Do you have an old technological device that does not work anymore? Or did you inherit some old electronics that don’t seem to have much value? Why hold on to it?
These days, there are various things you can do with such devices. The good part is that you do not have to throw them all away, as some still hold good value when you resell. Surprised?
Check out the various ways you can get rid of these old devices without losing anything.
- What Is Considered an Old Tech Device
- What to Do with Old Devices
- Donating
- Recycling
- Swapping Your Device
- What Else You Should Know
- Unsubscribe the Services
What Is Considered an Old Tech Device
The short answer is: it can be anything. Technological devices are any electronic device that can be used for creating, storing, or transmitting information in electronic form.
That would include any computer, cellular phone, smartphone, camera, audio recording devices, and more. Even the iPhone X you bought last year can be considered an old device.
While “old” may be considered relative, having any type of device that belongs to this category, which does not hold much value or hasn’t been used in a while can be termed an ‘old technological device’.
The iPhone 7 I bought halfway through 2017 is not considered old to me, but I think you get the relativity in the word “old”.
Quantity Required for Resale
A popular misconception I shared with people was the idea of not being able to resell individual items with old technology. I thought it had to be a bulk sale of, say, a dozen or more.
I was wrong. If you have a single device like an old radio, a cell phone, a camera, you can get rid of it without having to stockpile.
What to Do with Old Devices
Back to the highlight of the blog post, what can be done about these devices? Let’s look at a few options, some of which you can get value from them without just disposing of them.
Possibly the most common way to get rid of old devices is to sell them off for some cash. But for this to be possible, the device you want to sell must have some value or must be valuable to the buyers.
If it has value and you are willing to sell, you may need to provide an in-depth description of what the device can still do. Tell your prospective buyers what they can gain from buying it.
Even if it may seem meaningless to you, remember that it can still have value to someone else. A little research or Google about the product can help.
Where to Sell Them
There are several places you can sell your devices in. Popular ones include websites like Craigslist, Amazon, and eBay.
A good thing is that these sites don’t need you to be physically present in order to upload your product digitally.
When you get a buyer, you can then ship the product to the buyer.
Donating
A much nobler way to get rid of your old devices is to donate them to charity. You may never know, lots of people out there need these devices you consider old as long as the device in question is still functional.
Donating your functional yet unwanted device to a shelter or charitable organization is an excellent way to give your device another life, and improve the quality of life for someone who needs it.
Take an instance of an old computer. This can come in handy for a new shelter in need of equipment in the reception. You might just have saved them hundreds of dollars and the time required to raise funds.
Having a hard time locating these types of organizations around you? Let me make it simpler.
Finding Organizations to Donate To
There are lots of organizations that such devices could do a great deal for such as shelters for orphans, shelters for people who have experienced domestic violence, religious organizations, schools, and many other different small to large scale organizations.
You can find some of these organizations online. Some of which are national organizations, while others are international. The good news is that they have websites where you can check and look at their methods to which you can donate your old devices.
Use the Google search engine to search ‘Donate electronics near me’ to find a number of local resources where you can make a donation. You can also check online sites to find a dedicated list.
Recycling
This option is better than tossing your old devices like garbage. Consider the eco-friendly option of recycling. This is the best option when your old device is beyond repair or is not functional.
Our electronic devices of the modern age contain several chemicals which are dangerous to our health. Have you ever tried cracking open a mobile device battery before? Fair warning: don’t do it.
With the sheer number of electronics we use for so many things in our everyday lives, and the seemingly short life they can have, the amount of electronic waste is massive.
By choosing to recycle, you help to ease the burden of waste on the planet and also allow the item to possibly have its functional components be refurbished into something else.
Where to Recycle
A commonplace where you can recycle your old gadgets is with SERI, who aims to sustain and protect the lives of people by recycling e-waste. Other companies offer similar services which you can check out also.
What you need to know about these companies is the types of items they recycle. If they are related to what you have, then you can contact them and ask how you can send your old devices to them.
Swapping Your Device
Amazon, Apple, and Dell have their own amazing recycling programs called Trade-Ins, where you get money toward a new device when you recycle your old device with them.
This way is quite handy in the sense that it will save you money when buying a new, better product.
To give an example, let’s say I want to swap the iPhone 7 I mentioned earlier for an iPhone X.
The value of the iPhone 7 would be deducted from the cost of the iPhone X, so I would get it at a cheaper price.
What Else You Should Know
Whether you choose any of the four ways mentioned, there are a few things you need to know.
First of all, you should carry out proper research. Knowing what you want to do with the devices is one thing, but doing it may take more time than reading this blog post itself.
Research the companies or websites where your device will go. Whether you intend to sell, swap, donate or recycle, it is not a bad thing to know where your gadget is going or what value you can get from it.
Unsubscribe the Services
Next is to make sure you have unsubscribed to all the services you used with that device. Imagine swapping your device to get a better deal, and monthly, your account continues to be deducted fees for a device no longer in your possession.
Whether you have a Microsoft subscription, a Netflix subscription, or any subscription service at all no matter how little the fee may be, it is a best practice to unsubscribe before the device is given away or sent away.
It can even become riskier for persons who save their account details and passwords to the devices they have. This way, having a new device would still need the details stored on the previous device, and if you cannot remember it, well, there is always a password reset.
Erase Your Data
Lastly, you should make sure that your data from the device to be given away is erased or removed totally from it.
Imagine the number of sites you have provided your email address to just because you need more access to some detailed information. Or sites that you need to provide some details to even use them at all.
In this era of hackers and the increasing digitalization of our identities, our digital footprints are becoming vast, and our devices like computers and cell phones can contain a ton of our personal information. Be sure to reset your device to its factory settings if you can.
Conclusion
There you have it, ways by which you can do away with your old devices. Which of the options would you want to consider among the four? To recap, remember to know which option is favorable to you, do a fair share of research, and wipe its data.
I hope this post helps you to get rid of the old electronic equipment you have lying around and make space for some brand new models!
