The Old School Game Vault Review: Is It Legitimate?

If you have a collection of old games you want to sell, it’s important to find a buyer you can trust. Many buyers only offer store credit, pay less than your games are worth, or leave you unsure whether your package reached them.

The Old School Game Vault usually offers better cash deals than most local game stores, but you might get a bit more if you sell your games yourself on eBay after fees and shipping. When compared to other big online buyers like DKOldies, Lukie Games, or eStarland, their payouts are about the same.

Some sites might show higher prices for certain games, but they usually have tougher rules about game conditions or take longer to pay you. According to reviews and their reputation, The Old School Game Vault offers a good mix of fair prices, quick payment, and a simple process.

What the Service Actually Is

The Old School Game Vault, founded by Brandon Perton, is an online mail-order buying service based in Morton Grove, Illinois. You ship your games, consoles, and accessories to them, they evaluate everything, and they pay you cash. That seems to be their main selling point for this service: the cash value.  

Their reviews mention that they are very proficient with their communication process and appreciate their transparency.  Several reviews have said that The Old School Game Vault will let you know when your package arrives, when your order is being processed, and when the payment has been issued.

Most retro game buyers offer store credit to keep your money with them. The Old School Game Vault pays cash by default, so it works whether you’re a collector selling extras or just found some old games you want to turn into money.

What They Buy

The Old School Game Vault buys retro video games and consoles across most of the major platforms from the 1980s through the early 2000s, covering a wide range of hardware and software from Nintendo, Sony PlayStation, Sega, and Microsoft Xbox.

On the Nintendo side, they buy games, consoles, and accessories from the NES to the most recent Nintendo Switch.  They have a similar format for all the Sony PlayStation games and consoles.  They even buy many obscure consoles, including the Philips CD-i and the Atari Jaguar CD, among others.

What They Don’t Buy

They don’t buy PC games in any format, and they pass on reproduction cartridges, counterfeits, and don’t buy any imported games, just NTSC games and consoles. They stopped buying everything pre-Nintendo NES, including Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, Intellivision, or similar systems from that generation.

They are very particular about loose games (games that are just the game disc only), as they don’t buy any of those. If you bought a game loose with generic artwork (a store printed insert), they won’t buy it. Sports games are also something they don’t buy much of; they do have prices for some sports titles from the last couple of years, but don’t expect to find a trade-in  price for Madden 01.

How They Handle Counterfeits

The Old School Game Vault is extremely detailed about buying only authentic games, and goes into great detail about their authentication process before purchasing any video games.

How the Process Works

You get an instant quote directly from their site, and you search their database for the games and consoles you wish to sell. When you find your item, click the “sell it” button to add it to your trade-in cart. Once you have your quote, they’ll email you a prepaid shipping label that covers all standard shipping costs, even if you’re sending a large or heavy package. Just pack up your items, ship them out, and you’ll get paid once everything is evaluated, generally within three to four business days upon receipt.

For anyone sitting on a large collection, the difference between spending three weeks selling games one at a time versus shipping a single box and getting a check is significant. The convenience factor alone drives a lot of repeat business for services like this.

What the Reviews Say

The Old School Game Vault has solid reviews scattered across the web, with nearly 200 5-star reviews on Trustpilot. The reviews mention quick payments, fair pricing, and excellent communication. They offer payments either by check, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or eGift Card.

There are no fees for using their service, nor are there any payment fees.  If you send in games that are missing a manual, they will make a small deduction of (-40% of the quoted price), as clearly outlined in the terms and conditions.

Is It Worth Using?

If you want to get cash for your retro games without dealing with eBay fees, shipping hassles, low offers, or stores that only pay in credit, The Old School Game Vault has built a solid reputation for buying old video games since 2008.