Why I Always Sell My Old Phones Now Instead of Hoarding Them in Drawers

At one point I had four phones just sitting around unused. An iPhone 7, an iPhone X, a Samsung something-or-other that I’d used for maybe six months, and another older iPhone I couldn’t even remember the model of.

None of them were doing anything useful. They were just there. Taking up drawer space. Collecting dust. The batteries were probably degrading from lack of use, which made them worth even less over time.

I had this vague idea that keeping old phones as backups made sense. But I never actually used them as backups. When my current phone had issues, I just dealt with it or went to the store. The backup phones stayed in the drawer.

The Samsung was particularly stupid to keep because I hadn’t used Android in years. Even if I did need a backup, that phone wouldn’t help me. Different operating system, different charger, different everything. But there it sat anyway.

What Finally Made Me Sell Them

Got me thinking about my drawer full of phones.

Even the really old one was worth Rs.5000 to someone.

Did the math in my head? I had at least Rs.40000 worth of phones just sitting there. That’s not pocket change. That’s money I could actually use for something.

I also realized those phones were losing value every day they sat in my drawer. My plan eventually cost me money that got me moving pretty quick.

First Time Selling Was Weird

Sold the iPhone 7 first because it was the one I cared about least. Figured if I messed something up, better to mess it up on the cheapest phone.

Never sold stuff to strangers in person before. But it went fine. 

From a phone that had been sitting in my drawer doing nothing for over a year.

That first sale made the whole thing feel real. Like oh, I can actually turn these old devices into money. Pretty obvious in hindsight but somehow hadn’t clicked before.

Why Keeping Backups Doesn’t Make Sense

If I’m traveling and my phone dies? I’m buying a cheap phone wherever I am. Not going to pull out my backup from home that I forgot to pack anyway.

The backup phone thing was just an excuse to avoid dealing with selling. Made me feel better about keeping stuff I didn’t need.

Plus, those backup phones weren’t actually good backups. Batteries had degraded from sitting unused. The software was outdated. SIM card situations had changed. They probably wouldn’t have worked well as backups even if I tried to use them.

The Money Adds Up Over Time

That’s from maybe five or six phones.

Not life-changing money. But it’s not nothing either. That’s groceries for a month. That’s a weekend trip somewhere. That’s paying off part of a credit card.

And it’s money that would’ve just evaporated if I’d kept those phones in drawers. They’d be worth basically nothing now. Maybe Rs.2000 each for parts or something.

The earlier you sell a phone after you stop using it, the more it’s worth. I try to sell within a couple months of upgrading now. Gets me the best price and doesn’t give me time to forget about it.

Turns Out Selling Is Pretty Easy

Thought selling phones would be complicated or time-consuming. It’s really not.

You can sell locally to people through apps or meetups. Takes a bit of coordination but you get cash immediately. No shipping, no waiting for payment, just hand over the phone and get paid.

Or you can sell online to companies that buy used phones. They give you a quote, you mail the phone in, they inspect it and send payment. Takes a few days but requires basically zero effort on your part.

I’ve done both depending on the phone and how fast I want to sell it. Both work fine.

The prep work takes maybe an hour. Back up your data, wipe the phone properly, take some photos for the listing if you’re selling to individuals. Not complicated, just needs to be done carefully.

What I Learned About Timing

The market gets flooded. Prices drop. Your phone is competing with tons of similar phones.

If you can wait a few weeks after a new release, you’ll probably get better prices. The initial flood of sellers calms down, demand stays steady, you’re not competing with as many listings.

Also, selling right before holidays can work well. People buying gifts or looking for deals. Or right after holidays when people have gift money to spend on upgrades.

I don’t stress too much about perfect timing though. Sell when I’m ready to sell. Overthinking it and waiting for the perfect time just means the phone sits longer and loses more value.

Condition Matters More Than I Thought

The better condition your phone is in when you sell it, the better price you get. Makes sense but the difference is bigger than I expected.

Now I use screen protectors and cases religiously. Not just to protect my phone while I’m using it, but to keep resale value high. When I go to sell it, I can take off the case and screen protector and the phone looks brand new.

Costs maybe Rs.2000 for a good case and screen protector. But it can mean an extra Rs.5000-10000 when selling. Easy math.

Also keeping the original box and accessories helps. Buyers like getting the full package. I used to throw boxes away immediately. Now I keep them until I sell the phone.

The Environmental Thing I Didn’t Think About

Less electronic waste. Fewer resources needed to manufacture new devices.

Not saying I’m saving the planet by selling old phones. But it’s nice that doing the financially smart thing also happens to be the environmentally better thing.

Those old phones sitting in drawers weren’t helping anyone. Me, the environment, nobody. At least now they’re getting used.

What I Do Differently Now

Which sounds weird but it actually affects my decisions?

I take better care of phones knowing I’ll sell them eventually. Use cases and screen protectors from day one. Don’t let them get beat up.

I keep better records of purchases too. Original receipts, proof of purchase, activation dates. Some buyers want this information, and it can help with selling.

And I sell way faster after upgrading. Used to wait months or years. Now I sell within a month or two. Gets me better prices and I don’t have to store the old phone.

The Psychological Shift

There was something psychological about keeping old phones. Like they represented past versions of me or memories or something. I’ve got photos backed up, contacts saved, everything I care about preserved elsewhere. The phone is just hardware.

Once I got over that weird emotional attachment, selling became easy. It’s not sentimental, it’s just a piece of electronics that someone else can use while I get money for it.

This shift in thinking made it easier to sell other stuff too. 

For People Still Hoarding Old Phones

If you’ve got old phones sitting in drawers doing nothing, look up what they’re worth. Might surprise you. Even phones that feel ancient are worth something to somebody.

That money is literally just sitting there waiting for you. All you have to do is spend an hour prepping the phone and actually sell it.

Worst case, you list it and it doesn’t sell. Fine, stick it back in the drawer. 

Technology advances. What’s worth Rs.20000 today might be worth Rs.10000 in a year. You’re losing money by waiting.

Don’t need permission to sell your own stuff. Don’t need a perfect plan. Just need to actually do it.

My Current System

Now when I upgrade phones, it’s just automatic. The old phone gets prepped and sold within a month. No debate, no should I keep it, just sell it and move on.

It takes maybe two hours total of actual work. An hour to prep the phone properly. Hour to handle the sale and meet the buyer or ship it. That’s it.

Selling old phones is one of those things that seems like it might be a hassle but really isn’t. And the payoff is immediate and tangible. 

All those phones I let sit around losing value. But better late than never. Now I’ve got a system that works and I’m not letting money sit unused in drawers anymore.