If you’re anything like us you have a drawer that’s overflowing with old cell phones, MP3 players and digital cameras someplace in your house.
For those who don’t need more doorstops there’s Gazelle, an online service that buys used electronic devices and then either re-sells or recycles them.
Just search for the item you want to get rid of, answer a few questions about its condition and Gazelle calculates a fair market price. They pay the shipping (and they’ll even send you a handy cardboard box).
While the list of items they’ll buy is broad there are some limits: An 8GB iPhone 3G in “perfect” condition will yield almost $200, but they won’t take that vintage Nokia 1610 bought during Clinton’s second term (though a great charity called Cellphones for Soldiers will).
A few tips from experience: Don’t dawdle once Gazelle gives you a price as the value of all items goes down over time.
And be honest when assessing your merch—they’ll lower the payment if, upon receipt, they see that you fibbed.
Gazelle might not make you rich, but you can’t put a price on clearing out the clutter in a way that’s environmentally sound.