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Sell your iPhone 3G at a profit

Sure, you could keep your old iPhone 3G as a backup in case your shiny new 3G S goes kerflooie. Or you could sell it for $375, $400, even $450 on Craigslist or eBay.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
If you're lucky, you might be able to pocket as much as $200 in profit on your old iPhone.

If you're among those lucky few who are eligible to upgrade to an iPhone 3G S without paying full retail pricing, here's good news: you can sell your old iPhone 3G and walk away with some extra cash.

Let's say you have the 16GB model. A quick check of Craigslist and eBay shows that the going rate for a mint-condition 16GB iPhone 3G is around $400.

Now, it doesn't take a math whiz to figure out that if you buy a 16GB iPhone 3G S for $200, you'll walk away with a $200 profit. Grab the 32GB model and you make $100. Not too shabby, eh?

Of course, with the sudden glut of used iPhones out there, you may have a tough time finding a buyer. If you'd rather not deal with the hassles (and potential wait) of selling to another individual, consider selling to a service.

iPod fix-it shop Rapid Repair, for instance, has an iPhone buyback program that's currently offering $230 for an 8GB iPhone 3G and $270 for the 16GB model. It'll even pick up the cost of shipping.

I also got an online quote from used-gadget buyer NextWorth, which offered about $220 for my 16GB 3G.

Used-gadget buyer NextWorth will give you a decent price for your used iPhone 3G.

Sadly, I'm not eligible for upgrade pricing until 2047, or something ridiculous like that. (Thanks, Apple!) So I haven't been able to put any of these methods to the test. If you have, be sure to leave a comment detailing your experiences.

If you do decide to sell your old iPhone, here's some advice from resident forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski: 1) Pull the SIM card. The new owner won't be able to use it anyway. 2) Erase the phone by tapping your way into Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Make sure to keep the phone plugged in, as this process can take a couple hours to complete.