What Can You Do With Your Old Smartphone?

Posted December 07, 2017

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For years, I had a Hasselblad C/M 100.

This was the old Hasselblad, the workhorse of the photography world, the pinnacle of photography.

I saved for years to be able to buy it, and when I did, I thought that I would keep it for a lifetime. Why would I ever want anything else? And indeed, I did work with it for years... until digital came along.

Then, film was suddenly interesting, but dead, and my film Hasselblad was also interesting, but rarely if ever touched.

Since then, I had plowed through a pile of cameras and phones, changing up pretty much every other year.

I have a drawer full of Treos (Lisa likes this one), old iPhones, old laptops, and much more. I kept my TRS 100 computer (it runs on D cell batteries), in the hopes that it might one day become a valuable collector's item - like the Apple I. Unlikely, but hope springs eternal.

In the meantime, what can we all do with our old video gear, aside from shoving it to the back of the closet.

As it turns out, a lot.

First, you can check out the value of what you have on sites like Decluttr, Gazelle and Swappa. You will find, as I did, that those old smartphones you have put in the drawer are still worth real money. My old iPhone 6 is valued at about $250. But! These things depreciate fast. My old iPhone 4 is only worth $40, and I tend to think that my Treo is probably worthless. So get going!

This is not limited to smart phones. Pretty much every piece of electronic gear has some worth to someone, but as with phones, and contrary to wine, the longer you hold onto it, the less it is worth.

If you want to trade in, the best deals are offered by Apple and Best Buy.

And, if you are looking for a good tax deduction and to do a good deed, take a look at Cell Phones for Soldiers.

Or, if you want to buy a Hasselblad C/M 100 in very good shape (untouched for years), get in touch with me.

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