For years, I have flipped video games on the side for extra cash. While I don't do it nearly as much as I used to, it can be very lucrative if you know what to look for & put the time/effort into it. Due to career and family, however, I simply don't have the time to do it as much as I used to. But it's just like riding a bike; you don't forget. And I keep all my restoration tools, in case opportunity arises.

The Find

Sometimes games are listed on eBay with under-informative titles, and you can find the treasures by looking at the pictures. Sometimes, people don't realize what they have and list it for less than what it's worth. How can you determine the worth of video games? PriceCharting is a good guide, though not the end all, be all. Sold eBay listings are another way to determine value. Ultimately, a game is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

This is what I found (the title of the listing was simply "gameboy games lot" - I made an offer for $24.99, which the seller accepted). It was a bundle of four games:

They were all in pretty good condition: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Dr. Mario, Pokemon Red, and Wrestlemania 2000.

The Restoration

I was most interested in the Pokemon game, because I knew it was worth the most of the four. The first step was verifying the game's authenticity, as there are a lot of fakes floating around in the market. There are several things to look for. The first I look for is the "22" imprint on the front label. You can see it is right below Charizard's wing here:

Once the game is opened up, using a Nintendo screw bit (also works for NES, Super Nintendo, and N64 games), you can look at the board for signs of authenticity too. There should be a "Nintendo" stamped on the rear, as seen below:

Using a soldering iron and a small electronics screwdriver, I unharnessed the CR2025 battery - which the game uses to save game data. This particular cartridge still had the original battery from 1999! Remarkably, it still held a save game 23 years later. Since I knew I was going to be reselling this game, I wanted to put a fresh battery in to increase the value.

I had a bunch of batteries in my tool kit from my days of near full-time video game flipping. I soldered it in place, cleaned up the cartridge housing and pin connectors with a Q-tip and 99% isopropyl alcohol, tested the game and save feature out. So now, I've verified it's an authentic Nintendo game pak and it works perfectly with a fresh save battery, ready for sale.

The Sale

A quick search of the sold eBay listings shows that these have sold for up to $90. 

Now, I'm not that optimistic as far as price but I'm fairly confident I can have this restored cartridge sold for at least $70 - not too shabby. It may take some time but it will sell. It's a great way to add essentially "free" games to your collection and/or just make some extra money on the side.