I was on my computer the other night looking at used phones on eBay. I would say it’s just a bad habit I’ve formed, but it’s honestly just a passionate hobby. The trouble is when I want to buy a phone for too much or that I really don’t need.
So, anyways, I found this seller who sells “for parts” phones and most of them only had minor issues, such as a crack on the screen or vibrations not working, which made them appealing. Needless to say, I found a Google Pixel listed in good condition with the only issue being a broken vibration motor, which isn’t necessary anyways. It was $30. I was really itching to get this one.
I really wanted to get it, but I already have a backup phone, a Huawei Ascend XT that I picked up from Walmart for $20 last year. However, the phone is massive and not super fast. Plus, the Huawei Android skin is bloated and outdated.
I did a quick eBay advanced search for “sold items” and found that multiple listings for the same Huawei phone sold for about $60 recently. Wow, time for the great $witcheroo!
After seeing that, I pulled the trigger. It was 12:30AM, I was giddy, and I bought the Pixel! I also sold the Huawei phone for $60 the next day.
The great $witcheroo: when you sell something you already own and replace it with something cheaper (not worse).
The thing that makes the great $witcheroo so great is that you (1) get something new to play with, and (2) save money doing it.
I have been doing this for over half a decade now, and I won’t stop anytime soon. It has been a fool proof method. Coupled with my decision to never buy a phone for more than $50, the amount that I spend on my cell phone hobby is inversely related to the joy that it brings me!
Oh, how I can’t wait for the arrival of stock Android and probably very bad battery life! (Nothing that a power bank can’t fix!)
-TFF
P.S. the picture for this post is of my Freemium Phone Wall. This is the honorary location of all my past project phones and daily drivers. Also, the clock kinda adds to the whole cyclical nature of my hobby. Currently on the wall are 6 phones (from left to right): Galaxy S2 ($40 in 2014), Galaxy S6 (Free in 2017), Moto X 1st gen, (Free in 2016), iPhone 5 (Free in 2015), Blackberry Bold 9930 (Free in 2014), iPhone 5C (Free in 2015), iPhone 6 Plus (Free in 2017), ZTE Speed ($20 in 2016), Nexus 4 ($10 in 2018), and the LG Volt ($40 in 2015). Every one of them holds a special place on the one and only Freemium Phone Wall. And the best part?
Every phone that I have ever owned is on that wall, and together they totaled only $110.
None of that would have been possible without the great $witcheroo!
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