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How to make extra cash recycling your old electronic gadgets.

July 17th, 2009 | Posted in Online Bargains

I’d be willing to bet that you have quite a few old cell phones, laptops, or other electronic devices lying around your house and simply taking up space. If you’re like me (a pack-rat) you’ve stashed them away thinking that you might find some future use for them. The reality, of course, is that these electronic gadgets haven’t been touched in quite some time and probably never will. Throwing them away is a bit disconcerting as well since they’ll just take up space in ever-growing landfills. So, what do you do? Well, here is where a company called Gazelle enters the picture – they will purchase these used electronics from you! Recycling may be a bit of a misnomer though. Most of the electronic items they purchase are actually resold through various retail or auction markets. Some are sold to large wholesalers, who of course then resell them to consumers looking for secondhand electronics. Only when there is no resale value does Gazelle send the items to a recycling center. In any case, what is important is that your used electronics are recycled or resold rather than remaining in your junk drawers or ending up in a landfill.

How Gazelle works

Gazelle’s process is surprisingly simple. You answer a few questions about the type and condition of your device and then they will offer you an instant quote. After that they will send you all packaging materials (pre-paid) and you ship your item off to them for inspection. After inspection they will send you a check – very easy and hassle-free. It is very important to answer the questions about your items as accurately as possible. When Gazelle receives your gadgets they will inspect them and ensure that they are in the condition you stated. If they aren’t then you’ll receive an adjusted offer, which you can either accept or reject.

But don’t limit yourself to just recycling cell phones and computers either. Gazelle will take a wide array of items off of your hands. Here’s a short list of some of the electronics they recycle and buy:

Cell phones (including iPhones)
Digital Cameras
MP3 Players
Desktop Computers
Laptop Computers
PDA’s
GPS Devices
Gaming Consoles
Camcorders
External Drives
Camera Lenses
Video Games
Movies
and more….

Naturally, you’ll get a better price for newer items, especially those that are only 1-3 years old. But, give your older ones a try as well, you might be surprised at what they can offer. As far as recycling your cell phones goes, there are numerous companies that specialize in this, such as Cell for Cash. So, you might want to comparison shop to see which will offer you the best price. However, Gazelle offers you the option of trading in so many different types of gadgets and it seems like it would be much easier to do all of your electronic recycling in one place.

Give them a try. You’ll most likely be able to put some extra money in your pocket while also doing the environment a good turn by recycling your electronics instead of just throwing them away.

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