4 Reliable Companies to Trade in Old Tech, Books, and More Online

During the height of the pandemic, as we sheltered in place, social media was filled with posts about the many decluttering, purging, and donation projects taking place. I was in on the trend too. Cleaning closets, pantries, and cabinets made me feel accomplished, and it provided a sense of control during the chaos.   

This May, I completed another decluttering and organizing project. I had accumulated boxes of books, CDs, and DVDs from the past year that I hadn’t donated. Also discovered was some old technology, still in exceptional condition, that certainly had some value.

Instead of Facebook Marketplace or eBay, there had to be businesses where I could easily make some cash out of all my stuff. 

Need some quick cash? Here are 4 reliable companies I use to trade-in old tech, books, and other media and get some payback.

Photo by Jonas Vandermeiren on Unsplash

 

Keep scrolling for tips on how to get
the most money for your trade-in items!

 

BuyBack World

BuyBack World takes smartphones, iPads, iPods, MacBooks, gaming consoles, and more. I traded in an Apple AirPort and router for $65, paid to my PayPal account. The online process was simple.   

Pros:

·    Free postage with a provided mailing label.
·    Quick processing of your items.
·    Emailed when trade-in received, and detailed email with inspection status and confirmed offer.
·    Once processed, there is immediate payment to PayPal.

After completing the online process and getting a mailing label by email, I packaged and shipped my items just one day later. From the day of shipping to my PayPal payment was just 5 DAYS.

Cons: none

Decluttr

Decluttr accepts technology, plus books (including textbooks), CDs, DVDs, games, and consoles. My two successful trades included a 6^th generation iPod, video games, and several CDs.

And parents – they even buy back Legos by the pound!

Use their free app to quickly scan your media to discover which titles they accept. Most of my CDs weren’t worth more than 25 cents, but free shipping made moving them off my shelves easy.

After completing the trade-in process on the app, I packaged and mailed my items one day later. Trade-ins were received in about 9 days, and from mailing day to payment was 14 days.

Pros:

·       ·    Free postage with a provided mailing label.
·    Status of trade-ins is available on the app.
·    Notification by email when a trade-in is received and when payment is sent to PayPal.
·    Quick turn around.

Cons:

·       Decluttr inundates you with email, so if you aren’t interested in making future purchases, be sure to unsubscribe.

 

Amazon

Amazon offers buy-back on their technology. I sent them an old Kindle Fire and received a $10 credit on my Amazon account once they received the item.

Pros:

·       ·    Free shipping by Amazon. 
·    From shipping day to my credit was 7 days.

Cons:

·        ·   You get an offer after they receive your item.

  ·      ·   They only accept their tech (Kindle, Alexa, etc.).

·        ·   They no longer buy back books.

Photo by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

EZ Book Recycle (Sell BackYour Book)

EZ Book Recycle offers sell back for books, including textbooks. Scanning ISBN codes was easy using their free app. Shipping to payment was a slower process, but I contribute this to the larger boxes I sent. It was also Media Mail delivery, which takes longer.  For more information on the items they accept, refer to their FAQ page.

Pros:

·       ·   Free shipping is provided via Media Mail. 
·   They offer textbook rentals.
·   From shipping to payment was approximately 3 weeks.

Cons:

·   There is a minimum of $9.00 in trade-in value before you can mail your books. 
·    You cannot sell back more than one copy of a title. 
·    Book values can be as low as 10 cents.  

Bonus: 

Half Price Books

Although this business only accepts buy-backs at their physical store locations, I felt that this was worth the mention. Half Price Books has been my brick and mortar, go-to place for trading in books, textbooks, CDs, DVDs, and video games for several years. Each store is unique, and you never know what you’ll find on their shelves. Several states now have Half Price Books locations. Their founders coined the phrase, “We buy and sell everything ever printed or recorded (except yesterday’s newspaper).” HPB has a strong commitment to the communities where they serve by supporting literacy and environmental groups.

Pros: 

·       ·   Trade-in offers qualify for immediate cash or in-store credit.
·   Teachers can sign up to receive a 10% discount on educational items.
·   HPB offers a fair trade-in value for homeschool curriculum.

Cons:

·     Most stores only give a blanket offer on your total trade-in and don’t allow you to pick and choose what you want to trade and what you prefer to keep.

 

 

Trade-In Tips

Send in spotless technology. Take off any cases (clean and donate those) and thoroughly wipe surfaces and clean crevices. You may know that your device is in excellent working condition, but make it look that way to get a top offer. 

Be fair in your assessment. Follow the guidelines on the trade-in website for the qualifications necessary to get the best offer. 

Ship carefully. Send your items in suitably sized and sturdy shipping boxes. Add peanuts or bubble wrap to protect your items. Put them in the original boxes if you still have them.

Send your trade-in immediately. Each company has time limits once you receive an offer, so be diligent. Take items the next day to the appropriate drop-off site or arrange for pick-ups.

See if the company gives personal offers for tech not listed on their website.