Online marketplaces emerge as key players in upgrades; but prices vary widely
Thinking of buying the latest iPhone 4 or Android handset? Wondering what to do with your old one?
You might be able to sell to a Website like Gazelle.com, which buys used electronics for resale. Recently, the site was offering $83 for a 3-year-old iPhone. And you can thank Apple.
“Gazelle and a host of competitors have been around for years, buying used gear, then reselling it through eBay.com or other vendors,” writes the Boston Globe’s Hiawatha Bray, in a cool story about this trend. “But thanks to the iPhone, they may finally be coming into their own. Goaded by the impending release of the new iPhone 4, thousands of current iPhone users are logging on and trading in. It’s a good idea, and not just for iPhones. These sites welcome trade-ins on lots of other gadgets: laptops, digital cameras, handheld GPS units, even e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle.”
Bray checked three New England sites, including Boston-based Gazelle, and found prices vary widely not only between the sites, but on different days. “Each frequently adjusts its payouts for used gadgets, and sometimes one will pay substantially more than another. Just yesterday, I found that NextWorth would pay $255 for an iPhone 3GS with 32 gigabytes of memory, in good condition, while Gazelle was offering just $198. By now, prices may well be different. It pays to compare offers before selling your stuff.”
Bray offers some other tips on how to get the best price for your used gadget, including keep it looking good, especially the display screen, and hang on to the original accessories and software.
