Most sellers treat product photos as a formality. They snap a few shots under a kitchen light, upload them, and hope for the best. But for used games, photos aren’t just marketing – they’re documentation. A clear, thorough set of images is what separates a smooth sale from a “not as described” dispute, and it’s the difference between a casual buyer and a collector willing to pay a premium.

Set up your space before you touch the camera

The most common error that sellers commit is that they overlook the cleaning step. It’s essential to clean the item before taking any photos. You can easily clean cartridges by wiping them with a cotton swab soaked in 90% isopropyl alcohol to remove label grime and connector residue. To clean cases and discs, use a dry microfiber cloth to remove fingerprints and avoid any streaks. A filthy item will look filthy in photos regardless of how good the lighting is.

The background is equally important. Always try to use a white or grey surface, such as a piece of cardstock. A neutral background will help to focus the attention of the buyer on the object you are selling rather than on other things lying around your desk. It’s always a good idea to maintain a consistent staging area for all your listings so that your store looks organized and not random.

Invest in a small tripod. Even though you cannot notice the blurring of a photo with the naked eye, it becomes apparent in the image. This is particularly true when you are taking pictures of very small objects like a Game Boy cartridge. A simple phone tripod can be bought for five dollars and can solve this problem.

Lighting is where most sellers go wrong

Direct flash creates a white-out effect on glossy cases and completely destroys holographic label details. Use natural side-lighting instead – place your item near a window with indirect daylight and position the light source to one side rather than straight-on. This creates subtle shadows that actually reveal surface texture, which is exactly what a collector wants to see.

If you’re shooting indoors without good natural light, use a softbox or bounce a lamp off a white wall. Set your white balance manually if your phone or camera allows it. Accurate color matters here because a buyer deciding between two listings will choose the one where the artwork colors look true to the box art they’ve seen their whole lives.

Keep your ISO as low as possible. Higher ISO settings introduce grain that can obscure fine details – fine for portraits, bad for reading condition grades off a label.

Document condition like a professional grader

The retro game market operates based on condition grading. The value of an item can vary significantly if it’s loose, CIB (complete in box), or near mint. Your photos should demonstrate the grade and details without potential buyers needing to inquire.

Take photos of the front, back, and spine of each box. Next, take a photo of the cartridge or disc separately. When it comes to cartridges, you’ll want to photograph the connector pins. This serves as an authenticity measure that serious collectors use. Reproduction carts are quite popular in the retro game market. By exposing the “gold teeth” of the connector in addition to the board label, you’re letting others know that you’re aware of the product you’re selling and that it’s the real deal.

Detail and document every flaw. Be it a torn manual edge, a cracked hinge, or a price sticker residue mark, make sure to photograph each of these details. It may seem counterintuitive, but this is your best defense. Buyers who are up-front about the defects having seen them in your photos won’t be able to dispute it later on. However, sellers who intentionally hide defects are more likely to face chargebacks.

For detailed close-up shots, use the macro mode. It will be available on most modern phones. Capture images of serial numbers, label printing textures, and corner wear. The picture should be detailed enough that potential buyers can zoom in to check the condition themselves.

Your hero image does the selling

Marketplace algorithms tend to favor click-through rates. Essentially, the more a listing is clicked, the more it will be shown to potential buyers. In most cases, the first image of your listing is what entices a buyer to click on it. So, when you’re taking a picture of your product, make sure your camera is up close to the item so the title of the game is readable when the image is shrunk down on a mobile screen – where most of your shopping is likely taking place!

Loosely apply the rule of thirds. Instead of placing the item dead center, nudge it over just a bit. It comes across as more intentional and performs better as a thumbnail image most of the time.

When you’ve put the effort into presenting your item this carefully, it’s worth thinking about your audience. Researching where can I sell retro video games online will show you the difference between general platforms and collector-focused marketplaces, and that gap matters when you’re selling something you’ve documented this thoroughly.

Photos that prove, not just show

Good documentation makes confidence in collectors grow. And that has a ripple effect – they’ll want to buy more from you and maybe at your higher price. And if they see you selling the odd dud, they’re more likely to cut you some slack and give you the benefit of the doubt in case of a dispute. The effort you put into photography before listing is effort you won’t spend on disputes after. That’s the real return on it.