This Old Phone Is Worth A Ton Of Money (And It's A Very Popular Brand)

For those of us who were born before the 90s, you may recall a time when the only way you were able to contact your friends during the weekends or after school was through a landline telephone. That said, for many 90s kids receiving their first cellphone was a right to passage during middle and/or high school. For members of this particular generation, learning how to text people was rather difficult compared to how it is today. Since early cell phones had actual numeric keypad buttons most had to learn something known as T9 — but that's a whole different story.

With the creation of the first iPhone in 2007, and in the years that have followed, the popularity of internet-connected smartphones lead to the gradual demise of once popular cell phone models liked the Motorola Razr or the T-Mobile Sidekick. However, there is good news for anyone that might have old boxes from their childhood, those old phones could be worth a ton of money today. Knowing this, let's take a look at few specific cellphone models that could potentially net you a whole lot of cash.

During the early 2000s Motorola had some of the hottest models of cellphones on the market. One of the most memorable of these was none other than the Motorola Razr, known for its sleek and slim design that made it both fashionable and easy to carry around. That said, if you still have one of these (in good condition) stashed inside a box in your parents basement, you might be able to sell it for as much as $100 to even $250 on Ebay.

However, the Motorola Aura R1 is the top of the food chain in terms of old Motorola models. The reason this particular model is worth so much more than other Motorola models is that it's much more rare to find for sale. Unlike more common Razr listings, the scarcity of the Aura R1 largely leads to its inflated value. That said, as of March 2025, the Aura R1 is going for anywhere from $2000 to over $6000 on eBay — making it a great way to make a mortgage payment or even throw some extra cash into your investment portfolio. With that said, there are a few other, even more rare, vintage cellphone models that could net you as much as 10x the amount of the starting rate of an Aura R1.

Although cellphones weren't largely popularized until the 90s and early 2000s, the earliest handheld model was actually first invented in 1973. Also a Motorola, the DynaTAC 8000x sells today for up to $5000, depending on the condition. However, it is worth noting that if you purchased this phone during the 70s and never took it out of the case, people are currently bidding for unboxed models of the DynaTAC 8000x for over $20,000 on Ebay.

While there are plenty of old Apple products that are worth a lot today, most probably don't think of the 1st Generation Apple iPhone as one of them. However, these are currently worth a ton of money. That's right, the phone that started the internet-connected smartphone revolution in the first place is almost two decades old as of 2025, and is therefore generally considered a collectors item rather than a functioning phone for everyday use. If you are still in possession of one of these phones — and its in excellent condition — you may be able to sell it for several hundred dollars on Ebay. However, if you own an unlocked 1st Generation model that is still sealed, it could potentially be sold for as much as $23,000.