Checking out the aftermarket for Apple Watches

After two and a half years of wearing an original 42mm Space Gray Apple Watch Sport, I’m finally considering moving up to the Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular. When I upgrade an iPhone, there’s always Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program to take care of the old device, and a number of places where I can get a pretty decent price if I wish to sell it outright. But what about the aftermarket for Apple Watches? Does it exist?

To start with, I looked at the “usual suspects” in the iPhone reseller market. Those companies include Gazelle, NextWorth, and BuyBackWorld, as well as a host of other buyers that have sprung up over the years. 

Gazelle doesn’t even have a category for smartwatches, so I moved on to NextWorth. I found a page to get a quote on what NextWorth would pay for a used Apple Watch, filled out the online form, and hit “Get A Quote”. After a few perplexing tries getting no response, I figured out what I was doing wrong and got a quote of $50. Hmmm.

BuyBackWorld had a smartwatch category as well, so I jumped on their quote machine to see what I might get for the Apple Watch. Surprisingly, the system DID provide a quote — $75 for a Watch in “Average” condition and $90 for one in “Excellent” condition. I keep my gear in really good condition, so I’d probably be in the “Excellent” range.

I haven’t tried Decluttr in the past, but I may have to. I entered my Apple Watch into the system and marked it in “Good” condition, and the service came back with a $120 quote. That’s almost one-third of the cost of the new Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular, so this company definitely got my attention.

Decluttr provides service in our two largest readership countries — the US and United Kingdom — so if you haven’t tried them before, you might want to give them a try. I’m going to wait until I’ve actually ordered the Apple Watch Series 3 before I send in my old Watch, but at least I know I’ll have about a third of the new device paid for. 

You can also list your Apple Watch on eBay…but after some of the recent experiences I’ve had with eBay and their habit of charging ridiculous fees, I’ve pretty much given up on the old auction service. Your mileage may vary — some of the prices were in the $150 – $185 range for my Watch, but once again, there are shipping charges and transaction fees that will eat into that “take” rather quickly.

Do you have a favorite place to sell your used tech, or have you sold an Apple Watch before? Let us know how your sale went by leaving a comment below.