It would be crazy not to resell your phone on eBay

It’s always exciting to upgrade your phone to the latest model, and with the release of the new iPhone 8, 8s, and X you may be left wondering what to do with your current phone. Rather than just tossing it into “the drawer” (because we all have one of those drawers) and forgetting about it altogether, you can resell your previous generation iPhone and find it a new home.

This process might seem daunting, but eBay makes it extremely easy to sell your phone and make some quick money. And eBay offers some of the most competitive pricing across the market — for example, an iPhone 7 Plus 256 GB is selling for upwards of $630 on eBay, compared to $380 on Gazelle or $360 at AT&T.*

From creating an eye-catching listing, to shipping your phone to your buyer, here’s everything you need to know about reselling your iPhone on eBay.

Prepare your phone

Before you’re ready to list your phone for sale, be sure that it’s properly backed up so that you don’t lose all of your data when you switch to your new model. Once that’s done, it’s important to make sure all of your personal data gets cleared. In addition to wiping your phone completely, there are some additional things you’ll want to do to secure your information.

First, deactivate Find My iPhone by going to your Settings and sliding the service to “off.” When Find My iPhone is turned on it can block activation for the new owner. You’ll also want to sign out of iCloud and iMessage so that there is no confusion or lost messages when you start using your new phone. And if you have an Apple Watch, unpair it from the iPhone you’ll be selling by placing it next to your phone, opening the Apple Watch iPhone app, and selecting it under the My Watch tab. As a final step, erase all of your phone’s data by going into Settings and selecting General, then Reset, and finally Erase All Content and Settings.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Do some research

Once your phone is wiped and ready for a new owner, find out its re-sale price.

Head to eBay to check out the trending price for your phone model. Find out things like your phone’s storage capacity, camera specs, and which accessories are compatible with it to ensure that your buyers are fully informed about the product and better able to make their purchase decision.

Create an eye-catching listing

A successful listing on eBay includes great photos and a succinct item description. When you take photos of your phone for the listing, use good lighting and try to photograph it against a solid backdrop. You’ll want to take photos from every angle, including close-up shots and photos of any accessories you are selling with it.

For the listing itself, a catchy title and simple, descriptive text is essential. Since eBay’s search engine uses titles to surface listings during someone’s search, using keywords that state its carrier, model, color, and storage is a good place to start. You could also include things like “jailbroken” or “mint condition” to provide some more information. In the description itself you can go into more detail about the condition of your phone, why you’re selling it, and explain what, if any, damage there is.

Ship it to your buyer

Once you have a confirmed buyer and are ready to ship your phone, eBay makes it easy to send it off. Pack your phone in a sturdy box and wrap it in bubble wrap to protect it from any damage during transit. You can then use eBay labels to print your shipping label at home and even choose your carrier and schedule a pickup.

With its global audience of users, competitive prices, and seamless process, eBay makes it easy to give your iPhone a new home – so that you can use that money to buy a new one. So don’t feel guilty about tossing your previous one aside – you can get yourself a shiny new one right on eBay.

* Data pulled as of September 19, 2017 based on used, locked Verizon phones in good condition and without accessories. Comparisons made based on color as well (iPhone in Silver; Samsung Galaxy in Black Onyx) where data is available.