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Even if you see your electronic devices as long-term investments when you buy them,

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eventually they'll reach the point where they've simply outlived their usefulness,

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and it's time to trade them in for some cold hard cash.

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But how can you be sure that you're getting enough in return for it to be worth your while?

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First off, before you do anything else, make sure there's actually a market

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for whatever it is you're trying to sell. You'll probably find plenty of buyers for, say, a relatively recent iPhone that's in good condition,

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but on the flip side, you probably won't have much luck selling a used inkjet printer

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when manufacturers are actually selling brand new ones for less than the cost of the included ink,

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and you can learn more about why they do that up here. So I usually start by having a look around on a site like eBay to get a feel for the demand

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before wasting any more of my time and energy. This market research stage also serves to give me an idea of how much I can reasonably ask

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and what kinds of offers might be way too low.

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Remember guys, you want to check what similar items have sold for

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rather than getting caught up on what they are listed for.

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The next step after deciding you have a decent chance at finding an interested buyer

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is to prepare your item properly. It seems like a small thing, but you definitely have a better chance of getting top dollar

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if you have all the original accessories and packaging materials,

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and you take a few extra minutes to take clear, well-lit photos

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that show that the item and its accessories have been cared for.

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Now if you don't have the original packaging, that's not the end of the world,

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but it is worth trying to find something decent to box the item up in.

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You can sometimes order boxes for popular items like iPhones,

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but if it's something less common, sometimes local stores will have, for example,

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a motherboard box, even if it's not one that's for the same motherboard that you happen to be selling.

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Good packaging might not make a difference to this particular sale, by the way,

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but it will almost certainly help to avoid negative feedback, which could affect your next one.

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So once you've gotten as much packaging together as you can and cleaned up the product to the best of your ability,

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you want to decide where you're going to try to sell it.

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If you're looking to get actual cash for it, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay,

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and app-based marketplaces like Letgo are obvious choices,

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but don't assume that they will always be the best solutions.

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Although these sites are fine to use, there are regional advantages to one versus another.

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Here in Canada, for example, nobody back east uses Craigslist,

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and then no one in the west uses Kijiji, and you can often get more money by listing your wares on private,

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specialized marketplaces that focus on one category of gadget, like photography gear.

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Some of these sites do charge small fees to discourage scammers,

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but you can often still come out ahead, especially if your stuff isn't pretty good shape.

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However, if you're okay with trading in your gear for gift cards at a retailer,

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especially useful if your stuff is damaged, do some shopping around to see who will cut you the best deal.

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Sites like Flipsy and Glide can quickly compare offers

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if you don't want to bother finding an individual to sell to, but keep in mind guys, you probably won't walk away with as much in your pocket.

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Kind of like how places like GameStop are notorious for lowballing the public on game

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trade-ins so that they can turn around and make a profit reselling them.

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Once you've decided to list, make sure that you not only have good photos and detailed specs,

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but that you're paying attention to the words that you use,

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because they can affect how appealing your listing sounds.

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Just like an online dating profile, you want to make your gadget sound attractive,

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so avoid words like old and consider why people might want it.

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Is it vintage or retro? Understanding who might want your item and using the right lingo can make a big difference if,

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for example, you're trying to invoke a potential buyer's sense of nostalgia.

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And speaking of which, consider when you should be selling.

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For example, if you're selling a graphics card or a CPU,

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I've always found that keeping an eye on the rumors of the upcoming new products

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and trying to get rid of my existing stuff proactively before something new replaces it

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allows me to recoup much more of my original cost.

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And if you have something that you think won't fetch too much money at the moment,

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you may also consider holding onto it for a while. Some items can become hard to find replacements,

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or even popular collector's pieces once enough time has passed,

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like those classic IBM Model M keyboards. Finally, selling around the holidays when people are in a buying mood is never a bad idea,

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especially since plenty of us have no interest in waking up at four in the morning

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to go into a giant Black Friday brouhaha.

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Not a great word, brouhaha. Thanks for watching, guys. Like, dislike, check out our other videos, and subscribe.

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Especially subscribe. It's the best. You'll love it.

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