency system set up to apply a value to the game you'd like to trade. You set your "coin" value, game condition, and add any special notes to the game you're selling for potential buyers to read. 1 coin is equal to $1. So a value of 15 coins would equal $15, and so on. You can also buy coins, but you cannot cash your coins out for real-world dollars. All coins have to be spent on games listed on the site. And trust me, it isn't that hard to find something you want.

There are HUNDREDS of games listed on 99gamers. It ranges anywhere from Atari and NES carts to PS4 and Xbox One games. If it was on a video game system, you can buy or trade it. You can trade game conditions ranging from disc-only all the way up to factory-sealed games. Be it a handheld, console, or PC game, it doesn't matter. The options are endless. Setting up a "wish list" for games you're interested in buying is also simple and worthwhile. If there is something you would like to spend coins on that isn't available, add it to your wish list. Once it is listed by a seller, you'll get an email detailing the coin value and condition. Or you can browse the forums to see what people are listing, aside from games. While not able to list in a specific category, some people will sell movies, PSN/Xbox Live cards, or other random gaming paraphernalia on the site. It many not be sanctioned by the site itself, but the experience is the same as if you were buying a game. It's awesome.

Game Listings.

When selling a game, all you have to do is accept the trade, package the game in a bubble/padded envelope, and ship it out within 1 to 3 days. I recommend using USPS First Class Mail, as most games weight about 6 ounces and that costs about $2-3 to ship with tracking. Once you've mailed the game out, confirm you've shipped it and provide the tracking number to the buyer. Once they receive the game, they leave you feedback and you get their coins. Boom. Transaction completed and it's time to find something to spend coins on. When buying a game, you just click "buy" next to the game you want and wait for it to arrive. If a seller doesn't confirm the trade within a few days, you can cancel and get your coins back to use on something else. That rarely happens, though. I've had to cancel only 1 trade in about 60 transactions. So it isn't something to normally worry about. You can also see the last time a user logged into the site on their profile. So if they haven't logged in for a month, you may want to message them before you buy their game. Just to make sure they're still around. When you buy a game, you don't pay for shipping, either. Only when sending one out would you be responsible for shipping costs. And, if you buy and sell a lot, you'll probably have a few bubble envelopes saved up to use. I don't think I've bought any from the store for a long while.

Overall, the level of value you retain is fantastic on this site. For example, I bought Watch_Dogs from Best Buy when it came out for PS4, beat it, and listed it on 99gamers for 56 coins. It sold a few hours later, which means I came close to making my money back. If I'd have taken it to GameStop, I probably would have received $25-30 in trade without a promotion. So I obviously got a better value on 99gamers. You can find 360 games for as low as 3 coins. Sometimes even lower. Normally, games are priced to move. Another great example, I received The Amazing Spider-Man 2 for PS4 in the mail today for 35 coins. I also bought UFC for PS4 yesterday for 40 coins in like new condition. Obviously, the newer your game is and the better the condition it is in, the more coins you're going to get. But even if you have games that are older, don't have the case or instructions, or if no one takes them on trade (I think GameStop only takes PS3/360 and newer on trade), you can get something out of them there.

My Dashboard.

All in all, I cannot recommend 99gamers enough for trading games. I rarely buy new games anymore, as you're likely to find it on 99gamers in a few weeks in excellent condition and competitively priced. And even if it is priced at 50-60 coins, you may have that saved up from trading. They also run giveaways and contests on a monthly basis, just for trading. This month is a chance to win a copy of The Last of Us Remastered for PS4. They've even given away Xbox One systems, PS4 consoles, and other games.

The bottom line is this: stop wasting money and not getting the value for games that you deserve. Give 99gamers a try and experience first-hand what I'm talking about. I promise you, you'll never want to trade at GameStop again. And my apologies to any potential GameStop employees that read this. I just can't deny a good deal. And neither should you. 

So do yourself a favor. Go take a look at my profile and poke around the site. You'll be glad you did. https://99gamers.com/MoneyLaunderer

-ML