Before I get into how I sell gadgets online, I need to explain why I have so many electronics to get rid of in the first place. I used to be a hardcore tech fangirl. I bought myself the first iPhone in college after watching every video I could get my hands on and feeling my heart race as I read through every future this wild new technology would provide (a touchscreen? Whaaaaat?!)
Unfortunately, this obsession only expanded as I got my first corporate job and a steady paycheck. After accepting the job, I heard that the company would provide Blackberries to all employees and I went down another rabbit hole – once again reading and watching everything I could get my hands on about the new Blackberry phones.
After all the research I was disappointed to learn that the company didn’t actually provide new Blackberries to everyone, but instead phone models that were a few years old *horrified gasp*. I received mine one day, held it in my hand and felt my excitement instantly evaporate. I actually returned it to IT (what a tech snob…).
FANGIRLING HARD
I was that nerd that put Apple’s annual livestream where they announced new products on my calendar like it was an actual event I had to attend. These livestreams happened during work hours so I would cross my fingers I didn’t have a client meeting at that time and then hide away in a conference room while my eyes grew wide at all the new shiny amazing-ness that their new gadgets promised. As soon as a new iPhone was available for pre-order, yo gurl was on that list!
I had a serious problem. So serious, that when I started this blog I listed gadgets as one of my top 3 vices that I needed to explore to verify if they were indeed worth the money. If I broke up what I used to spend, new electronics took up a significant portion of it. To illustrate this point I’m going to use my iPhone as an example even though that was just the tip of my electronic iceberg.
On top of the actual cost of an iPhone ($200 back in the day with a 2 year contract), there were associated costs for the services I needed to keep it running ($100/month cell phone bill with AT&T) and the repairs needed to keep an all glass device looking sharp ($200 for AppleCare to fix the many screens I inevitably cracked). So I was spending thousands for a new shiny toy that was originally intended to make phone calls.
I thought it was worth it though. I would spend MONTHS getting SO excited about this new gadget and hours upon hours researching it. Imagining owning a new gadget would make my heart race like few other things did. However, when the shiny new gadget was finally in my hand I would discover that it had almost instantly lost its appeal…but the bills for it kept coming.
THE GREAT GADGET EXPERIMENT
So I decided to do an experiment. After reading a lot about the company in the financial independence community I decided to switch to Republic Wireless and an Android phone that is required to work with it. I wanted to see if my happiness would actually decrease as a result of this change.
As you might suspect: It did not. I had the same service and a shiny gadget for a fraction of the cost (a phone bill of $15/month at the time vs $100/month). I also started thinking of my phone as a practical tool instead of something that should shock me with its new features every year.
In order to subsidize this change, I decided to sell my iPhone. I sold it for $550 after unlocking it (which is easy to do with instructions I found during a quick Google search) and then sold my case for $15. This more than made up for the $179 phone I bought from Republic Wireless and covered two years of my monthly phone service payments!
Seeing this exchange gave me an idea – I was curious if I could flip my other electronics similarly to subsidize my next purchase. It turns out I COULD! I had no idea, but people are always looking to buy all kinds of electronics – even broken ones! If not for the actual full device, but for the parts it holds. So I dove into the world of used electronic sales and haven’t looked back since.
HOW TO SELL ELECTRONICS ONLINE
In general, I have a pretty standard list of to-dos when selling things online. They are:
- Take awesome pictures: Finally my obsession with taking pictures of all things big and small comes in handy! I don’t get too fancy with it, but try to put the item near a natural light source and take pictures at a few angles and then choose the best ones.
- Research the price: I look up what similar items are selling for on the site I’m using and (if I have extra time on my hands) other sites as well. I take note of how long the listing has been up and what kind of information they’re including, which leads me to…
- Write a detailed description: I try to be super clear with my descriptions. For example, if I require someone pickup an item vs if I’m willing to ship it somewhere or if an item is heavy or irregularly sized (like our giant couch) I write it out. I also list any flaws the item has and general specs, such as dimensions, so potential buyers know everything they can about the item before purchase. This cuts down on back and forth and also on any confusion or wasted time if someone comes to pick something up and it’s not what they were looking for.
- Be patient: After I list an item at a price that I think is appropriate based on my research, I wait. If I don’t get any nibbles, I re-list or renew the item (as the platform allows) after a week with a reduced price. Because I’m patient, I have at times been surprised with how much people are willing to pay for electronics that are many years old compared to if I had priced it lower initially while just trying to shift it as quickly as possible.
- Know what you want: I like to set expectations in my head before selling an item. This helps me avoid making emotional decisions. For example, how low am I willing to sell? Am I willing to deliver this item or only do pick up? How long am I willing to wait for one buyer before I tell another an item is available? I just note the answers to these kinds of questions so I can refer to them in ‘the heat of the moment’ 🙂 .
SELLING BROKEN ELECTRONICS
2016 was a wild time. Filled with wine, fun…and more wine. Unfortunately in March of that year, my dedication to feeling fancy by using wine glasses with stems a mile high bit me in the ass. I was watching a YouTube video while enjoying my libation and when I placed the glass back on the table that bitch tipped over and spilled all over my laptop!
I did my best to immediately flip over my computer to dry it out, but my attempt was sadly unsuccessful. Luckily I was able to ask my IT guy at work (who was also a friend) to help me move my files onto a hard drive despite the laptop not really turning on, but the actual machine was kaput. I had learned my lesson – no more stemmed wine glasses. It was time to switch to wine in an empty soda can a la Always Sunny:
I was also distraught because I thought this mishap (understandably) ruined any chances of selling my laptop to help subsidize another one. Luckily, after some internet research, I discovered I was incorrect!
There were plenty of broken and even water-logged electronics selling on eBay for parts, so I tried my hand at it, was SUPER clear in the title and description that this computer had water damage and wouldn’t really turn on and in the end I was able to sell my broken 13″ MacBook Air from 2012 for $265. Woohoo!
I then turned around and purchased a refurbished 2016 13″ MacBook for $930.50 (saving 28% compared to a brand new one)! Life was looking up.
A NOTE ON REFURBISHMENTS
Since I mentioned buying a refurbished product I want to give a quick caveat on refurbished items because I have (unfortunately) had some problems with them in the past. Every MacBook I’ve ever owned has been refurbished and purchased directly from Apple. They take back products people don’t want or can’t use, fix them and then list them as refurbished for a lower price on their website.
At times they’re perfectly working machines that have nothing wrong with them in the first place. For example, when my partner’s work laptop conked out, he went with his CTO to an Apple store to get another one purchased and delivered. He was told by the Apple store employee that he could take a laptop now to use before his arrived in the mail and then just return it…so he did just that. Some refurbished items are like that and others actually have issues that Apple fixes before listing them online.
Getting the refurbished item you want does take some patience as they’re not always available at the specs you want at any moment, but usually the laptop version I’m looking for appears in a week or so. Some sites (like Apple in 2016) allow you to get alerts when the item you want pops up. Or if you prefer to purchase from Amazon, I use the weirdly named alert site Camel Camel Camel to tell me when something shows up at or below the price I want. Then I don’t hesitate and click buy on that bad boy!
HOWEVER, not all companies take “refurbishment” seriously. For full details on what I call “The Great Kindle Debacle”, read my post here, but in summary: At Amazon, refurbished just means broken. They do not fix an item before listing it as refurbished – they just seem to hope nothing is wrong with it and if you point out that it doesn’t work, their solution is to send you another (broken) device.
I felt like I was in a relationship with their support staff we talked so much during this saga. One staff member admitted to me that the company does not do anything to a device before receiving a return and then listing it as ‘refurbished’.
I went through THREE ‘certified refurbished’ Kindles that did not even charge before I told them to shove it, found a way to travel hack my way into a $100 Amazon gift card and used it to purchase a free, new Kindle. All this to say: Make sure you do your research and check if a company’s ‘refurbished’ claims are legit before buying and save yourself a lot of hassle. Learn from my mistakes.
SELLING USED ELECTRONICS
Outside my refurbishment adventure, selling gadgets online is pretty straightforward. I’ve used a variety of websites to do so from eBay (mentioned above) to Craigslist (it’s not as sketchy as you think…) and recently Facebook Marketplace (my current favorite despite me having a skeptical eye on the overlords that run the place).
You follow the steps above, get in contact with a buyer, do the hand-off mafia style (complete with a mask and gloves during pandemic times) and then enjoy your new influx of cash! For a concrete example of your possible spoils – here are the gadgets I’ve sold over the past few years and for how much:
- Apple iPhone: $550
- Apple iPad: $345
- 32″ Samsung TV: $200
- Apple Wireless Keyboard: $40
- Apple Trackpad: $40
- Apple Wireless Mouse: $30
- Amazon Fire TV Stick: $30
- Aria Digital Scale: $30
CONCLUSION
I went from being obsessed with the next big thing only to be disappointed once I acquired it to getting that new gadget feeling for way less. Being able to put that extra money towards my impending retirement or even a fun trip with a friend provides me with so much more lasting joy. Gotta get that ROI!
Have you ever sold old or broken electronics? How did it go?
Long-time reader, first time commenter 🙂 .
$100 a month!? That is an eye-watering amount. I don’t know if we even have phone contracts that high in the UK. (We probably do, I’ve just never seen them).
When my wife moved from the US to the UK, she couldn’t get over the price difference. She went from a monthly $60 contract to £10! Admittedly her new phone isn’t as shiny and new… But it still works.
Great job selling all that stuff. Reminds me that I’m pretty sure I still have old phones and laptops at my parents’ house. I should get round to selling them sooner rather than later!
Hi Dr. FIRE! Thank you so much for commenting – they really make my day 🙂 . And yep $100 a month and my step-brother’s was (is??) $200 a month. It’s absolutely ridiculous over here. Sounds like y’all are doing phone prices right! Thank you and yeah definitely see what you’ve got and get that money – I’m always surprised with what people want and will pay for.
we’ve sold thousands of dollars worth of stuff on ebay. i even shipped a vintage bidet to florida a couple of years ago. we’ve sold our share of electronics and you’re right. it doesn’t matter if they’re broken if you tell the truth in the listing.
we have an old iphone but i worrry about whatever personal data is on some of those devices.
As always you are an inspiration freddy! Fair point on the personal data. I wipe the phone when I unlock it, but also monitor everything connected to it and get login alerts after I sell it just in case.
Oh yeah, love selling stuff on ebay! I don’t hate on iPhone though, as evidenced by one of my latest posts: http://frugalwheels.com/are-iphones-actually-worth-it/ (Normally wouldn’t comment a link but it’s just too relevant!)
For anyone reading you don’t necessarily have to give up your iPhone – Ting allows you to take your existing phone with you and my bills tend to be right around 15-25 per month.
I think there’s a middle ground – I happen to like iPhone and Apple products in general but I also use them until they are beyond repair. I’m typing this on my MacBook Air from 2012 that has served me through countless board/council/committee meetings, helped me take notes in thousands of interviews and served me through two blogs. I just upgraded to the latest OS and gave it a cleaning and it’s like a brand new machine! My iPhones haven’t had quite the same longevity, but I tend to get at least five years out of them, or so. I watch Netflix using a mini mac from 09.
I’m very leery of refurbished products – I’ve had similar experiences as you did with your kindle on nearly everything. My DSLR was refurbed and it always had these little bugs, and even a macbook I bought back in the day went kaput after a couple of years (not 100% sure it was official apple refurb tho). It might sound odd but I’m more likely to buy used than refurbed! haha
Lolol – I’ll allow it 😉 . Agreed you don’t have to give up the iPhone, but I personally found it helpful to separate my fangirl tendencies from just an enjoyment of good products. For example, I have only ever owned a MacBook for my laptop and I most likely only ever will (though I was scoping out Chromebook-type devices a few years ago). I now am able to take my sparkly new gadget blinders off and see what’s actually useful. Totally agree some of Apple’s products are worth it and top notch.
Fair point on refurbished products. I’ve had a great time with Apple’s (and bought them many times), but the Amazon experience did make me leery. Good to know that problem is (sadly) not limited to that company. Interesting you prefer used over refurbished! I don’t think I’ve ever bought used electronics myself – I just sell them haha!
Haha I guess my philosophy is that if it’s refurbished, it means at one point it didn’t work properly. It also depends on the product in question. Guitars it is almost preferred they be used – they start developing character that way. Especially vintage instruments take on an enormous amount of value, even guitars that look like they have been through hell and back.
To be fair, I haven’t had a refurb through Apple itself – I think I bought that Apple from geek.com back in the day.
You do make a good point about separating oneself from fangirling. I never quite had that problem – I like mac but never needed the newest latest thing. I prefer to forget about it, which apple helps me do. I actually prefer to keep my devices for as long as absolutely possible – my last iPhone was on the fritz for some time before it finally went kaput and I had to replace it.
I guess that’s where personal fits into personal finance , amirite?
: D
Sounds like your brain is making some assumptions here 😉 . I’m the same though – if something is used I assume there’s something wrong with it even if that’s not the case and people are just trying to get rid of it. That’s so interesting about guitars – I didn’t know that! I should add that to my retirement to do list: learn an instrument. I was ok at piano, saxophone and singing back in the day and should get back into it. I doubt I can even read music anymore…
That’s awesome you’ve never been a fangirl yourself 🙂 . Forgetting about it and using something until it goes kaput is a great approach. And aww yeah I’m all about that ‘personal’ part of finance!
I sell stuff on FB marketplace while my husband sells stuff on eBay. It’s crazy on FB marketplace what people will practically give away. I used to use craigslist pretty heavily in the past, but people are much more savvy and drive a harder bargain there, although it might just be the Seattle area. It was much better when I lived in the east coast, but it was also before FB marketplace was much of a thing.
We were Verizon Wireless customers for the longest until we switched over to Total Wireless, which uses Verizon’s network. If you ever hear the siren call of iPhones again, we pay $57/month total for 2 phones for 30 gb data. We don’t need that much data, lol, but that’s their cheapest plan for 2 phones and includes a hotspot. Looks like for one line and 1 gb data it’s $24/month. I’ve been trying for a couple of years to convince my family that they are paying an insane amount of money using Verizon but they won’t budge. Can only lead a horse to water…
That’s cool! Is there a specific reason each of you prefer those platforms? It is indeed while what people are giving away on Facebook (and I’m one of them haha – Buy Nothing groups are awesome). That’s interesting you say people are more savvy and bargain hunting on Craigslist in Seattle. I’ve found that more with Facebook Marketplace, but I don’t mind. It’s nice to actually see people’s face and have a way to contact them after purchase if necessary.
I haven’t heard of Total Wireless – good! If I ever hear the siren call I’ll keep that in mind 😉 . You can indeed only lead a horse. The rest of my family are still on that wild $100/month plan…
Husband doesn’t like the back and forth of craigslist or FB marketplace, but he does recognize the value- we were able to sell one of our cars 3 days after posting it on craigslist for $5 listing after he had done all this research about where else to place the car listing like cargurus and got no interest. To be fair, he only lists higher value items like electronics on eBay and I stick to the lower value items.
Reflecting back on it, I think the east coast (specifically I lived in the DC metropolitan area) was better just because it’s such a transient way of life there with people coming and going plus the population is 7 million versus Seattle metropolitan area of 4 million. Higher supply, higher need to get rid of stuff.
You sold a car for $5?! Or $5K? If $5 I am missing out on craigslist lol. That’s cool you got interest there when other sites were quiet. The transient nature and higher population making the used buy/sell market makes total sense to me 🙂 .
Never bought referbished electronics but was actually thinking about it for my next mobile and laptop. I don’t know, I have this unexplained weird feeling when buying these things used or referbished. Exactly like you said, some companies just sell you broken stuff and you have to chase them forever.
Definitely think about it – I’ve loved it outside of that Kindle incident.
We have a bunch of old cell phones- even flip phones. Eventually I will have to find a recycler to buy it from us, because the phones are so old they are obsolete. Glad I didn’t get the tech bug or the car bug, those can be pretty expensive. Though I’ve heard of ladies that buy designer shoes and bags every month, and sell the older ones second hand. No way what they sell it for makes up for the brand new price. But I suppose it helps subsidize the cost, but probably enables them to buy even more.
Even though they’re obsolete you might be able to sell the parts on eBay. If not, recycling is a great idea. We have only found recyclers that we have to pay though haha. If you find something going the other direction please let me know. Yeah – I’m glad I didn’t get the car or house bug personally. I haven’t heard of that kind of designer flipping – that’s interesting.
HI Purple-I just found you and I have enjoyed reading all your posts! I especially like your graph of impatience and I will share that with friends. I also love purple and my hair has never been as bright as yours but more of a magenta shade. I hate my job and have similar assets and expenses as you but am afraid to FIRE. One of my issues is family and friends. They FREAk out when I suggest that I quit my job. I have said its not your business unless I ask to borrow money ( which I never will). Do you have those issues?
Hi There – You read all my posts?! That’s impressive! So glad you enjoyed the graph haha. That’s awesome about your purple/magenta hair! I’m sorry your family and friends react like that. I’m not sure why – maybe I’m just really lucky, but none of my family or friends have ever freaked out about my goal. They just accept it, don’t really question it and since I’ve been announcing it’s actually happening a few have asked me to walk them through the steps again, but that’s it. Everyone has been really supportive. Though I totally agree it’s not their business. I hope you can find a way to do what you want – people will judge you regardless so I think you might as well do what makes you happy.
Hi Purple!
I enjoyed your post and especially liked your tips around clarity and ensuring the buyer knows who is responsible for pick up, etc. That has helped me avoid issues selling some of my used computer parts.
I wanted to mention one bonus tip from a buyer’s perspective, which would be “just be ready to show up”!
One example is my girlfriend and I found a chiminea for our backyard on Facebook marketplace for $30. We asked if it was still available, immediately drove to the seller, then paid in cash and loaded it.
They mentioned getting over 20 hits on it, some of which were people trying to haggle or make them deliver. They were even planning on raising the price before we messaged them (new they could go from $150 – $200+). Because we made it so easy for them to sell it and we showed up ready we got an insane deal when others wouldn’t.
Hi! I’m so happy you enjoyed the post. Clarity is indeed key and that’s a great buyer tip. I would say being ready to show up and being prompt with your responses. For example, when I’m giving something away for free timing is everything. If the first person that says they want it doesn’t get back to my DM in a few hours to confirm they were serious and willing to come to my neck of the woods to pick it up I politely message them that I’m going to reach out to the next person on the list. So far they have been understanding about that. Congrats on your find! That’s awesome.
Ah ha, you confirmed my suspicion that refurbished through Amazon is totally not trustworthy! I had no specific reason to think that but I suspected. I figure it’s cheaper for now to just skip the Kindle replacement and read on my phone using the app. Do you prefer reading on the Kindle over the phone app for any specific reason? Just thinking about whether I would have a good reason to add it to my list ever.
I remember the first iphone and the hype, and being poor at the time I was absolutely against it. Unfortunately my bosses at the time wanted to be the coolest people ever and gave us the phones as a gift and then I had to eat the cost of switching over from my existing contract. I was never sold on the shininess of Apple as a result, I always sort of resented them costing me money. I should have sold the phone and bought their stock instead 😆
I have sold one phone online and I had hoped to sell a few more old ones but they’re so old now that I suspect there’s no point. I have PiC’s old flip phone from 15+ years ago! We may have to just recycle them. His employer, when open , would recycle them free IIRC so that’s a useful way to go.
Haha your spidey sense was spot on! I basically only prefer my Kindle because it’s a bit bigger, doesn’t have the same blue backlight as a phone and works in direct sunlight (I like to read on the beach a lot). If your phone works though I say stick with it!
Woah those are wild bosses and that’s a bit of a messed up gift 🙂 . Selling it would have been legit – I sell everything that’s not branded that my company gives me (which isn’t a lot sadly…) EXCEPT my partner asked me not to sell this $60 hot drink container – SIXTY DOLLARS! You can get one of those for like $5. So much ‘profit’ lost 😉 .
Let me know how the rest of the old phone selling goes! I’m curious if it’s changed in recent years. That’s super cool they would recycle them for free! I’m jealous 🙂 .
I deal with procurement in retail. Items that come from the manufacturer as refurbished are sometimes actually brand new. If the manufacturer produces too many and needs to offload the extras, they sell them at a cheaper price but mark them as refurbished to keep from driving the value of their brand down.
That’s really interesting! I had no idea refurbished items could just be straight up new, never used ones. Thank you for sharing.