Selling a used smartphone: This is how you get the most money

Cash for old technology
This is the best way to sell old cell phones – and you still get so much money for them

The drawers of German households are often full of old technology. Older smartphones in particular are in great demand. Ebay has calculated what you can still ask for your old cell phone – and reveals the best way to sell it.

When buying a new smartphone, many old devices face the same fate – they end up in the drawer. Even used devices are still worth a few hundred euros if you sell them skilfully. Ebay recently calculated the average prices for popular devices from Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and Google and also gives tips on how to get the most out of a sale.

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Three-year-old smartphones are a hit

To calculate the price, all offers for used smartphones in the period from September to October 2022 were taken into account, regardless of whether they were fixed prices, auctions or price proposals. Unsurprisingly, Apple’s iPhones are the most coveted second-hand devices, but old Motorolas or dusty Nokias can still be sold.

The price leader is currently the iPhone 13 Pro Max with 512 gigabytes of memory, which changes hands for around 1000 euros on average. For an iPhone 5 with 16 gigabytes, on the other hand, only 16 euros are due on average. Exotics like the Nokia 6310i still fetch around 30 euros even after 20 years, a relatively current Xiaomi 12 is 130 euros.

The most interesting offers are consistently in the middle, because there you will find devices that are still absolutely sufficient for everyday use and whose prices have nevertheless fallen to an attractive level. Most buyers also buy these devices. For example, an iPhone 11 Pro with 256 gigabytes of memory is a real price tip, because it is around 450 euros and is only a little over three years old, which is rarely a real disadvantage for Apple devices. With powerful Android devices, it’s even cheaper. According to this, a Samsung Galaxy S21 with 128 gigabytes is only 380 euros.

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According to Ebay, in order to get the best prices as a seller, you should follow certain rules. A correct description of the offers is extremely important so that they appear as often as possible in the search. Of course, the auction platform also recommends a detailed description of the goods.

Images are even more important than text. Ebay gives various tips for a good photo: The background should be calm and monochromatic, photos from all sides are important for several reasons. Firstly, the buyer can get a complete picture of the goods, secondly, in the event of complaints, you have evidence and a basis for argumentation.

Offers best on Sundays, but not for football

If you have good pictures and an informative text together, you should possibly wait before publishing the offer. In fact, there are good and bad times to advertise an article. eBay recommends scheduling an auction to end between 5pm and 9pm on Sundays. At this time, most people are looking for bargains – this increases the chance of more bids.

Ebay reveals that a look at the TV guide can’t hurt either. Because if the sports show or an important football game is on at the end of an auction, technology is often sold at lower prices – because potential buyers are distracted. Smaller profits can also be noticed in auctions that end at night or early in the morning as there are not as many people on the platform. Of course, these tips only apply to auctions.

Ebay has two more tips for offers of all kinds: seasonal goods should always be sold at the beginning of the season. Accordingly, ski equipment sells worse in summer than in autumn, and parasols are not a top seller in December either. Last but not least, Ebay recommends selling goods at the beginning of the month, since, according to analyses, money is a little looser for buyers than at the end of the month.

Top 20: These are the most popular smartphones on Ebay

If you are now toying with selling old technology, you will find the resale value of the 20 most popular smartphones on Ebay in the table below.

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