Mobile phones are such status items right now that people buy new models practically every year (maybe even months!). This means a lot of old-model and discontinued phones are currently flooding the market.
For people who have a more practical view of mobile phones, this means that there is a wealth of phones that they can take advantage of. There are many people who just want a cheap replacement for their broken phone, want to replace their phone with the exact same model because they don’t want to learn the intricacies of a new model, or don’t want to pay a premium for a new phone where they won’t even use half of the new features.
Fortunately, buying discontinued or old model phones is not really that hard anymore. There are many avenues for buying old phones. Here are some tips you can use when you’re looking for particular discontinued phones:
Visit your phone carrier
There’s a big chance that you got your phone from your service provider/phone carrier as a perk for opening a plan or as a free phone for renewing your contract. Visit their web site because they may still be carrying the old models in their inventory as unsold overstock.
Look at eBay
EBay has become the de facto repository of all things discontinued. Practically all manner of equipment that is either an old model or a discontinued model can be found on the most popular auction site on Earth. Go to web site and use the search function to look for the phone model you want to buy. Since a lot of items being auctioned off in eBay are used, always be aware of the condition of the units before you bid on them. Look at the description of the auctioneer and check out the pictures of the phone if one is provided.
Look at Craigslist
If eBay is the most popular auction site on earth, then arguably Craigslist is the most popular classified ads site on the planet. Go to the section where they sell phones and try to find out if the model you’re looking for is being sold there. Just as in eBay, just be careful about the condition of the phone.
Check other web sites
There are many web sites that specialize in the sale of mobile phones. Go to your favorite search engines and key in the phone you want to buy. Go to the online shops that come up in the search results to find out more about the phone they’re selling. This approach may be the most risky though because there are many unscrupulous online shops on the internet. So practice a little extra discretion when taking this route.
Post online ads
If all else fails, you can post your own online ads looking for the phone model you want. Go to your favorite social media page and post your ad there. Chances are one of your friends may have the phone lying around in their house. Your friends can also help you by forwarding your ad to their friends.
Photo from tcgamesandmore.net