Top Stories
Top Stories
Tech Guide

Why it’s time to sell your old iPad, and how to get the most money for it

Todd Haselton | CNBC

Apple is expected to launch new 12.9- and 10.5-inch iPad Pros in the coming months, which means there's no better time to sell your old iPad.

If you sell your device now, you'll get the most return on your old tablet. Once a new model is announced, after all, your iPad suddenly becomes a generation older and much less valuable.

The good news is you can still get a lot of money for your iPad, you just need to put it up for sale in the right places. For comparison's sake, I'm going to use four sites to see how much I can get for my personal 128GB Wi-Fi 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which is in flawless condition and retails for $699 new.

Let's take a look at some of the best places to sell used gadgets. Note: The prices do not include possible mailing charges. You'll also want to wipe all data off your gadget before you sell it.


Todd Haselton | CNBC

Swappa lets you pick your model and set a price for sale. It's like eBay for gadgets. It shows pricing trends over the past five months, so you can tell when it's the best time to make a move. You'll create a headline, description, choose the condition and more. Swappa suggests the average selling price of my 9-month-old iPad is $568. Not bad.


Todd Haselton | CNBC

Glyde also lets you list your device in a marketplace, and recommends various prices. The more you charge, the longer it suggests it'll take you to sell the device. It says I can "expect a quick sale'" listing my iPad for $459. It also says to sell now, since the price is expected to fall within seven days.


Todd Haselton | CNBC

Gazelle has been around for years and was one of the original players in the gadget swapping business. Unlike other forums, you sell your gadget to Gazelle, which turns around and resells it to another customer. Since you're not selling direct, you may not make as much. Gazelle's offer was just $305 for my iPad.

Amazon trade-in

Todd Haselton | CNBC

Amazon can be a great place for trade-ins as long as you don't mind payment in an Amazon Gift Card. You can sell an item, like on Gazelle, but you won't get as much of a payout as you would if you went with Swappa or Glyde. Amazon is offering up to $351.40 for my iPad Pro, for example. You'll get a gift card within 7-10 days after you drop the product off at UPS.

The biggest payout

Todd Haselton | CNBC

In this case, I probably would choose Swappa to sell my 9.7-inch iPad Pro. It's promising the highest return on my gadget, suggesting I could make back more than $550 on a tablet I paid $699 for. That's pretty incredible, and it's nearly twice what Gazelle would pay.

The payout would be quicker if I went with a site like Gazelle or Amazon, however, since I would just accept the price and mail my gadget in. I wouldn't have to sit around and wait for a buyer, or worry that a sale might fall through.

The payouts for the current generation iPad Pro will drop considerably once Apple reveals the new models. If you think you might want one of Apple's new models, try selling your iPad now.

Related Tags