How many BlackBerry devices do you own? If you’ve upgraded recently, say to the Bold or Storm, you might have more than one. Some people like to keep the old model around as a backup. While that’s a nice luxury, some of us could use a couple of extra bucks right about now. So why not put your BlackBerry on the market and see who’s willing to pay for it? Today we’ll take a look at the going market prices for a number of BlackBerry models. You might be surprised by how much you can get for your old device.
The thing to remember here is something we discussed in the total cost of your BlackBerry. The device is subsidized by your carrier, so you’re not paying full retail price. So it’s possible that you paid $200 for the device two years ago and still get $150 on eBay. So let’s see what your Bery can fetch. We’re going 8000 models and up.
A couple of eBay notes
First off, your rating as a seller might impact the decision to bid on your item. If you just registered for an account recently and haven’t sold anything, users might be wary of your lack of a seller’s rating. If your item does not sell, you can always try again.
Also, note that many if not most of these models don’t get bids until there are only hours left in the auction. Because of this I’d recommend a shorter selling time. There’s no reason to hold a seven-day auction when you won’t get bids until the last day anyway.
To obtain the best results, it’s recommended you include as much of the original packaging as possible. People will be more apt to bid on your item if you include the software, carrying case, charger, manual, etc. that came with the BlackBerry originally.
BlackBerry Pearl
It looks like most if not all the 8100 models are unlocked, so that might make it difficult to sell your locked 8100. I’m sure that’s not what those owners wanted to hear, but it is a rather outdated model, with each major carrier sporting a new version.
It looks like a fairly new 8110 can fetch you a few bucks. While there are plenty of unlocked models here, unlocked models seem to be running from $100 to $250, though you never know what will happen at the end of these auctions. You’ll probably fare better with an AT&T model, as they have more users. Ditto the 8120, though because it’s mostly T-Mobile models out there the prices are a bit lower, usually hovering around $100. The unlocked versions are going for similar prices, around $250.
There are tons and tons of listings for 8130 Pearls, but you might notice something peculiar on the page. Very few of the listings have bids. Beyond the Buy It Now models, which are typically in the $130 to $180 range, the only models with bids are those selling for under $100. As of this writing, there’s a model with a $95 opening price and only five hours remaining, yet has no bids. There’s one with six hours remaining, has seven bids, and is at $55. So it doesn’t look like you’re going to get much for your old Pearl.
BlackBerry Curve
It looks like you might have a bit more success with the BlackBerry Curve than the Pearl. I’m looking at the 8310 page, and there’s an auction ending in 41 minutes which has 23 bids, with a current price of $175.50. Judging by the listing, you’re best off setting your initial price around $100 and seeing where it goes from there. Remember, as stated above, you might not get any bids until very late in the auction process.
The 8320s have similar pricing, it seems. There are a few auctions that end in under 12 hours, and they feature prices of $162.50 (4 bids), $113.50 (15 bids), and $192.50 (2 bids). So if you play your cards right you can make a few bucks off your old model. There are unlocked ones, too, mostly in the $280 range. I’ve noticed that many of these auctions, especially those with higher bid numbers, have started in the $50 range. Something to keep in mind when you’re trying to figure out a starting bid figure.
For the 8330, bids fluctuate, though there is one auction, ending in three hours, which is up to $226. Yet there’s another one with 13 bids which ends in two hours, and its’ only at $132.50. Oh yeah, the opening bid on the $226 model: 99 cents.
BlackBerry 88xx series
There isn’t much happening with the 8800, as the best I see right now is $81 on an auction ending in five hours. There’s actually one ending in 23 hours that has a $11.50 high bid. The 8820 will fetch you a bit more, averaging somewhere in the $130 to $150 price range. The more expensive ones do not have bids on them.
The 8830 has a similar scheme, though it might even be going for less. There are a number of auctions ending in the next five hours which have zero bids and a starting price in the $120 range. Those could change quickly, as is the nature of eBay. Still, it’s disappointing to see the device barely getting bids at $100.
Newer models
Clearly, you’re going to do better with the Bold and the Storm, since those are newer devices in more demand. I won’t spend time on these, though, as most users who have these are still under contract with their carrier.
Play around, see what you can get
As you can see, plenty of people choose to sell their old BlackBerry models every day. The economy is probably keeping the resale prices of these devices relatively low, but that doesn’t mean you can’t cash in on your old electronics. Click around for yourself and see what is selling for what. Then list your item and see what it fetches.
