Trade-ins
Video game trade-in software for retro stores
Price buys the same way at every counter and every shift, choose cash or store credit, and move each item straight into intake so trade-ins stop turning into a pile no one remembers.
The buy counter is where margin is made or lost
Every used item in your store started as a trade-in decision. Pay too much and the margin is gone before it hits the shelf. Pay too little and the customer walks. Do it differently depending on who is working the counter, and it becomes harder to understand your real cost of goods.
RetroBase gives your team one consistent place to work from when making trade-in offers, with market value in front of them instead of buried in memory or separate tabs.
Consistent offers, whoever is at the counter
A new hire and your most experienced buyer should have the same inputs in front of them when evaluating the same item in the same condition. RetroBase brings those inputs into the trade-in workflow so offers are easier to explain and easier to repeat.
- Look up the item and review market-value context by condition.
- Use your store’s buying logic to turn that context into a cash or store-credit offer.
- Move accepted items directly into intake so the workflow starts immediately.
Cash or store credit, on purpose
Store credit can protect margin and bring the customer back. Cash can help close the right buy. RetroBase keeps both options part of the same trade-in workflow so the offer is deliberate, not improvised.
From the counter straight into intake
A trade-in is not really done when the customer leaves. It still needs to be tested, cleaned, repaired if needed, priced, photographed, reviewed and made ready to sell.
When you accept a trade-in, RetroBase starts the item in the workflow: intake, testing, cleaning, repair, pricing, media, review and ready-to-sell. The goal is simple: nothing gets bought and then forgotten in a bin.
Visibility for owners and managers
- See what entered the store and what still needs work.
- Spot items stuck between trade-in and ready-to-sell.
- Give staff a clearer process for what happens after a buy.
What RetroBase is and is not
RetroBase handles the work between the buy and the shelf. It is not a point-of-sale or checkout system. It focuses on trade-ins, pricing and getting inventory ready to sell.
RetroBase also includes used game pricing software and a game store inventory system, so items stay tracked from intake to ready-to-sell.
See the full intake-to-ready-to-sell workflow or founding-store pricing.
Make your buy counter more consistent.
Founding stores get early access and a direct line to the team building RetroBase.
Frequently asked questions
Will this slow down my buy counter?
The goal is the opposite: one place to look up an item, apply your store’s buying logic, and quote cash or store credit, instead of checking a separate source and doing the math by hand.
Where do the values come from?
RetroBase shows market-value context to assist your offer; your store still decides the final number. Values are estimates and can move with the market.
Is this a POS? Do I have to switch systems?
No. RetroBase is not a point-of-sale or checkout system. It focuses on trade-ins, pricing and getting items ready to sell.
Can different staff make consistent offers?
Yes. Your buying logic lives in RetroBase, so the same item in the same condition gives staff the same inputs to work from.
Cash or store credit, can I do both?
Yes. Both options are part of the same trade-in workflow, so you can present either and set your own rules for each.
What happens to an item after I accept it?
It enters your intake workflow, so it is tracked through testing, cleaning, repair, pricing, media and review until it is ready to sell.
How do I get it?
We are onboarding a small group of founding stores first. Apply and we will talk about whether it fits how your shop runs.