After a holiday season that introduced a slew of new electronics to households across Canada – including the iPhone 5, Microsoft Surface and Wii U – many Canadians are now finding themselves stuck with older devices they no longer need or want.

In fact, a recent survey conducted by Vision Critical on behalf of eBay Canada found that 68 per cent of Canadians who expected to get a new smartphone or tablet this holiday season already had one or both of these devices.

The survey found consumers are at odds with what to do with their old devices. Only seven per cent say they typically resell them, while five per cent tend to throw them out instead of recycling them. Another 18 per cent say they keep their dated devices in the ubiquitous junk drawer. Considering that, on average, smartphones and tablets sell for more than $2001 on eBay that is a lot of value to tuck away and leave unrealized.

But, rather than simply ditching devices or stashing them away indefinitely, eBay Canada is reminding Canadians that it’s easy to sell those surplus gadgets to recoup some holiday cash.

“While we are great at buying up new technology, we sometimes don’t know what to do with our unwanted electronics,” said Andrea Stairs, country manager for eBay Canada. “eBay empowers Canadians to sell their excess tech gear – quickly and simply – and pocket the proceeds. In as little as 60 seconds, we can all make some money, de-clutter, and give our old devices a second life.”

This holiday season, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to getting rid of their unwanted items: listing items on eBay using the eBay mobile app, receiving instant cash offers through eBay’s online Instant Sale program, and, for the first time, recouping cash in-store with the help of Staples Canada.

Making selling mobile

Selling that old tech item easy! The eBay Mobile app allows Canadians to list almost any item on in less than 60 seconds.

“Using eBay’s mobile apps, Canadians can quickly research what their item is worth, create a listing by adding pictures from their phone, and offer their device for sale from virtually anywhere,” said Stairs. “eBay’s quick and intuitive mobile apps allow sellers to sell how they want, when they want.”

eBay helps Canadians sell their old electronics – instantly
eBay’s Instant Sale program, an electronics trade-in program powered by Staples Canada, is another easy and convenient alternative for Canadians looking to unload a spare smartphone, laptop, tablet, or gaming system.

Using eBay’s Instant Sale, Canadians can get up to $583 for an iPad (3rd Generation), and $337 for an iPhone 4S. With a catalogue of more than 550 devices, it only takes four quick steps – and less than a minute – to obtain a cash offer.

Here’s how:

Identify the device at instantsale.eBay.ca.

Get an offer based on the device and description, instantly.

Accept the offer and receive a free shipping label to ship the device.

Once the device is received and assessed, the money is deposited into the seller’s PayPal account.