Flipping video games for profit started with the 30-day minimalism challenge. Buried in a drawer, we found an old Gameboy Advance game: Pokémon Emerald. We hadn’t touched it in years, but just out of curiosity, we looked it up on Ebay. To our surprise, the value was between €250 and €350. Bear in mind, back in 2002 it costed €40. Great investment haha.
That’s when we thought: this might actually work.
We made clear pictures, listed it and within a week it sold for €260. That tiny success opened our eyes to a low-risk, decent-margin side hustle hiding in plain sight.
Why Flipping Video Games for Profit Works
After the first sale, we started tracking similar listings on Ebay. We studied what sold, at what price, and how fast. Quickly, patterns emerged: (near) mint boxed games sold for more, good photos made a difference and many sellers underpriced their listings.
We placed a bid on another Pokémon Emerald cartridge listed at €220. It looked legit, so we offered €180. The seller agreed. We relisted it for €260—and it sold within 48 hours.
Net profit: €70. Time invested: less than 30 minutes.
This is the power of flipping video games for profit: small investments, fast returns and minimal hassle.
Benefits of Flipping Niche Video Games
Here’s why focusing on video games (or another niche product) is a smart flipping strategy:
- Expertise grows fast: You learn what games are valuable, how to spot fakes, and what buyers want.
- Easy to store and ship: Games are small and lightweight, no stress about storage or high postage costs.
- Quick flips = fast cash: With the right pricing and timing, sales happen in days, not weeks.
- Low risk: Most games under €250, so it’s easy to start without big capital.
- Fun: once you get the hang of it, it’s actually quite fun.
- Potential: once you really get the hang of it, you can make a business out of it.
How to Start Flipping Video Games for Profit
Here’s a simple step-by-step plan to get started:
1. Pick Your Product Niche
Choose 1–5 specific games or consoles (Gameboy, DS, PlayStation, etc.). The more narrow your focus, the better you’ll understand pricing trends and spot deals instantly. Look for some classic old games.
2. Study Market Prices
Use Local marketplace, eBay and even Reddit to track sold listings, not just asking prices. Look up common games like Pokémon Emerald, Fire Red, Colosseum or Zelda to understand the market.
3. Set Alerts and Watch Listings
Use search alerts to get notified when new items are listed. Check for typos like “pokeman” or “game boy advance” instead of GBA, these often have less competition.
4. Bid and Buy Smart
Don’t lowball right away. Make fair offers that still leave enough room for profit. Be quick, good listings disappear fast. Make the deal immediately the get the least competitive offers.
5. Relist and Flip
Take clear photos, write honest descriptions and highlight authenticity. Avoid fake cartridges, collectors will know + your reputation is everything. Aim for competitive prices and fast shipping.
Real Numbers from Our First Flip
- Initial sale: 1 copy of Pokémon Emerald – Sold for €250
- Secondhand buy: bought for €180
- Flips sold: €260 revenue
- Cost of shipping: €10
- Total profit: €70
- Avg. time per flip: 15–30 minutes
That’s a nice extra income stream, while sitting on the sofa.
Final Tips for Success in flipping Video Games for profit
- Specialise. Stick to a small niche to gain speed and confidence.
- Keep it small. Handheld games are perfect, low shipping costs, easy to store and high demand.
- Scale slowly. Start with 1 game, then reinvest profits into more flips.
- Track everything. Use a simple spreadsheet or Notion to keep track of prices and profit.
Ready to Flip for Profit?
We’re documenting our journey to €100k in our isights page. To see all our flips and how much we made from this side hustle, visit our page.
See our real profit numbers and active flips here.
And to think: it all started with a cartridge we nearly threw away.
