Where Do Old Electronics Go To Die?

What do you do with them? I pulled out my old Sony video camera I bought circa 1998 – it weighs about 5 lbs and is the size of a tonka truck. I don’t want to throw it away, but is selling it an option? Is it even worth more than $10? After some research I determine it is worth about $45 but after several weeks on craigslist.com its clear no one wants a twelve year old video camera. Apparently sony.com has a trade-in program for old electronics, but you won’t know what your item is worth until they receive it – minus shipping costs of course.

In addition to the Sony video camera I have a Minolta SLR which I rarely use due to the cost of having the film developed. It too is worth some money, roughly $100, but again after several weeks on craigslist.com I have had no interested buyers. It is rather sad because there must be some recyclable parts in these electronics but how do you get them to someone to recycle them? This is the same with used laptops and desktop computers. In the past we have tried to sell our outdated computers but to no avail. Of course, you may be thinking we are asking too much but that is not the case. I think people simply don’t want to buy used electronics because it is too risky.

When my phone was stolen we considered buying a used BlackBerry from craigslist.com but when it came down to buying a used phone for $150 we decided it was just too risky. Which brings me back to what do you do with old electronics? Donate them to charity? Throw them away? Sell them for dirt cheap at a garage sale? I don’t know the answer but when I figure it out I will let you know.