7 On Your Side: Tips for selling old tech

NEW YORK (WABC) -- If you have a drawer full of old phones or your eye on the new iPhone rumored to come out this month, we've got some options for turning old tech into cash.

7 On Your Side took a 2-year-old iPhone SE to three stores -- an AT&T outlet, a Sprint store and a GameStop.

While the Sprint in Fort Lee gave the phone no value, the AT&T store less than a mile away offered $50 -- but only for trade-in on an AT&T account, not cash.

"No company will give you cash for that," the employee at the store said.

But that wasn't true at the Harlem GameStop, where we got a cash offer of $17.50.

Next we went online, where there are plenty of buy-and-sell sites. If you use one, make sure you use a reputable and well-reviewed service.

You can post your phone on eBay and accept the highest offer, or sell to friends in your social media circle or community through Facebook Marketplace. You can also ship your phone off after accepting an offer on sites like Glyde or Gazelle.

It's important to be honest about the condition on your phone to get an accurate offer, so report scratches or cracks.

Gazelle offered $25 for the SE, which we listed in good condition. Glyde offered the most, at a whopping $167 if we threw in the power adapter. But Glyde works as an intermediary, displaying the price you may get for a phone. A seller still has to agree to buy it for that price.

Remember, those prices are subject to change once your phone is received and inspected on the other end, so you may get a check for far less.

Another option is donating your phone to charity. It's a write-off and a nice thing to do, and remember that if your phone is worthless or not working, recycle it .

WHAT TO DO BEFORE DITCHING YOUR PHONE

Before getting rid of your phone, make sure you transfer all your data, either to the cloud or a PC.

Next, turn off "Find My Phone." Of you don't, the next user may not be able to activate it.

Also, wipe your phone clean by restoring it to factory settings, and make sure your remove the SIM card. It contains info about you, your phone activity and your billing, so don't forget to pop that out.

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