Trying to Price Old Electronics

My father has a good size collection of old electronics that he intended to sell for profit, but never got around to it. At this point, I'm thinking he might make more recycling them than selling them at a yard sale or on eBay. But I'm not sure because I don't know what people want or use anymore. eBay seems like a bad choice for old stuff because of the cost of selling plus s/h. Old stuff isn't going to be worth much, I don't think.

Unfortunately, the local scrap yard cannot seem to give me a quote online. They said cell phone batteries go for 10-15 cents per pound. They said the the other stuff (see below) is only worth a penny per pound.



He has at least 4 13 gallon trash bags full of old 900 MHz -2.4 GHz cordless landline phones from the 90s and early 00s. Some are missing parts and others have completely dead batteries. There are old cell phones and batteries too. There are a few old Walkmen, small boomboxes (no CD players), and walkie talkies. There are about 4-5 old keyboards that are from before 1994. If I had to guess a weight on this stuff, I'd say it was around 55-65 pounds, maybe. So that would be 65 cents at the most.

Does anyone have thoughts or suggestions on this? This junk needs to be gotten rid of ASAP, it's been sitting around for 10+ years.

$1 and a slap on the hand to your dad for not saving good junk like old computers but you could rip and strip a lot of that and make some money for beer and have a beer with your dad

I have found that walkie talkies have many collectors that will pay more then scrap for even parts items.

I always liked sterios and other electronic items so I piled up quite a bit of it over the years.

The world of "modern art" and recycled crafts is where I do well with many older items and materials.

If something looks COOL and is a attention grabber, the more that find it appealing the more that want it.

Some times we need to give others IDEA$ of what they might use something for or why they might want it.

An examples from the vintage past.. You end up with piles of old surplus "milk crates" that milk companies are not interested in anymore.
For sale: heavy duty crates for holding vinyl records and other uses.

For sale: Large and small wood cable spools for rustic picnic tables.

I also saw some photos of where a guy had taken those large wood cable spools and put them up on a pole a foot or so in the air with a hole in the side of the spool center so that he could chain a dog to the pole under the dog house spool and the dog could jump up on the ledge of the spool and go inside the senter. They could also jump up on the top of the spool if they wanted to. I found it a interesting concept that gave the dog plenty of room with the chain and it didn't get caught on things.

I realize that those things are mostly of the past. But there are always many uses for things if you put your mind to it and do some research.

The steampunk and electricfied steam punk is the money maker of the future as steampunk is here to stay as it is a mix of the old an the new.

The older cl icky keyboards have those that are interested and there are many that sell and buy the letter and number keys for crafts like clocks with the numbers and many things with the letters.

Many times with electronics, if it is heavy and well made it has collectors that want it. If it was mass produced cheaply it "might" have a fad/trend following depending on what it is.

It mostly has to do with finding those that are interested for their many personal reasons.

I know that I will pay more then scrap for a load of old & new "stuff" that has wires, lights and other components of that nature as I just like that sort of STUFF.

I like variety like what you get in a monster supreme combination PIZZA. And with neapolitan ice cream you have 3 choices.

I have been having a blast from the past as I will read over this forum and it will remind me of things I had long forgotten about.

I like vintage and old things that take you back in TIME to the good ole olden daze of wearing a suit, tie and trendy hat or a nice dress to a ball game and such. The days of decorative wood trim on and in buildings and 1959 Cadillacs.