They Buy Used Cell Phones

When you get a new cell phone and service plan, what’s the best thing to do with the phone you are no longer using?

A. Toss it in the trash. It’s worthless now.

B. Toss it in a drawer. It might come in handy someday.

C. Sell it immediately while it has maximum value.

If you answered anything but “C,” you are losing money. So run, don’t walk, to wherever you stashed that cellphone that just came out of service and bring it over here to the computer. You’re about to find out just how much of a jackpot you hit as you check the current market value of your cell phone.

Find your phone on the list and answer a few questions about what shape it’s in and the accessories you have. Hit the “calculate” button and you’ll find out how much this buyer will pay for your old cell phone. If you take the offer, they’ll send you a free postage paid mailer box and, when the condition of your phone has been verified, you’ll get a check in the mail.

Pretty easy, right? It doesn’t really get easier than this. But notice that time is of the essence. The pricing graph for your phone shows you the historical price of your used phone and a projection of how much it will be worth in the near future. As you can see, cell phones lose value with time. They’re not exactly heirlooms. There’s always a new model right around the corner that everyone’s going to want. So if you are going to sell, the best time is right when your phone goes out of service. The second best time is right now.

How about all those other electronic gadgets taking up space in your closet? Are they worth anything. You bet they are. That unwanted eBook reader, digital camera, MP3 player, camcorder, GPS device, gaming console, satellite radio home audio system, Blu-Ray player, PDA, external drive, video game, laptop or desktop computer, projector, streaming media device, camera lens, or movie is worth cash right now. Round up all your recent vintage gadgets and check their value now. You may be surprised how much it all adds up to. And you were going to throw that stuff out, why?

Cell Phones Piling Up?

Oh, you got that new Samsung touch screen phone you've been wanting for Christmas. Well, congratulations. You're going to get a lot of enjoyment in the next couple of years.

But, wait. What's that tossed under the tree with the crumpled wrapping paper? Is that your old phone? A relic of Christmas past? It still works, right? On Christmas Eve you were gleefully making calls to friends and family. Now, the day after all the hoopla, it's relegated to the same pile as the crushed bows and tissue paper.

No need to get all maudlin. After all, that beautiful tree is heading for the shredder in a couple of weeks. All that cardboard packaging will be bundled and set out by the curb for recycling. Recycling? Yes, that's it. Why not recycle your cell phone too?

How do you recycle a cell phone? Well, you don't set it out in the recycling bin at the curb. You send it off to a professional recycler who has the equipment and expertise to separate metals and plastic so that they can be reused by industry. A good recycler wastes nothing. All materials are recovered and sent to where they are wanted. Nothing enters the waste stream. Not even the echo of obnoxious ringtones past.

Here's a bonus for your civic spirit in wanting your old phone to at least meet a good end. Many recent cell phone models are still worth at least a little cash. These phones don't go to the crusher if they are still working up to spec. Instead, they are repurposed as emergency phones or sent overseas to new owners who are glad to get a phone they can afford. Even if you didn't pay anything for your phone in the first place, you can still get a little cash in your pocket by sending it in for reuse. And who doesn't need a little green in their pocket after the holidays?

Oh, I'll be this has you thinking. All those phones from all your family members have been piling up for years. They're in drawers or boxes, silent in their demise. If you aren't inspired to tie a ribbon around each one and use them as tree ornaments next year, why not round them all up and ship them off to the recycler? At the very least, you are doing a good deed by recycling instead of trashing. Best case, you'll get a check for who knows how much? Hey, there's a way to find out what those phones are worth. Get your collection of mobiles handy and look up cellphone values now.