We all have a few old electronics lying around that we never use anymore. It seems a waste to just throw them away, but it often takes effort to sell them. Now there is a new service called Gazelle that allows you to trade your old electronics for cash with the least amount of hassle.
Gazelle has a very simple to use website that allows you to search for the gadget you wish to get rid of. After you find your item you can input the condition it is in. For example, I typed in Palm Zire 71 and I was asked if the item powers on and what condition it is in. After that, Gazelle spits out an appraisal and allows me to add the item for checkout. It also has an estimate of how much the item may be worth in the future. For electronics the price trend tends to go down because people always want to buy the newest gadget. After I checked out, it prompted me to print out a prepaid shipping label and ship the item with a box. For some qualifying items Gazelle will even send you a box to ship the item.
After the item is received Gazelle will inspect the item and confirm that it is in the condition you described, then you will be paid the quoted price. This process takes about a week according to the website. The company also guarantees that if you ship in an electronic with data on it they would wipe it clean so you do not have to worry about your privacy. They will also take items with no value for the purpose of recycling.
Currently the company buys mostly electronics such as cell phones or gaming consoles, but they may expand the types of items they are willing to purchase in the future. It really seems like a love child between a pawn shop and Netflix, and I am sure it will help a lot of people get rid of their unwanted junk because it is so easy to use. Users of Gazelle will reduce the amount of junk that go to landfills and also reclaim a few bucks in the process so it really seems like a win win situation. So go ahead and try it out, because that pile of junk sitting in your garage may be worth some gas money.
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I checked their website, they seem to have a fair number of items in their database with prices attached, items like cell phones, GPS devices, cameras, game consoles and MP3 players. But don’t expect to get a lot of cash from your items. Unless it’s something hot like an iPhone, you’ll get some nominal return. The bright side is that if you’re a gadget junkie who is constantly replacing your stuff, then this is a great way to not completely lose your shirt every time you turn over your arsenal.
Sam
Fix My Personal Finance
http://fixmypersonalfinance.com/
I just checked the website and I will be sending my old cellphones since we just upgraded to the Iphone.
I will be back to post on my experience
Thanks for the tip
I looked up pricing for my excellent condition latest model phone. They offered me $1, but I see it going for $20-35 on Ebay. I wonder if they resell these? It is good that they will take anything, though. I think I'll stick to selling my own stuff if it has value, and let them take my junk! LOL
Thanks for the link, though. I like any program that encourages recycling!
Linsey
Thanks for the post. This is a pretty interesting site and I have a lot of junk to get rid of.
i've never heard of this site, thanks for the heads up!
What a great opportunity! I've got everything from cell phones and PDAs to record players and TVs that need a new home. I'll have so much fun cleaning out my closet without worrying about selling them on Ebay! Thanks for the link.
-Suz