2024 Ebay Sales Summary

 Although it is not quite the end of the year, I decided to post my Ebay sales summary for 2024. The good news is that total sales increased by 128.5% from the previous year. Net sales increased by 158.2% and the average sales price per item increased by 36% to $27.15. The number of items sold increased by 68%. This was mainly due to the 21 Xbox controllers that I sold in 2024. 

Now the bad news. The cost of selling (which includes Ebay fees and shipping) was 37.6% of total sales. And the cost of goods was 29.5% of total sales. Add sales tax to that and my profit was only 27% of total sales or about $305. That was still a 48.4% improvement over last year's profit. Total items sold was 42, so my goal for 2025 is to sell an average of one item per week. I should be able to achieve that if I can find reasonably priced controllers to refurbish. It feels like a few individuals have been trying to dominate the used game controller market. The average price of a used controller that needs repair on Ebay does not leave any room for profit for resellers. You can get a new Xbox One black model S wireless controller for $49.95. I usually charge $32 for a refurbished controller with free shipping. That means I can only pay $12 per controller.

The last item that sold was a Marine Corps military utility cap. I got it in a bulk package of 35 assorted hats and caps. This was only the third cap that sold so far but that was enough to pay for all 35. The buyer was located in California and is the production company for the NCIS television series which stars Mark Harmon. NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, so they buy a lot of military uniforms and gear for the show, which has been in production since 2003. I thought it was interesting to know that an item I sold might end up in a TV series. I'll have to keep my eyes open for more military items to resell. All of the other hats I have are pro and college sports team related which may take longer to sell.

20 Xbox Controllers Sold on Ebay

 In the past eight months I have sold 20 refurbished Xbox One controllers on Ebay. Each controller was disassembled, cleaned, repaired, and sold at a fixed price. I typically buy controllers that are listed "For parts or not working" and try to restore them to 100% working condition. Most of the controllers are model 1708 (3rd generation), which I find are easier to repair. Model 1914 (Xbox Series X) controllers are a bit more difficult to fix. I have not tried to fix any Elite model controllers because even the broken ones are over $30 each.

The most common color I have sold is white (see image). While white and black are the most common colors, the more colorful special edition controllers sell faster and fetch a higher price. I have compiled the numbers to try and determine if fixing old controllers is a viable business model. If you exclude labor, you have the cost to acquire the controller, the parts to fix the controller, the cost to package/ship, and Ebay's transaction fees. Total gross sales (minus tax and Ebay fees) were, $565.88. That may look like a good number, but after subtracting initial cost and shipping, you end up with a $157.97. 

That money then goes into buying replacement parts and more broken controllers. My average cost for a non-working controller was $14.21. That includes tax and shipping. The most I have paid for a non-working controller is $16.44. It is getting more difficult to find controllers for less than $16 unless you buy 3 or more at a time or find someone who wants to get rid of a broken one quickly. On auction sites, I find the same people bidding against me on every controller listing. We are just making each other's resale business less profitable by buying untested controllers for more than they are worth. I suspect the other bidders are relisting controllers on Ebay for parts or not working at a slightly higher price. The proof is that the average price of a broken controller on Ebay has increased dramatically in the last six months.

So, despite the satisfaction of getting a controller to work again, the reward just isn't enough to justify the time it takes to find fixable controllers at a reasonable price. There are also issues with older controllers that make them impossible to recalibrate. Microsoft recently gave the ability to recalibrate Model 1914 controllers but have only released firmware updates for older controllers to make them more tolerant to stick drift. Eventually, thumb sticks are going to wear out. High quality analog sticks are more expensive and only have a life cycle of 2 million cycles at best. With a popular fps game like Call of Duty a thumb stick can wear out in 3 or 4 months. It would seem like the ideal scenario for a controller repair shop, but people are trying to sell their broken controllers at a high price and pay as little as possible for ones that have been refurbished. 

The other issue is that after a while you end up with a bunch of controllers that are unfixable because of circuit board issues. They either won't turn on or the buttons and triggers don't work. I currently have 5 controllers with various circuit board issues. Buying a used circuit board cost as much as buying an untested "for parts" controller. You need to have some spare parts, but over time you end up with a collection of controllers that have bad circuit boards. Every year more gamers upgrade to newer video game systems, which means that the market for older controllers will gradually diminish. Eventually the only people buying old controllers will be collectors who are trying to acquire every variation.

Refurbishing Xbox One controllers

I think I finally found an item that I can sell on Ebay to make a (small) profit. I recently decided to look for a newer Xbox One controller and went to Shopgoodwill.com to see what I could find. They had numerous controllers, but most were getting bid too high. On Ebay, used controllers typically sell for between $30 and $40 depending on the model. I eventually found a gray/blue one that I liked and won the auction for $32.27 with tax and shipping. Since it was a custom color scheme, I didn’t mind spending a little more. I was planning on selling my old controller to get some money back anyway. When it arrived, I discovered that there was a problem with the vertical movement on the right joystick. In a game, the vertical axis would move on its own, which was a sign that the analog joystick actuator has worn out. This is also known as “Stick Drift”.

It turns out that this is a common problem and a reason why there are so many used controllers at Goodwill and other thrift stores. I decided to see if I could fix the problem on my own. I first needed to get a tool kit to take the controller apart. Since this problem is so common, there are dozens of tool kits for sale on Amazon and Ebay. The kit I bought had 3 different screw drivers, 4 actuators, 4 joysticks, a cleaning brush, and 3 nylon pry tools all for 12 dollars. With the tools, I was able to open the controller to get access to the actuators, which are soldered onto a circuit board. I next watched several YouTube videos to find out how to best go about replacing a bad actuator. Several videos showed the old actuator to being completely dismantled with wire snippers before being desoldered. There are 14 leads on each actuator, which makes desoldering a challenge.

I discovered that it was easier to remove only the horizontal and vertical pots that are attached to the sides of the actuator. These two pots are the main failure point. So instead of desoldering 14 leads, I only had to desolder 6. I used a desoldering tool to remove the solder from each lead, then used a small screwdriver to ply each pot loose from the base. They just snap on/off and are then easy to remove. I installed new pots and soldered them in place. The controller worked perfectly after it was reassembled. Since I didn’t remove the whole actuator from the pc-board, I was not as concerned about calibration. I found a YouTube video that explained calibration. Most methods involve manually adjusting the pots. Of course, other problems are common, such as sticky buttons and controllers that won't turn on.

After I was able to repair the controller, I bought two more online for $28.83. This was a better price and they only needed to be cleaned. Now I had 5 controllers, so I decided to sell 2 of them on Ebay. There are four primary model numbers. Model 1537 released on November 22, 2013. Model 1697 released on June 9, 2015, which added a 3.5mm audio jack and the ability to do firmware updates wirelessly. Model 1708 was released on August 2, 2016, alongside the Xbox One S console; this model added Bluetooth connectivity. The fourth and current model, Model 1914, was released on November 10, 2020, alongside the Xbox Series X|S; This model has a flat concave D-pad, an additional “Share” button, and changed from Micro-USB to USB-C.

I sold one model 1537 for $30 and one model 1708 for $34. I asked a little more for the newer model and they both sold in one day. I think that was a fair price for a used controller that has been cleaned and tested. For the newest model 1914, I would expect to get around $32 + shipping. When looking for used controllers, I avoid 3rd party controllers because the resale value is not as good. The only problem is that there are a lot of other folks that have figured out that you can make money refurbishing and reselling used controllers. The bidding on used/untested Xbox one controllers is very competitive. It is getting difficult to win an auction and still make a fair profit at resale. I used to focus on the games, but the trend is for all future games to be downloads. All controllers eventually wear out and Gamers will always be looking for an affordable controller. In the past two months I have sold 6 controllers at an average profit of $8 each. I only buy two at a time to refurbish so I don't have a lot of used controllers sitting around. It makes good use of my electronics knowledge, video game, and reselling experience.

Custom Built Racing Wheel Stand

 There are many pre-built racing wheel stands you can buy. One company that has some good looking options is Next Level Racing. Their basic stand retails for $119 and elite models cost $999. The Next Level stands are all made of carbon steel and can be adjusted to fit your driving position. Although their products look great, I can’t afford to spend that much money right now. So, I decided to see if I could build a wheel stand out of wood for my Thrustmaster 458 racing wheel. 

The first two photos show the unfinished design. My main goal was to make a stand that would allow me to play racing games while sitting in my recliner. I had some of the materials, but ended up making several trips to the local home center. I spent about $67 on the project. To buy everything, I estimate it would cost around $100. The most expensive parts were the 1-1/4” x 4’ slotted angle and the 1x6 boards. I put a 1 x 6 oak board on the top to make it look nice, but you could substitute a pine board if you wanted to save a few bucks.

The last photo shows the finished product. I stained the oak top board and painted the pine boards white. There are cable ties on the inside of the vertical supports to keep the wires in place. The foot pedals are mounted to a piece of 12” x 24” x 1/2” plywood that I left unpainted. I thought about making it more adjustable, but the 23” height works fine. It has leveling feet at the corners that can be raised if needed. Now it just needs a cup holder and some racing decals.

Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Spider Racing Wheel

 The Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Racing Wheel is an entry level racing wheel for the Xbox One game console. It was released on April 14th, 2014 with a retail price of $99 USD. It's a good controller for the Xbox One racer looking for a more realistic experience than a gamepad, but doesn’t want to shell out $$$ on a high-end racing wheel. 

The wheel has a solid feel, but lacks the force feedback feature of higher end wheels. There are also only two pedals instead of 3. This is fine if you drive with auto shifting turned on in your game. The wheel base features a ‘Bungee Cord’ mechanism, offering linear resistance and automatic centering. The wheel base has an adjustable clamp so it can be attached to a table or something solid. The pedal base stays firmly in place on a carpeted floor. The pedal resistance is firm and it is easy to loose track of how far your foot is pressing down. There are only a few tracks that let you run full throttle. On most tracks you need to let up on the throttle in the turns. Using the wheel will helps you get through traffic. But, racing games are won and lost on the turns, which still requires some degree of driving skill. You can now find them on Ebay for less than half of the retail price. I suspect they are plentiful because gamers start with this wheel and then upgrade to a wheel with direct-drive and force feedback.

This past week, China applied limits on how many hours kids could play video games each week. The restriction allows only 3 hours per week. Kids are allowed one hour for gaming, from 8 to 9 p.m., on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, they can't pick one day to play for 3 hours. It's a 1 hour limit per day. Previously, they were allowed to play games for 1½ hours a day and 3 hours on public holidays. This applies to people under 18 years of age. So, it applies to kids, not adults. Users are only able to log in using their real names, and all online games must be registered through China's state-run anti-addiction program. The new rules are intended to curb "gaming addiction." I haven't heard much about gaming addiction in the USA recently. But, I'm sure its a big problem here too.

Video Game Store With No Prices

 I bought a used Xbox One X in February 2021, and it was time to go to the local video game store to see if they had any used Xbox One games that I could add to my collection. Specifically, I was looking for a golf game, since none of the old Xbox EA Sports golf titles will play on the Xbox One X. 

I haven't been to our local retro video game store since the pandemic started back in 2019. I thought the store might have gone out of business by now, but it was still there and open. Upon entering the store, everything looked about the same except for a huge display of Funko Pops. The Xbox games were on a rack at the back of the store. The selection was small and they didn't have any golf games. The next thing I noticed was that none of the games had any price tags or signs indicating how much they cost. I asked the salesman about it and he said that since the prices fluctuate so much, it was a waste of time to put price tags on everything. If there was a game I was interested in, they would lookup the price online. I've been in some antique stores without prices, but never a video game store. On a tight budget, this isn't how I like to shop.

Seeing that I was the only customer in the store, I wondered how this was working out for them. They probably get most of their sales online and the store is just a place for people to trade in their old games. How did prices get so volatile that listing prices was pointless? It all comes back to the Super Mario 64 game that sold for $1.56M back in July, 2021. Sealed, graded, retro video games have been selling for ever increasing prices, causing massive price variations for older games. I happened to come across a video on YouTube by Karl Jobst that calls out the fraud and deception that led to this situation. I watch a lot of YouTube videos and I had never heard of Karl. But, as soon as I heard the voice, I recognized it from his other videos under the name Modest Pelican. It is quite entertaining to hear his Australian accent as he narrates his video game play. For the past two years Karl has been adding videos about fraud, deception, and cheating in the video game world.

The story he uncovered is fascinating in its complexity and unbelievable in how the value of retro video games have been artificially manipulated. This has happened in the past with coins, sports cards, and collectable toys. Usually it doesn't end well for people who get caught up in the hype. It is unlikely that a video game collector is going to pay those high auction prices. But, investors who are only out to make a buck might. It's too early to know if Karl's video will change anything. I will be following the story with interest and commend Karl on his great work in documenting this story. 

Kingston HyperX ChargePlay Duo - Controller Charging Station

Back in January I bought a used Xbox One X on Ebay. The only thing missing was a charger for the controllers. I had a set of rechargeable double A batteries that I was using, but they only last a few hours before needing to be recharged again. It was getting worse and taking the fun out of playing games on the Xbox. I did some research and found that the HyperX ChargePlay Duo was the best one to get. It comes with two 1400 mAh rechargeable battery packs and battery doors for either the Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controllers. Charge time is 2.5 hours for a fully depleted battery. 

The dual charging station from Power A only has 1100 mAh rechargeable batteries. You can find aftermarket battery packs as high as 2550 mAh on Amazon. The rating was 5 stars and the cost was only $19.99 on the one I looked at. But, I didn't want to remove the battery from the controller to charge it. I looked for a used HyperX online for several months. I did find a few, but the price for a used one was usually over $20 + shipping. You also take your chances buying a used battery charger. You have no idea how many charge cycles the batteries have had. 

I was searching the web the other day and found that you can get a new Kingston HyperX ChargePlay Duo from the Microsoft Store for $29.99 with free shipping. Most other websites have it for a higher price or have a shipping charge. You can get it from hyperxgaming.com for $24.99, but there is an $8 ground shipping fee. Microsoft shipped mine UPS 2nd day air for free. I didn't think Microsoft would be the best option, but it looks like they are in this case. So far, the charger has been working well. Its nice to pick up a controller from the stand and know that it is fully changed and ready to go. Used Xbox One games are getting more difficult to sell. I think its because most Xbox gamers have an Xbox Live subscription. Microsoft is adding more older games to Xbox Live every month as a free download if you have a subscription. The Gold subscription is $9.99 per month and an Ultimate Game Pass subscription is $14.99 per month. The Ultimate subscription adds member discounts and in-game perks. For most multiplayer games, you need one of these subscriptions. Unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow for another $120 per year, so free game downloads and multiplayer gaming is not an option for me.

Xbox One X vs. Xbox 360 Slim

I purchased my original Xbox back in 2001. I played that game console a lot and made quite a few modifications to it. 10 years later I bought the Xbox 360 Slim. The 360 came out in 2005, but I waited 5 years to buy one to make sure they had all of the bugs worked out of it. The 360 Slim model that I got in 2011 has been a solid performer. I've never had any trouble with it, other than the fact that some game disks wouldn't play once in a while. But, over the past 10 years, I really haven't played it that much. This year (2021) it was time to update to an Xbox One X, which came out in Nov. 2017. I figured with the release of the Xbox Series X in Nov. 2020, there would be some good deals on used One X consoles. I wanted one to test used games that I acquire for resale and for the built in Blu-Ray player. 

Here are some of the differences between the 360 and the One X:

Xbox 360 Slim (2.95 x 10.6 x 10.39 inches)

• Weight - 6.39 pounds
• Processor - 3.2-GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon
• Memory -  512MB GDDR3 RAM
• Hard Drive - 250GB 2.5 inch HDD
• Optical Drive - 12x DVD

Xbox One X (2.4 x 9.4 x 11.8 inches)

• Weight - 8.4 pounds
• Processor - 8 core x86 CPU @ 2.3GHz
• Memory - 12GB GDDR5
• Hard Drive - 1TB Custom NVME SSD
• Optical Drive - 4K UHD Blu-ray

Physically, they are close to the same size, but the One X is 2 pounds heavier. The hard drive has 4x more storage capacity. Memory is faster and 24x larger. And the One X has a Blu-Ray vs a DVD drive in the 360. A DVD can hold 4.7 GB of data, while a 4K Blu-Ray disc can hold 66 GB. This is where the trouble starts. The One X needs to load the data from the disc to the hard drive and download updates from the internet, before you can play a new game. It takes about 15 minutes to load the data from the disc and another hour (in some cases) to download the update. It depends on your Internet connection speed. My best download speed is about 80 Mbps. So far, every game I have tried to load needs an update. Usually about the size of the data on the disc or more. 

Developers have been pumping out games knowing that they can fix problems later with an update. I loaded 4 or 5 games and the hard drive is nearly half full already. With the Xbox 360, I have played dozens of games and the hard drive has never come close to being full. I assume because the 360 doesn't need to load the game to the hard drive. My guess is that the Xbox Series X (2020 version) will be the last console that has an optical drive. The Xbox Series S version doesn't have one. Games are just getting too big. Maybe games will come on a thumb drive in the future and new consoles will all have an SSD instead of a mechanical hard drive. I think everyone just overlooks the long download times because the Xbox One X graphics are so amazing.

Original Xbox Games

Sometimes I feel abandoned when I realize that no one is making new games for the first generation xbox game console. The old xbox sold about 24 million units before production stopped early 2005. Shortly after that all the game developers stopped creating new games for the system and redirected their efforts toward the xbox 360. The last time I checked the xbox 360 has sold about 20 million units.

I hate looking at the new game ads and seeing versions for the 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, and the Wii. It surprises me that the Playstation Portable is still as popular as it is. Sony continues to release updates with new features for the PSP's operating system and there isn't much else to choose from if you want an advanced hand-held game system with lots of games and wireless Internet capabilities. The only good news for people still playing the old xbox is that used games are cheap and plentyful. If you don't like paying sixty bucks for a game and don't mind non-hd graphics, the used game market for the old xbox is still going strong.