Few people suspect it, but some of our old phones can increase in value over the years! This may be the case with one of your appliances that is sitting in one of your cupboards.
Whether you have data to transfer or prefer to keep a device aside “just in case”, the reasons for storing an old phone are numerous and legitimate. But did you know that some of our old smartphones can quickly fetch several hundred euros on the internet? This is an observation increasingly observed on various resale platforms such as eBay or LeBonCoin, and you could well have one of these little treasures at home.
Ben Wood, founder of the website “The Mobile Phone Museum” (editor’s note: “the smartphone museum” in French) has spoken out on this subject in recent weeks. He explains in particular that he has observed an increase in auction sites in recent years: “more and more people are interested in collecting old tech objects.” As a big collector of old devices, Ben Wood adds that “We’re seeing more and more stories about old smartphones selling for several hundred euros […] some old mobiles are becoming so rare that they can easily sell for a few thousand euros.”
This phenomenon is particularly easy to observe for older iPhone models. The older the version, the more likely it is to be sought after by collectors. It is possible to check the value of an old device by going to sites like eBay or LeBonCoin where several phones are up for auction and offer.
Among the most convincing examples in this area, it is difficult not to think to the very first iPhone. Launched in 2007, this old phone revolutionized our methods of communication, and it is not surprising to see several models for sale on the web at fairly high prices. Other smartphones that were particularly popular in their time are also still in demand. This is particularly the case of Huawei P30 Pro, the last phone from the firm to have Google services before the ban in the United States. It is still displayed at several hundred euros on LeBonCoin almost 4 years after its release.
Ben Wood also mentions other even older smartphones like the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X released in 1983: “this is the very first mobile phone!” which explains its value today and a recent sale of a copy for more than 2000 euros on eBay a year ago. The expert adds that today there are several highly sought-after smartphone references on online auction sites. Among the latter, we notably include several devices from Nokia and Motorola. Here are some of the best-selling smartphones on online auction sites in recent years:
Do you recognize one of your old phones in this list? Don’t hang around any longer and quickly take it out of your cupboard to check that it still works! “Some collectors can only focus on the design of the product […] but others make it a point of honor to have the original packaging with all the accessories from the period”, which can represent a big challenge as our devices have the unfortunate habit of seeing their condition deteriorate over the years. Ben Wood adds that relatively recent models like the iPhone 7 (released in 2016) can also still interest part of the public if their condition is still good and the phone is still in working order.
To conclude this study, Ben Wood specifies that users should never throw away their old smartphones: “it is often more interesting to store them in a drawer and take them out to put them up for sale on auction sites. If you don’t want to bother with that, the best thing to do is still to drop them off in a collection and recycling center near you !”