Sell Old Phones, iPads, Other Electronics On Glyde

Every time a new product comes out, you have a decision to make: Do you get the latest gadget, or do you wait for the next one? If you buy the new gadget you have to make another--arguably more important--decision: what to do with the old one. Do you sell it, recycle it, or let it collect dust?

If you decide to sell your old gadget, how much do you ask for it? One way to find out is through Glyde, a Palo Alto-based startup that lets you earn money for your old gadgets. All you have to do is input a few details on the Glyde website such as what condition your product is in. Glyde uses the information to calculate an estimated going price.

Glyde CEO Drew Lieberman stopped by BYTE to show us how to sell electronics on Glyde. Lieberman revealed the best times to sell (during product releases), and what not to do to your phone so you can get the most money for it (don't engrave it).

Glyde sells everything from video games to DVDs to electronics such as iPads and Kindles. There's no seller rating system because the buyer never meets the seller. To make it even easier to sell electronics, Glyde sends a pre-addressed, pre-stamped mailer.

Glyde, which has received $27 million in venture funding since launching in 2006, has a strong team. The founder of Glyde, Simon Rothman, also founded eBay Motors.

Of course, getting people to sell in an entirely new marketplace is tricky, given that they can go where the eyeballs are on eBay or Craigslist. One of Glyde's selling points is that it has a pretty interface like Groupon's, making it really easy to use. To help spread the word, Glyde launched a Glyde Sell and Tell offer code. The goal is to get people to share their product link with their networks, so their friends can get a discount.

I was in the mall last week and saw a similar concept with an ATM, where you can put your phone in and get money in exchange. I can see this concept of selling your phone catching on--as long as the selling and buying of the electronics remains as painless as possible and there's an immediate payoff.