Money Printer, Slow and Steady!
I recently came across a video game YouTuber who also runs an online storefront, selling through Amazon and other platforms. To maintain inventory on popular items, they utilize a “buy list”—a curated list of games and accessories they’re willing to purchase at set prices.
This buy list effectively establishes the immediate value of various games. No need to deal with eBay listings, marketplace fees, or in-person meetups. Simply mail the game to them, and upon verification, they issue an e-check.
Turning This Into Profit
So how can we make money with this? Plenty of websites sell video games; the key is acquiring them at the right price while factoring in taxes and shipping costs. With this in mind, I discovered several Goodwill websites that aggregate store inventory and list it online.
Initially, I manually checked games A-Z by system, comparing their prices against the buy list. This method worked but was slow and tedious. However, I quickly found that many games could yield a small but steady profit. Even making just $1 per game adds up over time.
To streamline the process, I developed a web scraper that automatically scans these Goodwill sites, compares prices to the buy list, and performs quick calculations to determine if a game will yield at least $1.50 in profit.
The Results
The app now generates an Excel sheet outlining which games to buy and the expected profit for each.
The downside? It requires significant upfront cash. On the other hand, it’s a great way to rack up credit card points.
Right now, I typically invest around $100 to make a $20 profit—not a bad return on investment. Over the past four days, I’ve been averaging about $35 in profit per day. While the Goodwill sites are a national resource, they can’t always provide the volume I need to sustain this operation at scale.
These sites update frequently, and I’ve missed out on some great finds. For example, a Pokémon DS game was listed for only 10 minutes at $34 before selling out—meanwhile, the buy list had it valued at $92 loose.
Expanding the Operation
Update (3/27/25): I’ve now integrated nine different websites into my system, allowing for daily price checks. In the past month, I’ve made around $2,700 in profit and a couple hundred bucks in credit card points. While profitable games aren’t always easy to come by, I’m still managing to secure 2-3 games per day.
The key to scaling this money printer lies in expanding my sources and refining the automation further. The more sites I can monitor, the greater the potential for profit!
