Declutter your home and you're likely to find an old phone in a desk drawer or a 15-year-old desktop in a box in your basement. Instead of building up piles of used electronics, and infuriating your partner or roommates, sell them — they may be worth more than you think. If you can’t sell them, donate them. The charities below accept even nonworking devices, and you may be able to take a tax deduction.
But before you get rid of your technotrash, there are a couple of things to take care of. Back up your devices on an external hard drive or on a cloud storage system so that you won’t lose photos, music, or your important documents. Next, delete all programs and information you don’t want others to see. While charities often wipe your devices, it is better to be safe than sorry.
CASH IN
Apple MacBook
Where: Gazelle.com
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Type: All generations
Condition: Working or broken
Value: $150 to $800
Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S series
Where: eBay.com
Type: Generation 6 or later
Condition: Working (damages okay)
Value: $100 to $200
Kindle e-readers, tablets, Bluetooth speakers
Where: Amazon Trade-In
Type: All generations
Condition: Working (damages okay)
Value: Gift card equal to appraised value plus 25% off purchase of similar item
iPods, MP3 players
Where: ecoATM kiosk (at Walmart and other retailers)
Type: All generations
Condition: Working (damages okay)
Value: $5 to $20
DONATE
Old laptops, desktops
Where: Computers With Causes (www.computerswithcauses.org)
Who you’ll help: Schools in low-income communities
How to donate: Request shipping reimbursement on donation form
Keyboards, scanners, printers
Where: Dell Reconnect (partners with Goodwill)
Who you’ll help: People who have disabilities or are unemployed
How to donate: Drop off at Goodwill locations
Cell phones and older smartphones
Where: Medic Mobile (www.medicmobile.org/phone-donations)
Who you’ll help: Donated phones are recycled to fund health care programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America
How to donate: Print free shipping label online
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