One person's old phone can be someone else's treasure. When upgrading to a new device, you can either trade-in or sell your old phone for value. Trade-ins offer convenience but less reward.

You can trade-in at chains like Best Buy, Game Stop, Apple, or Samsung for store credit or cash—though usually for less value than selling yourself. Trade-ins eliminate hassles like meeting buyers or handling payments, but you make much less money. For example, an iPhone 17 retailing at $899 only gets $585 through Apple's trade-in program, paid as store credit.

Selling yourself on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace yields better returns but requires more effort: photographing the device, writing descriptions, and managing buyer interactions. You can even sell damaged phones that stores won't accept. Regardless of method, back up data, log out of accounts, and factory reset your phone before selling.