Cash in on Old Cell Phones

I will share my research on possible venues for selling old cell phones. 

First, the very obvious...on-line websites. 

The biggie, Craig's List. They will probably sell very quickly, so ask for a higher price and reduce it gradually until it sells. You can write a short description of the phone, the cell phone provider, and how much you are willing to take for it. You can even upload a picture of the phone. Take precautions to protect yourself from being scammed. Avoid wire transfers, money orders and personal checks if possible, and ask to be paid for the phone up front before delivery.

Gazelle.com is a popular web site for selling electronics, and cell phones in particular. Other popular choices include ibuyphones.com, sellyourcell.com, flipswap.com and pacebutler.com.

Amazon.com and eBay.com are two great options for those hoping to sell on-line. On Amazon, the process is easy: entering the UPC number on the phone pulls up the manufacturer's description and facts about the particular model. EBay enjoys high levels of visitor traffic and cell phones sell well there.

Although other venues may be more profitable, cell phones sell at yard sales.

If you have garage sales planned or know someone else who does, try selling your cell phone there. It may be the quickest way to get rid of the phone and get cash in your pocket.

Local pawn shops are good places for selling old cell phones, particularly if you are reluctant to use the Internet for your sale. Different pawn shops may offer different prices for your phone so compare offers from multiple shops and choose the one that pays best.

Put an ad in the newspaper about selling your old cell phones. People without Internet connections still need to use cell phones and will look through the paper for ads.

While all of the above are very good suggestions for getting rid of your old cellphone, I found a website called "Simply Sellular" that I decided to use for my first try. 

In just three simple steps, I was on my way to trading my old cellphone for cash. (Since I had four cellphones to get rid of, I decided to try four different methods of selling.) Simply Sellular has a chart you click on to find the price they are offering for certain cellphones. You locate your phone by brand and carrier and then you order an envelope from them to ship your phone to them. Once your phone is received, Simply Sellular issues a check to you or payment via PayPal in two days. It was easy and the transaction went just as they advertised. I sent them a Samsung Galaxy S4 in good condition and received a check for $125.25. WOW!!

Inspired by this, I advertised a Motorola Droid Razor HD on Craig's List and finally accepted an offer of $50.00. Phone three was advertised in our local newspaper. It was a Motorola Moto X 16GB in fair condition.  After about a week that phone sold for $60.00. The last phone, an Apple iPhone 4, was sold in a yard sale for $30.00. 

I was very happy with the money I received for my old phones and I was shocked!  If you are in need of extra cash fast and have some old cellphones lying around, put them up for sale. 

You will probably be surprised at the cash you receive.

Kimberly Johns

Kimberly is enrolled on the CareOne Debt Management Plan (DMP). Kimberly is very active in the Community Forums, some of you may recognize her Community user name; Tiquie. Recently retired, Kim shares how she and her husband manage the financial challenges of living on a fixed income in their home state of Illinois. The John's have found some really creative and fun ways to offset the limitations of a retirement income. Kimberly generously shares smart and tested tips in her A Straight Talk on Debt blog! Compensated Blogger for CareOne Debt Relief Services.