Those Old Electronics Could Still Be Worth Something
BOSTON (CBS) - Electronics were a huge gift item again this year. That means there are a lot of folks out there with last year's iPod, phone or video game taking up space in the junk drawer. But there is a fast and easy way to turn that junk into cold, hard cash.
"Most people have around $100 of stuff just lying around their house collecting dust," explained Anthony Scarsella of Gazelle.com.
Gazelle is a website that will buy back your used electronics for cash. They'll take everything from old Blackberries, iPhones, digital cameras and laptops.
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports.
WBZ tried to see what we could get for an old iPhone. It's in good working order, but it's the old 3G, not even the 3GS. "That's one of the most popular items on Gazelle," Scarsella said.
All you have to do is answer a few quick questions. Does the phone have water damage? Does it successfully make calls? Do you have all of the original cables? Our answer was yes to all of the above and it was without any noticeable scratches. We hit calculate and Gazelle offered us $93 for it.
Brian Cooley of CNET said Apple products tend to hold their value really well. "Now compare that to a Blackberry Bold, which was a competing phone. Same condition, same accessories. That only gets you $56," he said.
Even older Blackberries are still worth money, about $30 or $40 dollars on average. Digital cameras and mp3 players will get you about the same. Laptops and videogame systems go for about $80 and you can even cash in on some broken items. "iPhones, iPads, notebooks even if they are not functional, they should have a minimum selling price of about $40, $50 or $60, depending on the device," Scarsella said.
Gazelle isn't the only place buying used gadgets. Sites like Buymytronics.com will take them as well. Even stores like Costco and Radio Shack will give you an estimate for anything you don't use anymore.
