Brits urged to check drawers for £500,000 old mobile handsets

It’s easy to forget about old gadgets that may be hidden at the back of drawers or bottom of cupboards. But certain devices may be worth up to £500,000 now according to one expert – so it’s certainly worth checking if this applies to you.

As experts have noted an increase in online auction site prices, tech owners, particularly of mobile phones, are being encouraged to revisit their old devices. However, Brits should be aware that these prices fluctuate and whether old phones sell for high prices depends on a few different factors. This includes the demand at time of selling and how common the item is in circulation.

But refurbished iPhone expert at Zextons, Muhammad Ali Tahir, told the Express that one type of phone could be worth up to £500,000 if in pristine condition.

The HTC Touch Diamond2 was designed to compete with the increasing number of smartphones becoming popular after the release of the first iPhone. Insurance providers, Protect Your Bubble, have said the device has an average selling price of £542.90 on eBay.

Nevertheless, the Zextons expert said: “As for the HTC Touch Diamond, around anywhere from £350,000 to £500,000 if it is pristine.

“But typically they'd go for around £30 to £80 for a used one.”

He explained this depends on factors like whether the device has the original battery.

The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was the first handheld mobile phone, with Motorola engineer, Martin Cooper, making the first public call from a handheld mobile in 1973, New York.

Mr Tahir explained that this device could be worth “around anywhere from £1,000 to £1,500” with those in top conditions “anywhere from £4,000 to £10,000”.

He said: “But it really depends on where you're selling the item and who is it in front of. If you're selling it as an auction, there could be an avid collector there who's willing to pay above the premium.”

The device is often referred to as the original “brick” phone. It eventually became available for sale in 1984 and required around 10 hours of charging for just 30 minutes of talk time.

First generation iPhones have sold for as much as £4,795 earlier this year, according to The Sun. Others sold for £348.40 and £307.50 but the refurbished iPhone expert said that this can vary.

“For the first-generation iPhone, the price really varies and it's purely down to condition. If it's used, you could be looking anywhere from £200 to about £1,200.”

However, with some selling for as low as £14.01, sellers should investigate how much their exact phone model has sold for before, in order to set expectations.

He added that, in 2023, a first generation iPhone set the record by selling for over $190,000 (approximately £144,350 today) and they remain some of the most sought-after phones today.

“For collectors, the most sought-after phones in my opinion would probably be the earlier generation iPhones. And I think this is the case because It's quite unique to say you own one of the first iPhones ever made.

“Apple is such a well-known company and to own the first iPhone is quite an impressive thing to say to someone, it's like owning a classic car from Ferrari.”

The expert shared advice for those now looking to sell their old phones.

“My advice to Brits looking to sell their old phones on eBay is to always keep delivery free for the buyer as it makes it look more appealing on the listing and I would avoid using bids purely because it's a bit of a guessing game where the final price will be.

He added: “My preference is to always keep it on buy now and with patience usually someone will buy if that price if reasonable.”

His top platform suggestions included eBay and Facebook Marketplace but warned Brits to watch out for time wasters on the latter platform.