You’re Not Throwing Out That Cell Phone, Are You?

You’re not really going to throw out that cell phone, are you? In THIS economy? That’s just nuts. Yeah, the contract is expired and you can’t make calls any more. But that’s a wad of bills in your hand there. You wouldn’t throw a handful of cash in the garbage would you? Well, then, don’t toss that moola just because it still looks like a cell phone.

Every year, millions of dollars are hauled off by trash trucks just because people don’t realize that their old cell phones and other electronic gadgets have cash value. Those who suspect that their phone might still be worth something are put off by the thought of having to run a classified ad and deal with people coming to the door, or having to take pictures and write up an auction listing. It seems like too much work for too little money, and it often is. But what if you could drop your old mobile into a prepaid mailer and just send it on its way? It that still too much like work?

The other thing you need to know is that some cell phones, especially smartphones, can be worth a pretty penny. How would you like to open your mailbox and find a check for $100 or more? It could happen. Not all cell phones are worth premium prices, but even if you only get $5, $10 or $20, that’s still a nice chunk of change for a few minutes effort.

Interested? I thought so. Here’s what you do for the next 5 minutes. Check the value of your old cell phone by running a quick search at an online recycler. You’ll get an excellent idea of what it’s really worth by finding the exact make and model, selecting the condition and what accessories you still have available, and clicking the “calculate” button. You’ll find out instantly what they’ll pay you. If you like the answer, request a prepaid mailing box. When it comes, you pack up your phone and accessories, seal the box and drop it in the mail. Away it goes. Once the condition of your phone has been verified, you’ll get a check by return mail quicker than you think.

If it got any easier, that phone would turn itself in for the bounty. What? You got your phone free because you bought it online? Keep that to yourself. You can still get cash for your old cell phone even if you never paid any in the first place. Just look it up and send it in.

While you are at it, check and see if you might have other electronic gadgets that still have cash value. These include video games and gaming consoles, GPS devices, MP3 players, digital cameras and camera lenses, camcorders, Blu-ray players, home audio, projectors, streaming media, external disk drives, PDA laptop and desktop computers, satellite radios, calculators and even movies. That’s a lot of categories. I’ll bet you have some of this stuff hiding in drawers or the basement right now. Wouldn’t you rather have the money before the value of these items drains away completely?

I suspect that once you discover the hidden value of your old electronics, you’ll go on a de-junking spree to get the most money you can. As a side benefit, you’ll have lots of extra space available for your next acquisitions.

Recycle Your Old iPhone For Cash

Early adopters and power users are just under a month away from getting the new iPhone 3G. The addition of faster cellular data networking, nearly as zippy as the WiFi hotspot experience, plus true GPS, corporate email & third-party application support makes it a definite improvement over the initial iPhone release. So much so that anyone who desperately needs the upgraded functionality or just wants to ride on the cutting edge will find it almost impossible not to trade up. But, oh, the cost. What can you do to take some of the sting out of buying the iPhone you wanted all along, when you've already spent a small fortune on the earlier model?

The latest information I've found about upgrading to the 3G iPhone is that AT&T plans to offer you a trade-in if you bought your iPhone on or after May 27 and it is in like new condition. According to one report, you'll get your money back less a 10% restocking fee when you buy and activate a new 3G iPhone. Sounds like a pretty good deal if you go in to an AT&T store between July 11 and August 1 and haven't lost your original packaging or receipt, or scratched the phone.

But what if you are a true early adopter who stood in line to get one of the first iPhones and would gladly do the same again. You can certainly do that and buy yourself a 3G model. But you won't get a trade-in deal. So, now what do you do? Put it in a glass display case to admire? Toss it in a drawer like the fate of most unneeded cell phones? Try to sell it in a newspaper ad or auction it on eBay?

Here's another option. Recycle your iPhone for cash.

Now, just a second. Who wants to send a beauty like the iPhone to the recycling crusher? Relax. That iPhone is still worth decent money to a company that recycles newer technology phones for use overseas. How much money? I just checked the prices paid and, as of this writing, your 16 GB iPhone will get you $280. The 4 GB and 8 GB models will net you $100. You get a free postage paid mailer, send in your unwanted phone and charger, and you get check back in the mail.

You almost always get more if you sell your old unwanted cell phones as soon as you take them out of service. A cell phone gets stale faster than a carton of milk. But that doesn't mean that those dusty old cells aren't worth recycling. In the first two years, you can probably get paid something for just about any model phone. The higher tech smartphones bring more than the garden variety entry-level phones as you would expect.

The real oldies that were once goodies may not have a cash value anymore, but you can still send them in at no cost. Why do that? Mobile electronic devices contain goodly amounts of toxic chemicals used in their manufacture. Lead, cadmium and arsenic are just a few. Tossing one or two in the landfill won't create a public health hazard, but pitching tens or hundreds of millions of them is a real threat. Those minor amounts of toxic waste combine to degrade the environment for future generations.

Instead of just pitching that old junker phone, send it to the recycler and know that it will be dismantled and the materials recovered for reuse or proper disposal. It gets the clutter out of your house or business and you're doing a good thing.

You're intrigued by the thought of getting money for that stack of retired cell phones that your family or employees have accumulated, aren't you? Well, find out now how much your old wireless device is worth and then get paid to recycle them.