What It's About
Video game flipping earns an extra $500-800/month!
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
Rodney pays close attention to video game news to help him get the best price for the games he flips. If there is a new release of a classic coming up, or a sequel to a long-awaited title, Rodney will often hold onto a game until closer to the release date to take advantage of the hype.
For example, when the new Crash Bandicoot game was released for PlayStation 4 in 2017, the price of the original from 1996 shot up to almost the same price as the brand new game!
Fun Fact
As I’m sure you know, playing video games is an extremely popular pastime all over the world! And in the U.S. alone, 65% of households have some kind of a device for playing video games. There’s no doubt about it, we love playing video games, but which video game do we like playing the most?
Why the 1984 classic, Tetris, of course! It’s sold over 170 million copies to date which is more than the number of copies sold of Skyrim, Super Mario Bros., Pokémon Red/Blue, and Mario Kart Wii combined. (Whoa!)
Notes from Chris
Episode 564
For Rodney Wittenhagen, video games have always been a passion. Ever since he was a little kid, he’s loved nothing more than spending an afternoon, or sometimes the entire weekend, being transported to another universe. And now he’s found a way to turn his “love of the game” into a profitable side hustle. It all started when Rodney was on the hunt for some classic Pokemon games. He’d played them as a child and was itching for a trip down memory lane. After searching, he came across the games in great condition on eBay, bought them, and played them through to completion as soon as they were delivered. Rodney enjoyed the ease of the process and began to wonder if it was something he could use to earn some gold coins on the side. He’d already amassed a collection of video games and had some extra money to invest. So, he figured he’d test the idea. He took the Pokemon games he’d bought and uploaded them to eBay. He set the price a little higher than what he’d originally paid for them, took pictures to show the quality of the cartridges, and wrote a quick description. He didn’t think much would happen, so he went about his day job as a production supervisor. But, much to his surprise, the games sold within a few hours! He’d made a few dollars from each game. Rodney says the first sale was exciting, but he didn’t really do anything to celebrate. He just accepted his next quest: to grow his inventory and make more money from flipping his favorite games. To accomplish the first part, Rodney set himself a limit of $200. He felt this was enough money to get a good return on his investment, but if he couldn’t replicate his success, he wouldn’t be upset to lose it. If nothing else, he’d have some games he loved to show for it! Rodney hopes to refine the system as the business grows, but right now it’s simple enough for him to deal with around his day-job and allows him to invest more of his $500 to $800 a month profit back into the business. Looking to the future, Rodney wants to expand what he sells and create a larger inventory of games. He’s already started selling consoles and bundles through his website and wants to be able to cover more types of games and accessories. And, eventually, move his venture entirely away from eBay and create an online Pixel Warehouse empire! If he does that, he’ll be playing on expert mode.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Pixel Warehouse: Take a trip down memory lane—pick up some of your old favorites over on Rodney's website
- Shopify: Rodney used Shopify to set up his site for Pixel Warehouse, and they're offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
- Facebook Marketplace, eBay, & Craigslist: The three platforms that Rodney uses to source the video games he flips
SEE ALSO:
- Engineer Makes $64,000 Selling Nerdy Playing Cards on Reddit: It started with a single Legend of Zelda playing card she drew for a friend and posted on Reddit—then it became a side hustle selling more than 6,400 full decks
- Childhood Game Master Earns $1 Million from Nerdy Kickstarter Campaigns: This Ohio man loves board games so much that he made his own—and when he tries to raise $6,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, he ends up with much more than he ever imagined
- Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source
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Resources
CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE
Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.
Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today!
Learn More
GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS
Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time.
Quote of the Day
Sponsors & Gratitude
Move Forward With Uber!
Side Hustle School is brought to you by Uber—the company determined to improve the ridesharing experience for both riders and drivers.
I've seen a lot of these improvements firsthand, but don't just take my word on it! Read more about all of the ways Uber is moving forward—head on over to Uber.com.🚘
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To infinity and beyond,
