$11 Billion Swapmeet

First of all, relax, I'm not announcing an exclusive executive swapmeet.  The market for used cell phones has ramped up to a whopping $11 billion as of 2016[1].  That's a big number by itself, especially since the market scarcely existed just ten years ago.  By comparison, everything sold in every category by everyone worldwide on Ebay, new or used, was $84 billion total in 2016[2].

Unless you are actually a senior exec and can offer your device, refurbished, to other employees then you have a couple options to pass along your once-glorious smartphone.  Most of us in the US still sell back our devices to our carriers or directly to manufacturers.  In other countries, especially Europe, (and for slightly older phones) people turn to sites akin to Ebay and Craigslist for quick cash.  Or you could do what I do and strip everything down, install a paint app, remove the wi-fi password, and give the phone to your three-your-old.

Finally, I'd like to mention a gem in our greater Orlando, FL area: Computers Plus Cell Phones[3].  Having a local shop that offers up-front prices means you get even quicker cash and an honest human face.  Full disclosure: their owner is a good friend of mine.  You can even get a quote online before heading to one of their stores[4] and compare to your carrier's deal.

* Ismail Jones is a freelance web and mobile developer, owner of Azizah Solutions, and software architect at Cerner Corporation.

Sources:

[1] https://www2.deloitte.com/lb/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecomm...

[2] https://investors.ebayinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1009166

[3] https://computerspluscellphones.com/

[4] http://buyback.computerspluscellphones.com/