Consumer demand for used smartphones is on the up, word about the fantastic value they represent compared to new devices is spreading and the retail market is being supported by an increasingly professional and reliable wholesale sector.
But where’s the best place to sell used smartphones? Here we have a look at some of the main options.
Sell used smartphones to a trader
We start with this one because this is what you’ll get if you type ‘sell used mobile phones’ into Google – trade buyers who offer cash for mobile phones. These include large-scale second-hand gadget vendors like CeX, as well as countless smaller online operators, who are usually best found using comparison sites like Sell My Mobile or Compare My Mobile.
These traders exist to make money from private sellers who want quick cash from an old handset, they pay rock-bottom prices and look to make a quick buck themselves by doing the handsets up a bit and selling them on for a profit.
Online marketplaces
Marketplace sites like eBay and Amazon are where many used phone retailers dip their toe in the water and start out. eBay in particular is very useful because you can transition easily from being a private seller flipping a few old devices you have lying around or that you’ve snapped up from friends and family, to setting up a merchant account and running things more as a proper business.
Amazon is a step up again, you have to be more on the ball with things like product descriptions, pricing and order fulfilment options, but you get the benefits of Amazon’s enormous marketing reach and online presence. Many operators who set up their own used phone ecommerce sites (see below) or physical stores also use Amazon.
Other options like Facebook Marketplace and Google Shopping are also increasingly coming to the fore, and if you are serious about running a successful second-hand phone retail business, the truth is that you probably need a presence on several if not all of these outlets.
Your own website
For the serious retailer, there is no substitute for setting up your own ecommerce site. Even though there are costs involved in terms of building and running the site, buying your domain name, paying for web hosting, technical support and so on, the payback is that you get complete control of your operations.
You may well be doing a decent trade through Amazon or the other marketplaces, and you will probably have to keep these going. But with your own site, you can take full control of your own branding, you can start to push your own marketing through search engines, social media and offline, and overall you can really shape your business the way you want it. If you aim to grow your business, you can’t overlook having your own site.
Summary
Regardless of the route to market you take, choosing to sell used smartphones is going to prove lucrative for anyone. With demand increasing year on year as the cost of new devices continues to rise, the sooner you enter this market the better.
If you’re looking for a supplier of used smartphones look no further than Phoenix Cellular, our 100% satisfaction guarantee and industry leading RMA process means you can buy with confidence. We supply a range of devices from grade A to C on both the marginal and standard VAT scheme.
