Turn on your old iPhone, other devices for cash on these sites

It’s been a few years since my last big gadget purge and, wow, device accumulation. This happens when you review technology for a living, but it’s still completely out of your control.

It’s not just me. A survey by camera equipment trade site MPB shows Americans have about $650 billion worth of unused devices, including old TVs, smartphones, cameras, gaming devices and laptops.

At a time when the prices of groceries, housing, utilities and just about everything else seem to be skyrocketing, now is the perfect time to see if we can come up with some cold, hard cash for our old gadgets.

I have three of these sitting on a shelf in my office, and every time I look up and see them sitting there collecting dust, I feel bad about wasting my money. They are:

◾ Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle ($365): I bought this last winter to use on a holiday giveaway TV show. I showed it out of the box once, but other than that I never used it.

◾ iPad Mini 6th generation (still the newest on the market). I bought it to use on video sets and run my own teleprompter (an app connected to another larger iPad placed under the camera lens). With a protective case and AppleCare service, it cost a whopping $710. But instead, I still use my iPhone all the time.

◾ Canon XC 15 4K Camera ($986). It was purchased by my professional photographer husband to shoot my product review videos. Let me repeat: it’s a pity for both of us that I shoot parts mainly on – you guessed it – my same old iPhone.

That adds up to $2,061 worth of gadgets that I don’t use or need. There are dozens of websites that promise quick cash for your gadgets. I’ve tried most of them.

What do I need to know before selling my old gadgets?

But before we get to the results, there are some important tips and tricks that will help you get the most money for your old gadgets. First, find out what you’re selling and what your general price range is, starting with how much you paid for the device.

Some gadgets depreciate in value faster than others. For example, Android phones are usually worth less after a year or two than their iPhone counterparts. Camera lenses hold their value extremely well, but the price of camera bodies drops as new models are released.

To have the best chance of getting top dollar for your device, also keep these tips in mind:

Find the original box. This is especially important when selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. When buyers choose between two used devices, the one with the box almost always sells first.

Prepare your device. For phones, laptops, and tablets, be sure to back up all your personal data, including photos, videos, music, videos, and games, and then factory reset your device. Also reset gaming hardware, cameras, and other gadgets you set up with your email address or password. Don’t forget to remove SD cards from the latter devices as well.

Find all the extra parts. Are you selling the camera? Grab all your lenses, lens caps and branded neck straps. Are you abandoning your phone or tablet? Include everything that usually comes with the device, such as the charging cable and wall adapter if you still have them. These little extras are a big deal for buyers and even trading sites. If you’re missing something like a lens hood or a suitable plug, please note it and include it in the description. I even put a note on the box if something is missing, and I always take photos of everything before shipping. This is a bit of an exaggeration, but I’ve had scammers pretend to receive an empty box, so it does provide some protection.

Please clean it up! No, seriously, you wouldn’t believe how often people take the time to take high-resolution photos of dirty appliances, expecting buyers to look past the thumb smudges and cat hair stuck into the nooks and crannies. Don’t be like them. Grab a microfiber cloth and quickly wipe everything down. You’ll be glad you did when your listing sells faster than the rest.

Should I sell on a flash sale or swap site?

OK – now your old gadget is ready to go to the “quick sale” or “trade page”. Some companies that offer cash for gadgets include ItsWorthMore, Back Market, and Decluttr.

These are perfect solutions that streamline the entire process. You answer a few simple questions about the make, model and condition of the device, immediately estimate how much the company will pay you for it, and send it in the mail. They check the gadget when they receive it and if it is in good condition as you described, you will get paid within a few days.

It’s quick, easy and hassle-free, but the payouts aren’t as great as on sites that help you sell directly to another person – like Facebook Marketplace, Swappa or eBay.

Another disadvantage of the streamlined process is that it removes a lot of nuance. Yes, I took out my Nintendo Switch once to record it on camera, but then I put it back in the box and never touched it again. It’s not technically “new”, but it’s not really “used” either. Unfortunately, these are my only two options, so it’s “used”.

There’s also no room to explain that this is part of a package that adds more value by including a full game download and a three-month online membership. To make these details matter, you may be better off using a peer-to-peer sales site.

Can I earn more by selling to someone else?

Peer-to-peer selling on Facebook Marketplace and eBay is now easier than ever. There are others like Nextdoor, Swappa, and even good old Craigslist, but I didn’t use the last three for this review.

Why? Swappa requires you to connect to your PayPal account and after about 30 minutes of troubleshooting why I couldn’t connect both, I gave up and moved on. Time is also money, you know.

As for Craigslist, the last time I used it I had to deal with so many scammers that I never had the courage to go there again. I also skipped Nextdoor because I live in a small community and often browse for sale listings around me. These are never goodies and my neighbors usually want free or almost free stuff. I just don’t see a market for my devices here. Doing your homework and knowing your audience also helps a lot.

You will need to do more preliminary work with each of these peer-to-peer sites. You’ll need to take high-quality photos of what you’re selling, provide a detailed description, and answer questions if they arise. The good news is that there is often a greater gain.

I haven’t used eBay in a while, and now they have a new AI feature that writes the description for you. This was very useful.

How to sell on the Internet and not get scammed

You should also be wary of scammers using such sites. Anyone willing to pay you more than you ask for, or “charge you extra to add a gift card,” is a huge red flag.

Additionally, someone trying to lure you away from eBay or Marketplace and wanting your personal information like your phone number or email address, or a buyer asking if you accept CashApp, is more likely to abort the transaction. Never chase a buyer to another payment platform or offer to ship to an unusual location. You can also read some Reddit threads to stay up to date with the latest scams.

If you don’t mind meeting someone in person, Facebook Marketplace is a place where you can quickly find a buyer, although they’ll probably haggle with you a bit. The application warns against meeting in a public place, e.g. in front of a police station.

eBay still reigns supreme in online sales, but have your boxes and packing tape ready because you’ll need to ship. Also, be prepared for the price reduction on eBay to be much higher than you expect.

With these important tips and warnings in mind, I found a great buyer for my Nintendo Switch on eBay in less than 48 hours. I ended up selling it for $240 before I even received one inquiry on Facebook Marketplace. After packaging, shipping, and cutting on eBay, $174 hit my bank account. That’s a lot less than the $365 I paid for the bundle, but a lot more than the $0 I had while it was sitting on my shelf.

Where can I sell my iPad for the most money?

Now about the iPad Mini. I paid $710 for it with a protective case and Apple Care. The highest estimated value achieved by the trade and quick sale sites is $352. The lowest was Declutter at just under $230. I also tried Apple Trade-In, thinking it might be a better price than the others, but at $260 it was the second lowest price.

I checked what others were looking for on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. The most I was able to get back was about $475 via eBay. Even if I could sell it for that, the discount on eBay is quite steep, so I decided to stick with my device. Worst case scenario, I’ll give it to someone else in the family. This is also always an important option.

When it comes to photography equipment, all professionals have one place

When it comes to photography equipment, there is only one site I use and that is MPB. I chose this one again because my husband is a professional photographer, so he earns his living and this is his constant goal. It also happens to be the largest global platform for buying, selling and trading used photography and video equipment – from cameras and lenses to accessories. We are loyal here because they tend to pay more and have an excellent “dynamic pricing engine” which is a fancy name for well-selected and documented accuracy when it comes to hitting the sweet spot at the right price based on make, model and condition.

Many of these sites do not offer options for purchasing photography equipment, especially high-end 4K cameras like the one I am selling.

I could play on eBay or FB Marketplace, but I sold my Canon camera to MPB for $560. Bird in hand and all…

Here’s how much I made selling my trio of gadgets online:

OK, now it’s time to take a look at what I put into this effort. As I mentioned above, the Nintendo Switch bundle sold on eBay for $240; minus their fees, I made $174. Of the remaining sites, “ItsWorthMore” had the highest price and “GadgetGone” had the lowest price. They differ enough that you can try several. At least this part is free.