How to sell used electronics and old tech
Here’s what you need to know before buying or selling used electronics.
Problem solved
It’s been a few years since my last major gadget cleanup, and my devices are piling up—as they do when you review technology for a living, but they’re still totally out of control.
And I’m not alone: According to research from camera equipment trade-in site MPB, Americans own roughly $650 billion worth of unused equipment, including old TVs, smartphones, cameras, gaming consoles, and laptops.
With prices of groceries, housing, utilities, and pretty much everything else seemingly skyrocketing, now is the perfect time to see if you can sell some old gadgets for some cash.
I have three of them sitting on a shelf in my office, and when I look up and see them just gathering dust, I feel bad for wasting money.
◾ Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle ($365): I bought this last winter to use on a TV show about holiday gadget gifts. I took it out of the box and put it on display once, but have never used it apart from that.
◾ iPad Mini, 6th gen (still the newest model). I bought it to run my teleprompter on video sets (an app paired with another large iPad mounted under the camera lens). It cost me a whopping $710 with a protective cover and AppleCare. But I still use my iPhone all the time.
◾ Canon XC 15 4K Camcorder ($986). This was purchased by my husband, a professional photographer, to shoot my product review videos. Again, it’s unfortunate for us that I primarily shoot videos with (you guessed it) the same old iPhone.
That brings my total to $2,061 in gadgets I don’t use and don’t need. There are 12 websites that promise to turn your gadgets into quick cash, and I’ve tried most of them.
What should you know before selling your old gadgets?
Before we get to the results, here are some important tips and tricks to help you get the most value out of your old gadgets: Start with how much you paid for the device, then figure out what you’re selling and your rough price range.
Some gadgets depreciate more quickly than others: Android phones, for example, typically depreciate in value after a year or two more than a comparable iPhone. Camera lenses hold their value surprisingly well, but the prices of camera bodies drop as new models are released.
To give yourself the best chance of selling your device for top dollar, keep these tips in mind as well:
Find the original boxThis is especially important if you’re selling on places like eBay or Facebook Marketplace: when a buyer has a choice between two used devices, the one with the box will almost always sell first.
Prepare the device. For mobile phones, laptops and tablets, make sure you back up all your personal information, including photos, videos, music, movies and games, then reset the device to factory settings. Also reset your gaming consoles, cameras and other gadgets that you have set up with emails and passwords. Don’t forget to remove the SD card on these devices too.
Keep track of all excess parts. If you’re selling a camera, make sure you have all the lenses, lens caps, and branded neck strap. If you’re getting rid of a phone or tablet, make sure you have all the things that typically come with the device, like the charging cable and wall adapter. These little accessories are a big deal for buyers and trade-in sites alike. If you’re missing something like a lens cap or the correct wall plug, make sure you note that and include it in the description. I like to put sticky notes on the box if anything is missing and make sure I photograph everything before I ship it. It might be a bit over the top, but I’ve had scammers pretend to receive empty boxes, so this provides some protection.
Please clean it up! No, seriously, you wouldn’t believe how many people take high-resolution photos of their dirty devices and hope that a buyer won’t notice the thumb stains or cat hair stuck in the corners. Don’t be like them. Grab a microfiber cloth and give everything a quick wipe down. You’ll be glad you did when your listing sells before the others.
Should I sell it to a “quick sale” site or a trade-in site?
Now you’re ready to take your old gadget to a “quick sale” or “trade-in site.” Some companies that offer cash for gadgets include ItsWorthMore, Back Market, and Decluttr.
These are a great option to streamline the entire process. Answer a few simple questions about the make, model, and condition of your device, and you’ll get an instant quote of what the company will pay you, then mail it to you. Once the company receives the device, they’ll inspect it, and if it’s in as described, you’ll get paid within a few days.
It’s quick, easy, and hassle-free, but the payouts aren’t as great as sites like Facebook Marketplace, Swappa, or eBay that let you sell directly to others.
Another downside to a streamlined process is that a lot of the nuance is lost. Sure, I took the Nintendo Switch out once to take a photo, 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, there are only two options, so I’ll go with “used.”
There’s also nowhere to explain that it’s part of an even more valuable bundle that also includes a full game download and three-month online membership. If those details are important to you, you’re better off using a peer-to-peer sales site.
Can you sell more to others and make a profit?
Peer-to-peer selling is also easier than ever on Facebook Marketplace and eBay, as well as Nextdoor, Swappa, and good old Craigslist, though we didn’t use the last three for this review.
Why? Swappa requires you to link a PayPal account, but after about 30 minutes of troubleshooting why I couldn’t connect the two accounts, I gave up and moved on. Time is money, too.
As for Craigslist, I had to deal with so many scammers the last time I used it that I don’t feel like using it again. I also didn’t use Nextdoor because I live in a small community and I often check out what’s for sale in my neighborhood. They don’t sell gadgets and my neighbors tend to want free or nearly free stuff. I don’t see a market for my devices here. Doing your homework and getting to know your customer also helps a lot.
These peer-to-peer sites require a lot more work up front — you have to take high-quality photos of the items you’re selling, provide detailed descriptions, and answer any questions they may have. The good news is that the profits can often be much greater.
I haven’t used eBay in a while, but now they have a new AI feature that writes descriptions for you, which is super handy.
How to sell online without getting scammed
Also, beware of scammers on these sites. Anyone trying to pay more than they’re being asked for, or offering to “pay extra in gift cards,” are big red flags.
Additionally, buyers who lure you off eBay or Marketplace and ask for personal information like your phone number or email address, or ask if you accept CashApp, are reasons to abandon the transaction. Don’t try to direct the buyer to a different payment platform or offer to ship to an unusual location. You can also read some Reddit threads to stay up to date on the latest scams.
If you don’t mind meeting in person, Facebook Marketplace will likely find you a buyer quickly, though you might be offered a slightly lower price. The app will alert you to meet in a public place, like outside a police station.
eBay is still king of online selling, but they also do the shipping, so bring your cardboard boxes and packing tape — and be prepared that eBay’s cut will be much higher than you’d expect.
With these important tips and warnings in mind, I found a great buyer for my Nintendo Switch on eBay within 48 hours. It sold for $240 without a single inquiry on Facebook Marketplace. After packaging, shipping, and eBay’s cut, I ended up with $174 in my bank account. That’s quite a bit less than the $365 I paid for the bundle, but still a lot more than the $0 it was making on the shelf.
Where can you get the best price for an iPad?
Now, regarding the iPad Mini, I bought it for $710 with a protective case and Apple Care. The highest quote I got back from trade-in and quick-sale sites was $352. The lowest was just under $230 from Declutter. I also tried Apple’s trade-in, thinking it might be cheaper than other sites, and they were the second cheapest at $260.
I looked at eBay and Facebook Marketplace to see how much others were selling it for. The most I got back on eBay was about $475. Even if I could sell it for that price, eBay takes a pretty big cut, so I decided to keep the device. Worst case scenario, I’ll gift it to a family member, which is always a good option.
If you’re looking for camera equipment, this is the place for professionals.
When it comes to camera gear, there’s only one site I use: MPB. I chose it again because my husband is a professional photographer and that’s where I make my living. It’s also the world’s largest platform for buying, selling, and exchanging used photo and video equipment, from cameras and lenses to accessories. We’re loyal to it because we tend to get better prices here, and their excellent “Dynamic Pricing Engine” is a fancy name for a well-organized, documented, and accurate way to find the right price based on make, model, and condition.
Many of these other sites don’t offer options for camera equipment, especially high-end 4K camcorders like the ones I sell.
You can take a chance on eBay or FB Marketplace, but I sold my Canon camcorder to MPB for $560. All I had was a bird…
Here’s how much I made selling three gadgets online.
Ok, so let’s see what we got for our efforts. As mentioned above, the Nintendo Switch bundle sold on eBay for $240. After fees, I made a profit of $174. Among other sites, ItsWorthMore had the highest price and GadgetGone had the lowest. Prices vary quite a bit from site to site, so it’s worth trying a few out. At least that part is free.
I didn’t sell my iPad Mini, I sold my video camera for $560.
In the end, I got back over $734 and it took me less than 2 hours to complete everything. This is a great lesson to remember not to expect a gadget to be worth what you paid for it. Gadgets are a lot like cars; they often lose about 50% of their value once you drive them out of the dealership, or in this case, once you take them out of the box.
Still, it’s better to have some cash in your pocket than have your gadget gather dust, or even worse, end up in a landfill.
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer technology columnist and on-air correspondent. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].