Can’t stand the sight of that old SEGA Genesis gathering dust in your closet? GameStop might be able to help you out. Much like their recent trade-in program for PlayStation 2 consoles, the games retailer is rolling out a plan to buy and sell retro consoles.
GameStop stores in New York City and Birmingham Alabama will be the test-bed for the pilot program, which in total is around 250 stores. The retro consoles that GameStop is looking for include the NES, SNES, SEGA Genesis, original PlayStation, N64, and SEGA Dreamcast. They will purchase games and “select accessories” for the consoles as well. A spokesperson for GameStop told IGN that if the test markets are successful, they hope to grow the program nationally “later this year.”
GameStop will begin accepting trades ins to the test markets on April 25. All products purchased by GameStop will be sent to the “Refurbishment Operations Center” for “inspection, testing and repair.” The turn around time for the trades to be processed and then be made available to consumers is estimated to be around 2 months. This will give the retailer “time to build up a good assortment for retro games fans to select from when shopping.”
You won’t have to travel to NYC or Birmingham to buy a retro console from GameStop – they will be made available through the retailers website. All retro consoles purchased from the retailer will “have the same warranty as current used and refurbished consoles,” the GameStop spokesperson said.
Are you willing to trade in your old consoles for new, or are you still rocking out with an NES? Sound off in the comments.
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