Smart consumers can get a great deal on a used device, while early adopters can invest in new tech knowing there will likely be a gadget once they move on to the next generation.

The market for pre-owned gadgets is booming these days — and you shouldn’t overlook it when you’re buying a device.

That’s the message I offer two different readers of Ask Maggie. The first wants to know if buying a used smartphone is a good idea for her teenage daughter, while the second wants to know if theApple Watch is likely to hold its value like other Apple products.

In spite of a never-ending pipeline of new smartphones, tablets and other gadgets, a growing number of consumers are opting for pre-owned devices. Earlier this year, tech-research firm Gartner predicted that the market for used smartphones will roughly double to 120 million units, or a wholesale value of $14 billion, by 2017.

Even though there’s always been a market for used cell phones, most of them were sold overseas. Now — as wireless operators push customers to pay full price for smartphones and as consumers grow accustomed to buying unsubsidized tablets — consumers are realizing the true value of their tech devices.
…
Read full post here:
https://www.cnet.com/news/a-hot-market-for-pre-owned-gadgets-is-a-boon-to-savvy-consumers/