The Unexpected Value Of Your Old Phones (They Could Be Worth A Ton)

Everyone's got something interesting lying around in their attic, garage, or closet. All sorts of retro gear sits collecting dust in our homes these days, and everything from baseball cards to antique books can fetch a huge profit if you happen to have a rare or special example lying around. The same can be said of many of your old consumer cell phone devices.

Even though technology has continually delivered vast improvements from year to year and from one phone generation to the next, antique pieces of cellular technology history are actually seriously sought after collectors' items. This is particularly true of units that have been kept well preserved and don't show a lot of wear and tear — unlike the countless phones that many of us will have destroyed throughout the years. Cell phone technology has certainly changed a lot, but older models continue to hold a unique place in history and the hearts of collectors. There are some obvious inclusions that can't be missed, like the original iPhone. This revelatory piece of personal communicative technology took the world by storm and has truly altered the way we collectively think about mobile connectivity. But there are actually a few other phones with far less contemporary prowess that remain highly sought after by people in this community of collectors and traders. Best of all, you might just have one or two of these gems lying around, just waiting to yield a tidy profit.

The truly quirky Nokia 7280 was released to the public near the end of 2004 and quickly made waves. Rather than stylizing itself as a rebranding of standard phone design language, the device brings an entirely novel form factor into the conversation. It's built roughly like a tube of lipstick, and that's exactly the nickname the device was given. It features a tiny screen that fades out into a mirror finish when not in use, and offers a prominent camera setup that didn't feature video capture and offered a 0.3MP resolution. The phone weighed just 2.96 ounces and its longest dimension was roughly 4.5 inches (from top to bottom). The phone was immensely portable and featured more as a lifestyle and fashion accessory than a powerful mobile device.

The cellphone was found in music videos and other aspects of the pop culture world, bringing prominence and relatability to the pre-smartphone era device that aimed to shake things up. It's announcement came alongside other Nokia models designed as part of the brand's "fashion collection" and took inspiration from the "glamor and elegance of the lavish 1920s," according to Mobile Phone Museum. Today, just over 20 years since the head-turner hit the market, buyers and collectors are still looking for quality examples of this unique device. The keyless interface and genuine change of pace from what a mobile phone "is" makes this collectors item something special. If you find one buried among your saved memories, you can expect to get $200+ for the gadget.

The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was the first mobile phone to arrive within the consumer marketplace. This makes it a true pioneer in the world of phoning and mobility. It was available for a whopping $4,000 price tag (about $12,000 today) but for the sizable financial commitment, owners could achieve something that had never been possible before. The inventor of this technology, Martin Cooper noted that real estate agents and Realtors were some of the first adopters of the tool. Their jobs involved taking calls and showing homes, and with a cellular device they could do both at the same time, potentially doubling their commissions with the help of a single new instrument.

The DynaTAC 8000X is therefore a cornerstone piece of cellular history, and it's one that collectors are naturally interested in getting their hands on. While prices on the resale market aren't nearly as lucrative as an original selling at its release (or its inflation-adjusted value), sellers who have a working model can anticipate a pretty sweet sale price of at least $2,000 for one in good condition.

The original iPhone is yet another monumental piece of cell phone history. The original was released in 2007, and the entire ecosystem of smartphones that exist in the world today have this breakthrough piece of technology to thank. While you're perhaps unlikely to achieve the same wild feats of profit taking that some of the most pristine collectibles have yielded, it's worth noting that in recent years the original 2007 model has been sold at ludicrous prices in auction settings: Selling once for $35,414 in August 2022, another was priced at $54,904 when the gavel came down in March 2023, and a truly astonishing sale price of $190,373 was finalized in July 2023. An original, unopened unit can fetch dizzying financial returns, while your used model will be priced decidedly lower (yet still at a valuable benchmark). Depending on the condition, a used example of the original iPhone device can expect at least a $600 return if you find one laying around in decent condition.

The iPhone is a spectacular piece of phoning history. It singlehandedly changed the way people interacted with technology and the very world around them. No longer did people have to make space in their pockets or bags for an MP3 player (maybe an iPod), cell phone, and other devices. Bundling a range of tools together, and adding legitimately useful functionality to access the internet and complete other tasks like sending and receiving emails made it a revelation in communication and information sharing. Today, the smartphone has obviously evolved even farther to encompass "analog" tools like wallets and keys as well, but the phone that started it all remains a highly sought-after commodity.