Want an iPad 3? Sell your current iPad now for maximum value!
Already know you're going to want an iPad 3? Consider selling your current iPad on eBay to get the most bang for your buck to put towards the cost of the iPad 3 when it launches!
Just about everyone knows by now that the iPad 3 announcement is just around the corner, but for those of you with iPads currently, you may not realize how much they're going for, used, on eBay!
Initially, I was just going to give my iPad 2 to my main squeeze, but she doesn't think she'll use it, so onto eBay it goes! The model I have is the 64 GB WiFi-only version, and right now, auctions for it are ending for ~$600, give or take -- but only with a certain auction style approach, which I will explain in a second. Here's an auction that ended for $650 recently:
Now, if you want to get the most bang for your buck, the trick is to start the bidding, at the most, at the absolute lowest price you're comfortable with accepting (I strongly recommend being comfortable with just under half of what you paid for whichever iPad 2 model you have, and 1/3 of what you paid for whichever iPad 1 model you have). From observing these auctions for the past few weeks, this is the approach that seems to be attracting the bidders. The idea is to bring in the bidders, then get them bidding against each other so that they're not only bidding on the item, but they're also bidding to win.
If you want to keep an eye on auctions relative to the iPad model you have, head on over to eBay, search for your model (don't forget to add the word "used"), then sort the results by "Time: ending soonest," as pictured below:
As you scroll down, it's interesting to see bids on the exact same model for amounts well-over what the starting bid is for almost-ending auctions that have NO bids (and won't). This goes back to the whole "not just bidding for the item, but bidding to win" thing. If you do decide to go the eBay route, don't forget to factor in shipping costs and the percentage Paypal takes when someone pays.
Lastly, eBay isn't the only place you can sell your iPad 1 or 2 to fund the upcoming iPad 3 model, but it's BY FAR returning the most for what you've got -- provided you fuel the bidding war. If you're willing to take a huge loss, you can always try Gazelle or GameStop; and then, there's always listing it on Craigslist, but that's a whole other song and dance altogether.
So, there you have it. I suppose I should clarify for some of you that the advice I've offered in this article is merely an observation, not a guarantee. I will be listing my iPad on eBay based on the rationale encompassed within this post, so that's why I'm passing it along to you as well (I like to practice what I preach). Feel free to chime in with any other decent iPad trade/sell offers you may be familiar with! Good luck to those of you who decide to take the auction plunge!
-Stephen Chapman SEO Whistleblower
