How to Sell Video Games and Retro Consoles on Whatnot

Video games have a passionate, knowledgeable buyer base, and live selling gives those buyers what photo listings often cannot: a close look at a cartridge label, a manual's spine, a disc's surface, or a console booting up. If you want to sell video games on Whatnot, you can run shows around retro cartridges, modern disc games, consoles, controllers and accessories using live auctions, Buy It Now listings and giveaways.

The category rewards sellers who know their platforms. Buyers care about completeness, region, condition and authenticity, and reproduction cartridges are a known problem. Accurate descriptions and tested inventory build the trust that brings collectors back show after show.

This guide covers choosing a game niche, sourcing and testing inventory, spotting reproductions, running video game live auctions, pricing after fees and shipping safely.

Is Whatnot Good for Selling Video Games?

Whatnot suits video games for several reasons. Games are recognizable, so viewers instantly know what is on screen. Collectors enjoy talking about titles and memories, which creates lively chat. And many games are worth enough to justify an individual auction slot, while common titles can be grouped into lots.

Live selling also helps with condition questions. Instead of a buyer messaging you about label wear, you can rotate the cartridge on camera and answer immediately. That transparency tends to reduce post-sale disputes.

Before you build inventory, confirm in the app that the video games category is available to you and whether consoles or electronics fall into a different category with different rules or fees. If you are still exploring categories, our pillar guide to what sells best on Whatnot compares the options.

Choosing Your Video Game Niche

Focused shows attract loyal collectors. Some common video game niches include:

• Retro Nintendo: NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy family and GameCube, with strong nostalgia and active collectors.
• Sega and other vintage consoles: Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, Atari and less common systems with dedicated fans.
• PlayStation and Xbox eras: disc-based games where case, manual and disc condition all matter.
• Modern games: current-generation titles, often sold at lower margins but with broad appeal.
• Sealed and graded games: higher-value items where seals, graded cases and authenticity are central.
• Handhelds and accessories: consoles, controllers, memory cards, cables and replacement parts.
• Import and regional games: Japanese or PAL releases for collectors who seek them out.

Choose a niche you know well enough to talk about for an hour, and one you can restock steadily. Our guide to choosing a Whatnot niche explains how to test demand first.

Sourcing Retro Games for Whatnot

Retro game sourcing is competitive, so most sellers combine several channels:

• Garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets: unpredictable but potentially strong margins. See our guide to retail arbitrage and thrift flipping.
• Buying collections: local listings and word of mouth can turn up whole collections, often with consoles and accessories included.
• Local game stores: trade or buy items that do not fit their shelves.
• Online marketplaces: buying lots and splitting them for live auctions.
• Trade-ins from your own viewers: some sellers buy from their audience, but you need to know prices well before making offers.

Record what you paid for each item or lot. With games, a single lot often contains a few valuable titles and many common ones, so tracking cost helps you understand which shows were actually profitable.

Testing, Cleaning and Spotting Reproductions

Untested games create returns and bad reviews. Building a quick testing routine pays off.

Test before you sell

1. Clean cartridge contacts gently and inspect boards for corrosion.
2. Boot each game on original hardware or a compatible system and confirm it loads and plays.
3. For older cartridges with save batteries, check whether saves still hold. Disclose a dead save battery rather than hiding it.
4. For discs, inspect for scratches and test that the game loads and plays past the opening.
5. For consoles, test power, video output, controller ports and disc drives.

Label anything you cannot test as "untested" and price it accordingly. Never describe an untested item as working.

Spotting reproductions and fakes

Reproduction cartridges and counterfeit copies of popular games are common, particularly for high-demand retro titles and handheld games. Warning signs include labels with incorrect colors, fonts or a glossy finish, wrong screw types, cartridge shells that do not match the original, and boards with modern chips or missing official markings. Opening a cartridge to inspect the board is the most reliable check. Selling counterfeits is prohibited, so read our guide to what you can't sell on Whatnot and never list a reproduction as an original.

Running Video Game Live Auctions

A good video game show balances high-value headliners with fast, fun bidding on common titles.

Set up for clear close-ups

Viewers want to see labels, cartridge backs, discs and manual condition. An overhead camera or a phone on an adjustable arm, combined with even lighting, makes this easy. Reflections on disc surfaces and glossy boxes are a common problem, so angle lights to the side. Our guide to Whatnot streaming equipment covers practical setups.

Describe every game the same way

For each item, state the title, platform, region, completeness (loose, box only, complete in box, sealed), condition of label or disc, whether it has been tested, and any flaws. A consistent script builds trust and keeps the show moving. If you need help with phrasing, read what to say on a Whatnot live.

Show formats that work for games

Themed shows such as "16-bit night," a single franchise, or "complete in box only" give viewers a reason to show up for a specific stream.

Pricing Video Games After Whatnot Fees

Game buyers often check prices while you talk, so you need to know the market. Use recent sold prices for the same title, platform, region and completeness. Complete-in-box copies usually sell well above loose cartridges, and sealed or graded copies form their own market.

Commonly reported Whatnot fees for most categories are 8% commission plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing per order, with some electronics categories reported at lower commission rates. On a $40 game at 8%, that is $3.20 commission plus about $1.46 processing, leaving roughly $35.34 before your cost and packaging. Confirm which rate applies to games and consoles on Whatnot's fee page, and estimate your margins with the Whatnot fee calculator.

• Low starts on common titles can create excitement, but risk selling cheaply in a quiet show.
• Higher starts or Buy It Now protect rare or high-value games. Our starting bid strategy guide covers the trade-offs.
• Lot low-value games so the fixed processing fee and packing time do not eat your margin.

Shipping Games and Consoles Safely

Games and consoles are durable in use but vulnerable in transit. Cracked cases, crushed boxes and damaged consoles are the most common complaints.

1. Sleeve loose cartridges in protective cases or bags; protect labels from scuffs.
2. Put boxed games in a protective box sleeve and pack them in a rigid box, not a thin mailer.
3. Secure discs in their cases so they cannot rattle loose.
4. Wrap consoles in bubble wrap, pack cables and controllers separately, and fill empty space.
5. Weigh the package and select the right tier in your shipping profile; consoles often need heavier tiers.
6. Print the prepaid label and ship within the expected handling time, commonly cited as two business days.

If a buyer wins several games in one show, Whatnot generally combines them into one shipment, so pack bundled wins together carefully. Our packaging supplies checklist lists the boxes and protectors to keep on hand.

Selling Sealed and Graded Video Games

Sealed and professionally graded games form a separate, higher-value market. Buyers in this segment care intensely about seal type, box condition and grade, and resealed games are a known risk.

• Know seal patterns. Factory seals vary by publisher and era. Learn what correct seals look like for your platform before buying sealed stock.
• Be cautious with resealed copies. A game that has been opened and rewrapped should never be described as factory sealed. If you cannot verify a seal, say so.
• Show graded cases clearly. Display the label, certification number and any case damage, and let buyers verify the certification where the grading company offers lookups.
• Use Buy It Now or higher starts. High-value sealed and graded games are usually poor candidates for very low auction starts.

Whether grading is worth it for a particular game depends on its value, condition and grading costs. The decision has similarities to trading cards, which we cover in graded vs raw cards.

Common Mistakes Video Game Sellers Make

• Calling untested games "working." This is the quickest route to refunds and poor reviews.
• Leaving out region and completeness. Buyers bid differently on loose, boxed and complete copies, and on different regions.
• Underestimating reproductions. A single fake sold as genuine can damage your reputation with an entire collector community.
• Auctioning every common title individually. Low-value games often net very little after fees and packing; lot them instead.
• Weak packaging for consoles. Heavy systems need sturdy boxes and plenty of padding.
• Ignoring the market during a show. Prices for popular retro titles move; check recent sales regularly.

Bottom Line: Next Steps for Video Game Sellers

Selling video games on Whatnot can work well if you know your platforms, test what you sell, and present items clearly on camera. Retro games in particular benefit from live close-ups and collector conversation. As with any category, results vary widely based on your sourcing costs, knowledge and consistency.

If your inventory includes consoles and other gadgets, read our guide to selling electronics on Whatnot. Toy and collectible crossovers are covered in selling toys, LEGO and Hot Wheels. And if you want structured help sourcing inventory and building a reselling business, the free Marketplace SuperHeroes workshop is a good place to start.