You don’t have to look far to see someone proudly using an iPhone. This legendary smartphone has been around for a while, but it remains incredibly popular. Considering that, you might be thinking about reselling iPhones to either make a quick buck or start a profitable side-hustle or full-time business.
When you resell iPhones, you’re buying something and then selling it back to someone, typically at a higher price. However, this is only a simple explanation of reselling. There are a few steps you’ll probably need to complete before something you bought can be resold. Don’t worry - we’ll cover the entire process.
In this post, we’re going to give you a complete guide with everything you need to start finding, buying, and reselling iPhones. Here’s a more in-depth look at what we’ll cover in this article:
What does it mean to resell electronics
Why iPhones are great electronics to start reselling
Where you can start finding iPhones for sale online (at great prices)
Examples showing you how much you can profit by reselling iPhones
What types of iPhones can bring you the highest resale values
Bonus tips to help you start selling phones quickly
If the thought of buying and reselling iPhones sounds like a good way to make money, we have plenty of tips to help you become successful quickly. When you’re ready, let’s get started!
What Makes iPhones Such Popular Electronics to Resell?
If you’re considering reselling electronics, something important to think about is what you’ll be reselling. To do this the smart way, it’s beneficial to think about buying and reselling iPhones. Here are a few reasons why iPhones remain some of the most popular electronics in the world.
People and Companies Want Them
One of the best tips we could give you is to sell electronics that people want to buy. This might sound simple enough, but there are lots of electronics on the market. When you’re not careful about what you’re buying, you could get stuck with items that your customers don’t want. If you want to stick with one of the best-selling types of electronics, it’s worthwhile to look into buying iPhones.
Year after year, Apple (the company behind the iPhone) remains one of the world’s most valuable companies. With the many features the iPhone provides, it’s easy to see why so many individuals love this smartphone.
iPhones Retain Their Value
Another important factor to consider when reselling electronics is getting the most value for your money. After all, you don’t want to spend money on products that you can’t make a profit from reselling. Fortunately, you shouldn’t have this problem when buying and reselling iPhones.
Unless you’re buying extremely old iPhones, you shouldn’t have to worry about taking a loss while reselling these electronics.
Where Can I Find iPhones for Sale Online?
As you continue learning more about flipping iPhones, you’ll need to find out where you can buy these types of electronics. Fortunately, there are many places to find iPhones for sale online. When you’re ready to start buying Apple’s most popular smartphone, check out some of these popular destinations.
Trade-In Tech
If you’re buying iPhones to resell, you’ll need to find phones to purchase before you can resell anything. With that in mind, Trade-In Tech can get you on the path to finding inventory for your new company right away. Let’s take a closer look at what Trade-In Tech is and what it has to offer.
Beginning in 2012, Trade-In Tech launched as a wholesale electronics platform. Since the launch of this company, we’ve welcomed many members who continue to enjoy managing or working for successful electronic companies.
To join Trade-In Tech, you’ll first need to sign up for an account. We work hard to make this process as quick and smooth as possible. With that said, we will still need to verify yourself or your company before you can join our platform. We know that waiting isn’t fun, but we have to do this to ensure that our valued members aren’t dealing with scammers.
Once your account is ready, you can start enjoying everything that Trade-In Tech has to offer, including our incredibly popular online electronics marketplace. Our marketplace has all sorts of electronics, including smartphones, tablets, televisions, computers, and much more. And, yes, we have a LOT of iPhones on our marketplace - they’re some of our most popular items!
When you’re not checking out Trade-In Tech’s marketplace, we have a lot of other sections of our platform that will likely interest you. Some other popular sections of Trade-In Tech include our chat rooms and member’s directory.
On Trade-In Tech’s member’s directory, this is where you enter information about your company or personal venture. By doing this, it’s easier for our massive network of buyers and sellers to start connecting with you. These connections could soon become extremely profitable partners for your company.
Another great reason to think about joining Trade-In Tech is that our platform offers ZERO fees. No matter whether you’re buying or selling iPhones (or any of the amazing electronics) on Trade-In Tech, you won’t have to worry about dealing with fees.
Trade-In Tech is currently offering trial memberships to give you a feel for what we offer at an extremely low price. If you’d like to apply to become one of our members, make sure to visit tradeintech.com right away! We might be a little biased, but we think you won’t regret joining our popular platform.
eBay
If you’re looking for other websites to find iPhones for sale, it could be worthwhile to check out eBay. Considering how popular eBay is, it’s unlikely that you need us to explain this company to you. If you haven’t heard about eBay, it’s one of the world’s most popular online retailers.
We’re not talking about checking out the iPhones on eBay sold directly from Apple. Instead, it’s possible to potentially find reasonable deals by looking for refurbished phones on eBay. These phones can be from smartphone retailers, refurbishers, and other companies in the electronics industry.
One of the disadvantages of trying to find iPhones on eBay is that most sellers understand what they’re selling. Because of this, it could be somewhat difficult to get an amazing deal on any iPhones you find on eBay. The more you search through eBay’s available smartphones, the higher your chance is of finding a potential bargain.
Craigslist
Sometimes, you might want to see what types of electronics are available locally. One of the best ways to potentially find local deals is by signing up for Craigslist. This free service allows just about anyone to post what they want to sell. If you're lucky, some of your Craigslist searches could result in you finding iPhones for sale.
We recommend setting up alerts for what you’re looking for. Within a few days, you should start seeing a lot of electronics available for sale in your area. Another advantage of using Craigslist to find iPhones is that most sellers on this platform want to sell their items quickly. If the price is right, you could start buying up a lot of iPhones rather quickly on Craigslist.
Depending on how you like to perform transactions, another advantage of this platform is not having to deal with annoying chargebacks. When you’re buying items online or using debit cards, you can deal with the annoying hassle of a company taking back money after you deal with a scammer. Most Craigslist transactions only involve cash, making it easy for everyone.
There are also disadvantages of Craigslist to consider. The biggest disadvantage of this platform is that you’ll have to meet sellers in person. This might not be a huge problem for some people. If you’re uncomfortable with in-person meetings, you’ll probably want to avoid finding iPhones on Craigslist.
You can help avoid dealing with these people by avoiding offers that seem too good to be true. It could be common to see someone selling an iPhone in good condition for $200. If another seller was offering a brand-new iPhone for $5, it’s safe to assume this listing was made by a scammer.
Chances are, you’re at least somewhat familiar with Facebook. This social media juggernaut remains one of the world’s most popular social platforms. Considering how popular Facebook is, it should come as no surprise that this platform recently launched its own marketplace.
Facebook Marketplace can be a good way to find iPhones for sale online. However, like Craigslist, you will need to meet people in person to complete your transactions. With that said, Facebook Marketplace is better at utilizing the social aspect of social media selling. Because of this, most people find that it’s a little easier to buy iPhones through Facebook Marketplace than it is to find them on Craigslist.
One of the main advantages of using Facebook Marketplace is that sellers don’t have to pay fees to list their items. This can encourage many people to sell items through Facebook, especially if they don’t want to pay fees.
If you enjoy Facebook, it could be a logical next step to check out Facebook Marketplace. Meeting with other people locally isn’t for everyone. However, it is possible to find a decent selection of iPhones for sale by using Facebook Marketplace.
OfferUp
Another newer, yet quite popular online marketplace is OfferUp. This platform is similar to many other online shops, allowing users to both buy and sell merchandise. However, what we like about OfferUp is that it maintains a database of user ratings and reviews. These ratings and reviews can provide you with peace of mind that services like Craigslist don’t offer.
The process behind OfferUp is quite simple. First, someone interested in buying or selling on this platform requires that you download the OfferUp app and create an account. After creating your account, you can choose whether you’d like to buy or sell iPhones on OfferUp. If you’re reading this article, you’re going to likely be more interested in buying iPhones.
Much like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, you will need to meet the seller in person while using this platform. If you don’t mind that, OfferUp could be a buying platform to consider using.
Local Retailers
In some cases, it’s possible to find great deals on iPhones from partnering with local retailers. These won’t be large retailers. Instead, they’re usually smaller shops that operate locally. If you can build business relationships with these retailers, it could lead to you having valuable partners.
The disadvantage of trying to find iPhones using this method is that your results might vary. If you live in a fairly small town, it might not be easy or quick to find the partners you’re looking for. Things could be different if you live in a larger city with a large number of local electronics retailers.
Pawn Shops
Other local partnerships that could be beneficial are those involving local pawn shops. You can potentially find a wide range of iPhones for sale at these types of businesses. As you get more comfortable with buying and reselling iPhones, it’s possible to start getting deals by buying iPhones in bulk quantities.
Again, the key to success with this method is finding pawn shops that offer iPhones for sale. If you have some pawn shops in your area, consider checking them out to see what they have available.
How Much Money Can I Make Flipping iPhones?
One of the most important factors to think about as you continue reselling smartphones is how much money you’ll make by doing this. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to make considerable profits from buying and selling iPhones. To provide further help, let’s take a look at some examples of how much money it’s possible to make by selling iPhones.
Example 1: iPhone in Great Condition With No Repairs Needed
In this first example, we’re going to cover what your costs and profit might look like by buying an iPhone that’s in good condition and needs no repairs. If the price is right, these types of phones are great purchases because they don’t require a lot of repair work. This means you’re not having to find a professional refurbisher or waste your time repairing a phone.
However, one of the main drawbacks of only buying new phones is that the profit margin might not be as high as you would like it to be. Here’s a closer look at what your costs and profits might look like after buying and reselling a brand-new iPhone.
Type of Phone: iPhone 12
Condition: Great
Cost of Phone: $800
Shipping Costs: $10
Repairs Needed: None
Resale Price: $900
Potential Profit:
(cost of phone) $800 + (shipping costs) $10 = $810
(resale price) $900 - (your costs) $810 = (resale value) $90
Example 2: iPhone in decent condition
More often than not, you’ll encounter iPhones that are in decent condition. This often means that the iPhone works properly, but has a few major or many minor defects. While the prices for these phones can be on the lower side, it’s possible that they could need some repairs. If this is the case, be prepared to pay additional costs that go towards repairing your iPhones.
Type of Phone: iPhone 11
Condition: Decent
Cost of Phone: $400
Shipping Costs: $10
Repairs Needed: None
Repair Costs: $50
Resale Price: $550
Potential Profit:
(cost of phone) $400 + (shipping costs) $10 + (repair costs) $50 = $460
(resale price) $550 - (your costs) $460 = (resale value) $90
Example 3: iPhone in bad or broken condition
Not every iPhone you find for sale will be in perfect, good, or even working condition. For our third example, let’s learn about iPhones that are in either bad or broken condition. As you can imagine, it’s possible to get a bargain on these types of phones. However, they’ll often need a lot of work before they’re ready to sell.
However, sometimes iPhones in bad or broken condition can bring you the best resale values. You might also obtain extra profits by reselling broken iPhones to smartphone repair companies.
Type of Phone: iPhone X
Condition: Poor
Cost of Phone: $50
Shipping Costs: $10
Repairs Needed: New screen
Repair Costs: $100
Resale Price: $300
Potential Profit:
(cost of phone) $50 + (shipping costs) $10 + (repair costs) $100 = $160.
(resale price) $300 - (your costs) $160 = (resale value) $140
What Types of iPhones Bring in the Best Resale Values?
The next step is to learn about what types of iPhones will help you make the most money. By finding some of Apple’s newer iPhones, you can help ensure that you’re purchasing popular smartphones that lots of people will likely want.
iPhone 12 Pro
If you want to find and sell the latest iPhone, you’ll want to learn more about the iPhone 12 Pro. As you might know, the pro versions of iPhones cost more than standard models. However, these Pro editions are also typically larger and contain more cool features than the base iPhone.
According to Apple’s website, the iPhone 12 Pro retails for $999. It is available with either a 6.1 or 6.7-inch OLED display that provides a crystal clear viewing experience. The iPhone 12 Pro has 5G capabilities and an A14 bionic chip, which is currently the fastest chip in any smartphone.
Another great feature of the iPhone 12 Pro is Apple’s exclusive Pro camera system. With this system, a user can take ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto pictures. What’s also cool about the iPhone 12 Pro is that it features a LiDar scanner that can provide amazing pictures, even when you’re using an iPhone at night. Plus, the Pro is also compatible with a wide range of MagSafe accessories.
iPhone 12
Another popular smartphone from Apple is the iPhone 12. This smartphone currently retails for about $699. While it has fewer features compared to the iPhone 12 Pro, this smartphone remains incredibly popular (especially among people who don’t want to spend a small fortune to get an iPhone).
The iPhone 12 is available in display sizes ranging from 5.4 to 6.1-inches. This smartphone also comes with 5G cellular capability and the A14 bionic chip. The iPhone 12 also features an advanced dual-camera system with the ability to both ultra-wide and wide pictures. Like the Pro version, the base model iPhone 12 is also compatible with MagSafe accessories.
iPhone 11
Another incredibly popular iPhone is the iPhone 11. This recently released iPhone is available in a wide range of colors, including black, yellow, red, purple, white, and green. The iPhone 11 is available in several different storage capacities, including 64, 128, and 256GB. It’s also splash, water, and dust resistant.
While the iPhone 11 isn’t the newest model available, it’s still incredibly popular. Considering that, you should be able to make quite a decent profit by buying and reselling the iPhone 11.
iPhone SE
It’s rare to see almost any new iPhone as a device that’s affordable. However, Apple recently took this into consideration when it released the iPhone SE. This smartphone is more of a standard version of the iPhone. However, it does feature an extremely attractive retail price of $399.
This smartphone features the A13 Bionic chip. The iPhone SE features durable glass and a sturdy aluminum design that is a great mixture of being both sleek and sturdy. However, when compared to the iPhone 12, the iPhone SE does feature a smaller 4.7-inch screen.
Another feature of the iPhone SE is that it’s capable of taking 4K videos. This smartphone also features an advanced camera system that blurs the backgrounds of your photos, perfect for taking awesome selfies. You also won’t have to worry about water damaging the iPhone SE - this smartphone is water-resistant to one meter for up to 30 minutes!
6 Bonus Tips for Reselling iPhones Fast
It’s understandable to want a little more guidance before you start buying iPhones. This is why we wanted to include a helpful section with some of the best tips for anyone interested in reselling iPhones. Keep these tips in mind and you should continue to be successful in your iPhone reselling endeavors.
1. Start Updating Your Prices Near September
Does it seem like there is always a new iPhone getting released? This is because Apple typically releases a new generation of its iPhone once per year, usually around September. When a new iPhone hits the market, it often changes the resale values of older iPhone models.
With that in mind, consider taking a look at your company’s resale prices near the end of summer. By this time, it’s likely that there will be a new iPhone on the market.
As a buyer, you can also potentially find a lot of great deals on iPhones by checking out vendors near September. During this time, many of these resellers are working to sell older iPhones for a lower-than-usual price. Great sales happen during this time of the year because it allows sellers to make room for newer iPhone models.
2. Check Previously Sold Listings for Accurate Prices
Something many new buyers and sellers struggle with is pricing. Without fair prices, it could be hard for you to attract people that want to buy your iPhones. Considering that, one of the best tips to remember is that the internet is full of what are known as previously sold listings. These are listings from buyers who have sold their merchandise.
What’s great about looking at sold listings is that it gives you an idea of how much people or companies are willing to pay for electronics, such as iPhones. Many online marketplaces let their users look at these kinds of listings.
For instance, you can find out how much money phones are selling for on eBay by checking out sold listings. These listings will have the price of the item sold in green. If you see price numbers in red, this means that the item didn’t sell.
You’ll also want to watch out for certain “Best Offer Accepted” listings. These listings mean that the buyer didn’t sell an iPhone for their intended prices. Instead, they chose to accept an offer from a buyer.
3. Avoid Buying iPhones You Won’t Profit From
While this might seem like an obvious tip, it’s easier than you think to get carried away with excitement while checking out iPhones for sale. Sometimes, this excitement or sense of urgency can lead to you buying iPhones for quite expensive prices. Unfortunately, this can leave you in the situation of trying to sell iPhones for more than they’re worth.
4. Used Phones Typically Cost the Least Amount of Money
If you’re interested in buying iPhones, it’s understandable to wonder whether or not you should buy phones that are either new or used. You can buy popular phones that will sell quickly if you buy new iPhones. However, most iPhone resellers find that used smartphones can bring them much more in the way of profits.
One key to making lots of profit from the sale of an iPhone has to do with finding a high-quality repair person or electronics recycling company to partner with. By doing this, it’s possible to resell iPhones for two to three times more than what you bought them for.
5. Report and File Claims Against Scammers
While we hope this is something that never happens to you, it’s possible that you could find yourself dealing with a scammer. If this unfortunate event happens, it can feel like things are hopeless. Fortunately, you might be able to get back any money you lost by filing a claim on certain platforms.
Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about dealing with scammers while finding iPhones on Trade-In Tech. This is because we utilize a great system where each of our users can leave feedback after working with one another. With this system, scammers don’t stand a chance of being on Trade-In Tech for very long.
6. Stay Away From Locked and Blacklisted iPhones
Finally, the last tip we want to share with you involves either locked or blacklisted phones. You might see these types of iPhones while you’re searching for ones to buy. With that in mind, it’s important to explain why phones either end up blacklisted or locked. Here’s a closer look at why these situations happen:
Behind on Payments: Have you ever wondered how cell phone retailers can sell iPhones that retail for $999 at prices that are much lower? This is because many of the large cell phone retailers utilize payment plans. A payment plan is when someone can technically own something by making payments on it each month.
Unfortunately, many situations in life can cause someone to fall behind on their scheduled monthly payments. When this happens, most cell phone providers will have no choice but to lock the phone until the person who bought it can repay the money they owe.
Stolen: Another reason a phone can get locked is that it was stolen. If this is the case, you definitely don’t want to carry stolen merchandise. Not only can doing this get your new business in trouble, but you will also be selling locked phones that your customers won’t be able to use.
Reported as Lost: Sometimes, phones get locked because the owner of this device simply can’t find it. To help ensure that no one else can start using it, a cell phone provider can lock the phone until the owner tracks it down. If the owner of the phone never ends up finding it, the phone will likely remain locked indefinitely.
To summarize, reselling iPhones can be a great way to earn extra money. If done well, you can even start and maintain a successful business by buying and reselling iPhones. If you would like more information about reselling electronics, you’ll want to check out the Trade-In Tech blog. To learn more about joining Trade-In Tech, make sure to visit tradeintech.com.