The 2024 Gamestop Thread

Davem

Davem

CAGiversary!
Yoinked from the 2022/2023 thread!

GS FAQ

Where is the weekly ad?
They ended the weekly ad for more rotation of deals. Please check the homepage and deal link for the current deals.

I can't find a trade in value for an item?
It might not be tradable or calling a store to find the value may be the only option.

How many copies of a game can I trade in?
You are allowed to trade in 4 copies of the same game (same system) within a rolling 30 day period.

Are there trade limits?
Yes, $500 cash minus some electronic trade ins and or $2000 trade credit in a rolling 30 day period.

Where is the weekly ad?
They ended the weekly ad for more rotation of deals in a period.


The website isn't loading properly?

Try to clear your cookies and see if that works,

Can I use the $5 monthly coupon on gift cards?

Yes you can in store but not online please note not all gift cards will apply to this rule.

I have a $XX.xx pre-owned reward certificate, and I want to use it on a B2G1 transaction. Should I?
It depends. If the three games are equal value, do not use your certificate. The value of the certificate would be applied to the free game, which would not benefit you. If one game is more expensive, you can use the certificate to make it the same value as the other two games ($5 reward certificate applied to transaction with two $10 games and one $15 game would make all three games $10).


TERMINOLOGY AND LINGO:
ASL/SL: Assistant Store Leader, Store Leader; manager positions at GS.
B2G1: Buy two, get one free.
GS: GameStop
JD: Junior detective, an employee who is out to get someone
LP: Loss Prevention; this is the department that actually bans accounts after being flagged.
TC/TiC: Trade credit.
TIV/TV: Trade in value, or what a game currently trades for. When posting a TV for a game, always use the base value.
 
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intelligentidiot said:
New pre-owned game price ceiling is $159.99
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huh? does this mean the cost of a pre-owned game? I know that doesn't make a lot of sense or it makes obvious since. Either way I am confused as to what this means and why this matters?

The old saying of "Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it" holds true.
 
valiki7375 said:
huh? does this mean the cost of a pre-owned game? I know that doesn't make a lot of sense or it makes obvious since. Either way I am confused as to what this means and why this matters?

The old saying of "Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it" holds true.
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Yes, a small number of games now cost $159.99 at GameStop, which in some cases is actually a pretty good deal even if loose.

1739906519288.png

Does it matter? Probably not. It was $99.99 for price ceiling (maximum price) for a pre-owned game when they first started carrying retro games again. One good thing about it is that trade values also go up.

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Twilightsparkle said:
And seriously, how the fuck is this dude a CEO:

x.com

x.com x.com
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You know, it’s funny because in corporate America you always hear about how you shouldn’t just rely on past successes when evaluating your own performance… and yet you see it all over the place the higher up you go. One lucky, albeit somewhat calculated shot and suddenly we’re supposed to think you’re some kind of genius leader?

This dude bought his way to the top at GameStop by taking a huge position in the company from the proceeds of his Chewy sale, and has had all the impact of a wet fart there since then. He hit it big with Chewy and that’s the sum total of his qualifications to be the CEO of GameStop. Since he’s been in charge their “vision” has been all over the place. They’re gonna do NFTs, wait never mind, they’re gonna focus on online, well maybe not completely, they’re gonna get into selling retro games and have designated retro stores, ope just kidding let’s close those stores up real quick there. They had their huge cash infusion after the meme stock rally by selling their company-held shares, and have done exactly dick with that capital.

On top of all that, he still finds time to make his Twitter posts like an Elon jr. edgelord. Completely unprofessional.
 
I took a gamble on a new game from GS and it's a gut, but it's like... not sealed in any way. It's literally just the case with the cart inside, no sticker or bag like I've seen in the past- is that normal now?
 
Vinny said:
I took a gamble on a new game from GS and it's a gut, but it's like... not sealed in any way. It's literally just the case with the cart inside, no sticker or bag like I've seen in the past- is that normal now?
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last time i bought a new game in store was the middle of last year. It was for a switch game and it was their last copy. They informed me that it wouldn't have the plastic wrap. I agreed and right before they sold it to me, they used a transparent circular sticker and taped the side close. And told me if that sticker was opened, I wouldn't be able to return the game as "new".

After inspecting the game, it definitely did look brand new at least. I also preordered twice last year, and both games were sealed, so at least that's something.

As to answer if that's normal now, well the bar keeps on lowering for them, so things like this don't surprise me anymore. I always expect the worse, their new games are always gutted, and their used games are always disc only.
 
backseatdog said:
As to answer if that's normal now, well the bar keeps on lowering for them, so things like this don't surprise me anymore. I always expect the worse, their new games are always gutted, and their used games are always disc only.
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That wasn't my issue, I understand they open new games to put the case on the shelf for display purposes but like you point out- those copies, once sold usually have a sticker on them or a few times that I've seen, they put the game in a clear plastic bag that's sealed close/not not to open without making it obvious.

My "new' copy arrived with neither... it wasn't sealed with a sticker nor in the sealed plastic bag. Basically, I can't say I never opened it because there was nothing to open but I also can't prove that... what I was asking is, did they just stop putting the clear circle seal sticker/stop using the bags?
 
Vinny said:
what I was asking is, did they just stop putting the clear circle seal sticker/stop using the bags?
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As with many things gamestop, your experience will vary according the quality of employee. What you received is against the official policy, but is fairly common. Maybe one third of the new games I order online come with no seal. No policy change - just a function of the specific store and employee to which the gs system assigned the order fulfillment.
 
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gospelman said:
As with many things gamestop, your experience will vary according the the quality of employee. What you received is against the official policy, but is fairly common. Maybe one third of the new games I order online come with no seal. No policy change - just a function of the specific store and employee to which the gs system assigned the order fulfillment.
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Ugh, thanks. That's what I figured...
 
Vinny said:
I took a gamble on a new game from GS and it's a gut, but it's like... not sealed in any way. It's literally just the case with the cart inside, no sticker or bag like I've seen in the past- is that normal now?
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Yea this is normal now. It’s a gamble anymore for sure I haven’t had a sealed new game in ages I just expect them to be opened , no sticker at anything, no way to prove I didn’t open it and that it came that way

JohnnyCage said:
Hopefully we get a nice stealth bump or something this weekend. The values are pathetic right now.
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Maybe end of February for tax season, February is always a slow month for any sales, they usually do a sale for “tax season” towards the end of February though, this was a previous year
 

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Shugo2540 said:
Yea this is normal now. It’s a gamble anymore for sure I haven’t had a sealed new game in ages I just expect them to be opened , no sticker at anything, no way to prove I didn’t open it and that it came that way
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This is exactly why I don't buy games from GS online. The idea that the game may or may not be gutted. Add to that the shipping price and I would rather go to the store (or in majority of cases) get it from Amazon. At least ebay provides pictures of what you are getting. 🙃
 
valiki7375 said:
This is exactly why I don't buy games from GS online. The idea that the game may or may not be gutted. Add to that the shipping price and I would rather go to the store (or in majority of cases) get it from Amazon. At least ebay provides pictures of what you are getting. 🙃
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Amazon for me is worse, so many busted cases and sealed games where the disc has come loose. I miss a big in person selection
 
JohnnyCage said:
Hopefully we get a nice stealth bump or something this weekend. The values are pathetic right now.
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I am seeing some game trade values increase this morning, so I expect to see a MWT email later this afternoon.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo Switch at $55 base right now, potentially $71.50 with trade-in towards preorder/new game.
 
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There are a few good values after the promos kick in. I traded these today

Bloodborne - 19.50
God of War 3 Remastered - 18.20
Helldivers 2 - 23.40
Last of Us Part 1 - 32.50
Resident Evil 4 - 18.20

That was more than I originally paid for any of them. I'll get Bloodborne + Old Hunters digital for 20 next time it goes on sale and RE4 Gold when it hits 20. Helldivers 2 was just a filler game I got from those B2G1 sales last Christmas, it was fun for a few hours but I got bored with the lack of content.
 
Kurosaki-san said:
Yeah, mostly all bumps are trash. However a few good flips, like H:FW ps4 & sonic superstar (switch) if you picked them up on clearance. Got forbidden west for $3 and superstars for like $7.
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Yeah some other good values for Switch - Bioshock Collection at $15 base and Octopath II at $20 base. But definitely disappointing for most of the Triple A titles from Nintendo.
 
intelligentidiot said:
Yes, a small number of games now cost $159.99 at GameStop, which in some cases is actually a pretty good deal even if loose.

View attachment 1880

Does it matter? Probably not. It was $99.99 for price ceiling (maximum price) for a pre-owned game when they first started carrying retro games again. One good thing about it is that trade values also go up.

View attachment 1881
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I have sealed copy of this game and couple sealed copies of Rule of Rose. :)
 
I liquidated a chunk of my collection to pull together money for a down payment. Some of those prices have come back down to earth after the COVID bubble. Some have kept soaring. So it goes when your collection is RPG-heavy.

It's a gamble either way when you part with a beloved game because it's currently sought-after. You might be able to sell short on your collection. You might look back and go "well, shit. Guess I'm not getting that back." I've been THERE, too.
 
SackAttack said:
I liquidated a chunk of my collection to pull together money for a down payment. Some of those prices have come back down to earth after the COVID bubble. Some have kept soaring. So it goes when your collection is RPG-heavy.

It's a gamble either way when you part with a beloved game because it's currently sought-after. You might be able to sell short on your collection. You might look back and go "well, shit. Guess I'm not getting that back." I've been THERE, too.
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Prices did come down for some of the games (PS vita, Gamecube, Wii) yet others have been slowly rising over the past two years
 
the_red_tide said:
Prices did come down for some of the games (PS vita, Gamecube, Wii) yet others have been slowly rising over the past two years
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Yep. The PS2/3 games i sold went up. The Xbox and 360 games went up in some cases, down in others. The Wii games apparently were at their peak.

The GameCube games I held onto because I was not willing to part with Paper Mario or Skies of Arcadia. 😏
 
Man the city I lived in my whole life has 1 GS nearby now. Joliet, IL used to have 4 GS. Now we got 1. Another 1 in Shorewood and A nearby city called Lockport used to have 1 as well. But it just recently shut down like the one in the Joliet mall did.
 
SackAttack said:
Yep. The PS2/3 games i sold went up. The Xbox and 360 games went up in some cases, down in others. The Wii games apparently were at their peak.

The GameCube games I held onto because I was not willing to part with Paper Mario or Skies of Arcadia. 😏
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How did you avoid getting ripped off from buyers who claimed that they didn't receive your items or they weren't in the condition described? You were selling on eBay, or is there somewhere better for retro games?
 
whitereflection said:
How did you avoid getting ripped off from buyers who claimed that they didn't receive your items or they weren't in the condition described? You were selling on eBay, or is there somewhere better for retro games?
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Wouldn't say "better." I didn't chase the last dollar. I found a local buyer whom I trusted and took a slight haircut on the value as the price to not have to deal with eBay bullshit.

I likely could have gotten more on ebay or Mercari, but decided that at the end of the day, I was getting what I had hoped to get for what I was parting with, even if i was leaving money on the table.

Good enough was good enough.
 
SackAttack said:
Wouldn't say "better." I didn't chase the last dollar. I found a local buyer whom I trusted and took a slight haircut on the value as the price to not have to deal with eBay bullshit.

I likely could have gotten more on ebay or Mercari, but decided that at the end of the day, I was getting what I had hoped to get for what I was parting with, even if i was leaving money on the table.

Good enough was good enough.
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Saving on shipping and eBay fees and getting the money right then and there usually makes selling locally worth it to me.
 
Could someone help me out here with the best trade in promos currently? I rarely if ever trade, though I know many of you know the promos and how to stack, etc. Back in August I traded my PS5 launch/fat and got $410 with the mega boost going on. At that time I just got a PS5 slim and black faceplates.

Yesterday I got a PS5 Pro and still have the 30th Anniversary slim as my back-up console, so I no longer need my regular slim. Took the disc drive from that and using that on the Pro now. My intent is to sell the slim as a digital edition. Is there a current trade boost going on like the extra $25 for Pro like last August? gamestop site shows $330 value for either the slim digital or slim disc, which is super odd to me.
 
Romeo said:
Could someone help me out here with the best trade in promos currently? I rarely if ever trade, though I know many of you know the promos and how to stack, etc. Back in August I traded my PS5 launch/fat and got $410 with the mega boost going on. At that time I just got a PS5 slim and black faceplates.

Yesterday I got a PS5 Pro and still have the 30th Anniversary slim as my back-up console, so I no longer need my regular slim. Took the disc drive from that and using that on the Pro now. My intent is to sell the slim as a digital edition. Is there a current trade boost going on like the extra $25 for Pro like last August? gamestop site shows $330 value for either the slim digital or slim disc, which is super odd to me.
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I thought you didn’t buy plain consoles
 
Romeo said:
Could someone help me out here with the best trade in promos currently? I rarely if ever trade, though I know many of you know the promos and how to stack, etc. Back in August I traded my PS5 launch/fat and got $410 with the mega boost going on. At that time I just got a PS5 slim and black faceplates.

Yesterday I got a PS5 Pro and still have the 30th Anniversary slim as my back-up console, so I no longer need my regular slim. Took the disc drive from that and using that on the Pro now. My intent is to sell the slim as a digital edition. Is there a current trade boost going on like the extra $25 for Pro like last August? gamestop site shows $330 value for either the slim digital or slim disc, which is super odd to me.
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No current trade in promos for consoles. It is funny that even original non-slim ps5 digital gets up to $330 right now.
 
Legendbatista said:
I thought you didn’t buy plain consoles
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I don't. Glad to see you remember! Got a hook up on the Pro.

intelligentidiot said:
No current trade in promos for consoles. It is funny that even original non-slim ps5 digital gets up to $330 right now.
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Thank you. I don't need to sell it. If it was a deal like last August, I'd be stupid not too!

Yeah I don't get how ALL PS5s are the same trade in value, disc or no disc.
 
Romeo said:
I don't. Glad to see you remember! Got a hook up on the Pro.



Thank you. I don't need to sell it. If it was a deal like last August, I'd be stupid not too!

Yeah I don't get how ALL PS5s are the same trade in value, disc or no disc.
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Because Gamestop is run by baboons. Its the same reason a game costs the same if complete in box or loose.
 
also, you may have trouble trading in a disc console as a digital. when gamestop takes it in they scan the S/N and hook it up to a machine and both of those things will indicate it should have a disc drive.
 
Gamestop survives on uninformed customers. Saw it firsthand yesterday when there was one customer in front of me. Sounded like a dad buying a new console for his kid because the old one broke. At first he wanted to buy a PS5, they didn't have any used ones left (I'm not sure if he realized he could have just bought a new one for slightly more). Ultimately he ended up buying a used digital only white Series X and the in store warranty plan for like $480. The manager acted like he was doing the guy a favor by applying his own pro discount in exchange for applying the warranty.

Dude could have bought a brand new digital PS5 slim for cheaper. It blows my mind just how uninformed some people shopping for their kids really are.
 
ritchardf said:
also, you may have trouble trading in a disc console as a digital. when gamestop takes it in they scan the S/N and hook it up to a machine and both of those things will indicate it should have a disc drive.
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I’ve heard both yes and no. Isn’t a slim disc edition just a slim digital with a separate drive? Never knew the vin/serial indicated what came in it originally. And since all PS5s are $330 value now, it would be odd for them to reject it.

Edit: just called a manager I know. Explained I have a slim disc edition, took the drive off and put that on my Pro. Now selling my slim as digital. They double checked at PoS and said it's no issue as long as I included the Pro bottom plate to replace the disc plate. Since they're swappable it isn't an issue.
 
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I overheard an employee act all shocked when a customer wanted to buy a game new instead of pre-owned. Employee started grilling him why, he just said personal preference, like my stuff new and the price difference usually wasn’t much, asked what’s the usual price difference? Employee stated, oh about 70% off new. They didn‘t have the one he wanted pre-owned, that would have been funny to hear what he came up with to explain why it was only a few dollars off.

As far as game values, it’s pretty simple. Do you believe in the value of the product? Is physical dying? Is physical still in demand? Is it likely to get a reprint? Do people have spending money right now? The economy doing well? How will demand, and the economy change in the future? Do you want the risk of getting screwed over by online buyers? What is the risk? Do you have the time to deal with it all? Is it worth the time and risk?

Guess it’s not that simple. It’s your own decision. Anyone saying they know, there will be plenty of stuff to prove them wrong and right. Saying sell now, another Covid like bubble, or once the final nail really goes in the coffin of physical, everything could start really going up again to new highs. It has mostly held its value though. Or the demographic buying this stuff, starts dying off or stops caring. Once that happens, values drop, but that still seems a ways off. The market is absolutely flooded with crap though, in new releases that otherwise would never have gotten a physical release. For those, there could be an Atari like collapse. My biggest take, if I ever get to a point where I’m playing modern stuff and I‘m thinking “wow, this is so much better than the stuff I used to like”, in more ways than just graphics, I’ll probably sell. Current state, modern development is a mess, so that is not the case.
 
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JohnnyCage said:
Gamestop survives on uninformed customers.
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JohnnyCage said:
The manager acted like he was doing the guy a favor by applying his own pro discount in exchange for applying the warranty.
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The situation / vibe feels generally grim when I go to my local stores now.

There is not a single one anymore that feels a cut above the others in my case. And fewer ps3 games than last year / in lots of cases stores have none.

Beat up copies of 7 year old Nintendo games for $54.99 and lots of no artwork - like, why?
 
thadoggfather said:
The situation / vibe feels generally grim when I go to my local stores now.

There is not a single one anymore that feels a cut above the others in my case. And fewer ps3 games than last year / in lots of cases stores have none.

Beat up copies of 7 year old Nintendo games for $54.99 and lots of no artwork - like, why?
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I didn't even bother to look at the tiny used game selection they had. There's almost never anything in stock. I always use my credit on PSN/Steam cards or wait for a good B2G1 sale and order online. I usually have good luck getting games CIB online.
 
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