Selling used technology to buy the latest gadgets

It is no secret that many of us keep accumulating phones, laptops, mp3 players, consoles and other gadgets at our homes. It is no secret either that most of us wish to always have the latest products of one of the most fascinating industries: consumer electronics.

One way of keeping up with the many releases of our favorite devices without making our bank account suffer is to recover part of the money we invested in products we do not use anymore. There are several free classified ads websites that allow you to sell these products and invest the money in the acquisition of new ones. From the comfort of our homes we can check on the real current value of the device, find potential buyers and negotiate prices before accepting the best offer and shipping the product or arranging for a live exchange.

It can also happen that we receive a duplicate gift, or the latest version of a product we already own. In this case, the profit doubles.

The first thing to consider is that the products in the best conditions are the best and easiest to sell, since you can ask for higher prices among an audience that wants a product -œas good as new-. Therefore if we do not plan on keeping a device like a phone or a laptop until the end of its useful life but rather on eventually selling it, then we will obtain great value from protecting it. One of the first questions any buyer will make is if the product has any visible cracks or lines. Even if these do not affect at all the running of the machine, these imperfections have a big, negative impact on the perception the buyer has of the product on sale. Therefore it is important to maintain all devices as safe as possible, and to also keep the original box, all manuals, instructions and configuration CDs.

The second issue to take into account is the timing for selling the product. The most important producers have a more or less stable period of time when they launch new products or versions of products. For Apple, new iPhones come out in June and iPads are likely to arrive during spring. Selling the used device before the release of the newest one will allow us to set a higher price since ours is the latest version available on the market. Selling as late as a day after the release makes our product two seasons old. If the product you are willing to sell is to be discontinued you have hit a jackpot. Selling the good right before the end of its cycle will attract those stocking on the item and selling right after the last one has been produced and is available on the market will take advantage of buzz and yield you higher returns.

Once you have determined the average price in the market for your device, identify several websites in which you can publish the ad. Include pictures as they tend to attract the attention of the buyer and inspire greater trust. List all the important characteristics of the product and be honest about the real conditions of the computer or phone you are trying to sell. Lying or hiding information will only lead to uncomfortable situations during physical exchange or to post-sales problems if you are shipping the good.

There are also several sites that offer a fixed price for your used consumer electronic products, although there no negotiation is possible and some products may not even be accepted. Gazelle.com offers you a price considering how old the device is, eventual running problems and physical state, and offers a recycling service if they consider the product cannot be sold at all.

Ask for a fair price and take several offers into consideration. Select the most profitable one you feel you can trust and stay away from people who will not meet with you in public places or will not offer cash when located in a nearby area. If you are accepting online payments, use a safe platform such as Pay Pal and do not reveal any bank information by email or other digital means.