Aftermarket holds up relatively well for first-gen Kindle

The first generation Kindle has held up pretty well in the aftermarket judging by the prices folks are getting.

When Amazon launched the Kindle 2 back in February, Jeff Bezos, CEO of the retailing giant, said there would be no exchange program for early adopters, but customers could always resell the first generation Kindle. At first, I dismissed that comment right away since I assumed a hefty depreciation rate.

The depreciation rate is hefty, but it isn't half bad relative to other consumer electronics. To wit: I just sold my first generation Kindle for the average price you can find on the Web: $200. I got the Kindle way early and paid $359 so the depreciation is roughly 45 percent. However, I don't consider that all that bad considering I've had the first generation Kindle for more than two years.

And when you consider you can fetch about $200 for a first generation Kindle and then buy a $259 Kindle 2 the aftermarket is treating consumers pretty well.

Aside from that surprise, there's also a decision for me to make. Will I buy another e-book?

My usage for the Kindle started out gangbusters and remained that way for a good 18 months. However, Amazon can't get me the thing I really need---the time to read books. I use the Kindle PC app, but the spate of competitors---nook, Sony, Kindle 2---has me in waiting mode. I also need to figure out if I want an e-reader again. Sometimes you miss it. Other times you don't. Could the proceeds from the first generation Kindle be best spent elsewhere?