We all have that drawer that doubles up as a graveyard for forgotten phones. Well, those relics of your tech past gathering dust could be worth a small fortune. Collectors pay serious money for the most sought-after models, with rare releases, icons boasting landmark design or tech, and mint-condition specimens in their original packaging commanding the highest prices. But even well-loved, everyday devices can sell for decent sums.
From giant 1980s bricks to sleek noughties flip phones, these 25 old handsets are worth more than you think.
All dollar amounts in US dollars.
The BlackBerry was the must-have Y2K mobile status symbol, brandished by everyone from hotshot businesspeople to celebrities like Paris Hilton and Pharrell Williams. This marker of dot-com cool was supplanted by the iPhone and is no longer supported.
Old handsets don't tend to be worth much but they do have some value as nostalgic mementoes. A BlackBerry 7230 from 2003 sold on eBay in March for a respectable $70 (£54), and fancier variants like the Porsche edition fetch relatively high prices, as Ben Wood, founder of the UK's Mobile Phone Museum, revealed to The Sun newspaper.
Stylish and super-slender, the Motorola Razr V3 gave the BlackBerry a run for its money in the status-symbol department. Launched in 2003, the flip phone's thin profile and slick metal finish made it an instant hit, and the handset sold like hotcakes.
Fast-forward to 2025, and this clamshell classic is worth up to $100 (£77), according to collectibles and gadgetry site Nerdable.
Remember when tiny mobiles were a major thing? In the noughties, before the iPhone changed everything, smaller was always better. Cue the Pantech C300. About the size of a credit card, it was billed as the world's most diminutive flip phone upon its release in 2006.
If you have one stashed away somewhere, you'll be pleased to discover that a working version sold on eBay recently for $110 (£85).
Renowned for its remarkable toughness, long battery life and all-round dependability, the Nokia 3310 is one of the bestselling mobile phones of all time, shifting over 126 million units. Released in 2000, it defined a generation. Needless to say, the phone isn't in short supply.
Yet, according to Nerdable, your old 3310 could be worth up to a tidy $200 (£154), with pristine models in their original packaging fetching the highest prices.
Nokia's very first mobile phone, the Mobira Talkman was designed for the Nordic market and dates from the early 1980s. Despite its hefty weight, cumbersome case and eye-watering original price tag – which was roughly equivalent to a third of the cost of a car – the device sold well. Even reports of the phone emitting radiation during calls didn't deter potential customers.
The Nokia trailblazer sells for around $260 (£200) today. The UK variant, the Vodafone VT1, is worth considerably more, fetching about $640 (£500).
Staying with Nokia Mobira, the Cityman 900 from 1987 is a standout brick mobile, though it was considered astonishingly compact and lightweight at the time. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was photographed using one shortly after its release, and the phone was subsequently nicknamed the Gorba.
A Cityman 900 sold on eBay in January for $325 (£250). The specimen lacked a battery, so more complete units would likely go for much more.
Dubbed the lipstick phone on account of its resemblance to the makeup staple, the 7280 is one of Nokia's more unique creations. Part of the Finnish firm's Fashion Collection, the chic handset was launched in 2004.
Collectors will pay a premium for a distinctly designed vintage phone. These days, the 7280 has a value of up to $325 (£250), according to Ben Wood of the Mobile Phone Museum.
Notable for its oblong shape, full QWERTY keyboard and music capabilities, the Nokia 5510 from 2001 is another of the more unusual designs from the Finnish tech company.
The Nokia 5510 is among the most sought-after and valuable of the oddities. A sealed boxed specimen fetched $330 (£256) on eBay recently, and used examples sell on the platform for not much less.
The Samsung BlackJack, aka Samsung SGH-i607, was launched in 2006 for the US and Australian markets. Clearly inspired by the BlackBerry, the name sparked a legal battle as it was deemed too similar, with the case eventually settled out of court.
If you have a BlackJack squirrelled away, you may want to get it on eBay since examples sell for $390 (£299), according to a recent analysis by The Sun.
The first mass-market mobile phone to feature a colour screen, the T68i was released in 2001 to great fanfare. Feature-packed for the time, it wowed with Bluetooth, email, multimedia messaging and more on top of its vibrant display.
Given the phone's popularity, specimens aren't in short supply. But an example in good working condition can fetch up to $400 (£309), according to Nerdable.
The ultimate fashionista phone, the LG Prada, aka the PRADA Phone by LG (KE850), debuted in 2007. The first smartphone with a capacitive touchscreen, it came out before the iPhone, which bears a striking resemblance to the high-end designer collaboration. In fact, LG's head of handset R&D believed Apple copied the Prada phone after the prototype won the 2006 iF Design Award.
The controversy has no doubt added to its appeal as a collectible, with the LG Prada selling on eBay recently for up to $400 (£309).
The first hand-portable GSM phone, the Motorola 3200 launched in 1992 and quickly became one of the world's most popular handsets. And by late 1993, it was the UK's most affordable mobile phone, retailing for £199+VAT, the equivalent of $554 (£430) in today's money.
According to the Mobile Phone History site, this handset is highly collectible because it's the only 'yuppie brick' that can still be used in certain countries, including the UK. In January, a boxed model sold on eBay for $445 (£345).
An early noughties precursor to the modern smartphone, the T-Mobile Sidekick has been described as the most stylish and innovative mobile of all time, not to mention the coolest. Like the BlackBerry, the Sidekick and its successors were de rigueur among the hip crowd, from socialites and rappers to reality TV stars.
A 2004 Sidekick II fetched $475 (£367) on eBay in February, but the pink Juicy Couture variant, which is so Y2K it hurts, sells for up to $800 (£617).
One of the most popular early flip phones, the Ericsson GH 198 was launched in 1993. The model won plaudits at the time for its reliability and prowess at getting reception in the most out-of-the-way places.
Today, specimens in good condition are worth up to $500 (£386), according to Nerdable.
Motorola changed the game in 1996 with the StarTAC. The smallest mobile available at the time, it was the first mass-market flip phone, and its design inspired countless imitators.
An impressive 60 million units of the phone were sold, so the StarTAC isn't rare. But according to Nerdable, a handset in good condition can be worth up to $500 (£386).
The 1994 Motorola International 5200 spawned several variants, including the UK's One2One M300, which many Brits of a certain age will remember.
The M300 isn't worth all that much but this rarer non-flip Bosch variant from 1995 is highly coveted. In January, a model in excellent condition, complete with its original packaging, fetched $510 (£395) on eBay.
Motorola made tech history in 1989 when it launched the world's first flip phone, the MicroTAC 9800X. A futuristic wonder at the time, the handset revolutionised mobile phone design. The smallest and lightest phone of the 1980s retailed for the equivalent of $5,910 (£4,585) in today's money.
While the mobile isn't worth that much today, its current value isn't to be sniffed at, reportedly coming in at around $870 (£669).
Motorola was incredibly innovative during the 1990s, but other firms were pushing the boundaries of mobile technology. Take Siemens. In 1997, the German company launched the S10, the first mobile phone with a colour screen. Like other game-changing handsets, the S10 is esteemed by collectors.
The milestone model is worth up to $1,000 (£772), according to Nerdable.
Launched in 1996, the multitasking Nokia 9000 Communicator was one of the first handsets that could be called a smartphone, thanks to its computing abilities, which were markedly advanced for the era.
This so-called 'office in your back pocket' reportedly sells for up to $1,000 (£772).
Well ahead of its time, the Technophone Excell PC105T from 1986 was promoted as the first mobile phone that could fit in a shirt pocket. According to The Sun, the handset was developed with a grant from the UK Department for Trade and Industry. It retailed for $7,517 (£5,835) in today's money, so it was out of reach for most people.
Like many other early mobiles, the phone's current value is considerably lower than the original price when adjusted for inflation. But the Technophone Excell PC105T is valuable nonetheless, with an estimated worth of up to $1,940 (£1,500).
Another bizarre-looking Nokia device, the 7700 was nicknamed 'the elephant's ear' due to its unusual shape. Announced in 2003, the phone was intended as the Finnish firm's first media-category device, and its large entertainment-friendly display was ideal for multimedia consumption. But for whatever reason, whether the odd shape or proposed sky-high price, the Nokia 7700 never made it to market.
Some did slip through the net though, and today they're reportedly worth up to $2,590 (£2,000).
Widely considered the first bona fide smartphone, the IBM Simon was truly groundbreaking when it was released in 1993. Feature-heavy for the time, the phone was IBM's attempt at making a computer that could fit in a shirt pocket, and it was sold as a PDA/mobile phone combo.
Only 50,000 units were produced, so the Simon is scarce. And given its importance in tech history, the phone is highly desirable. Collectors will pay up to $3,235 (£2,500) to get their hands on one, according to mobile phone expert Ben Wood.
Launched in 1984, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was the first widely available mobile phone and the quintessential brick wielded by high-powered 1980s executives and early tech adopters with lots of money. It retailed for the equivalent of a staggering $12,269 (£9,521) in today's money.
Again, the phone isn't worth that much today, but one did sell in 2023 for $2,300 (£1,776) and another sold on eBay recently for around $1,500 (£1,164).
A mobile for music lovers, the Nokia N91 stood out with its superior sound quality, dedicated music keys and other innovations geared towards audiophiles. Released in 2005, it was the only Nokia phone to feature a hard drive, in this case a 4GB device with space for 3,000 songs.
A boxed, sealed model sold on eBay in February for $5,359 (£4,138), and while not as lucrative, used versions still hold their own in the vintage market.
The device that disrupted the mobile phone industry and then some, Apple's 1st Generation iPhone from 2007 is revered by collectors. The original 4G model is the most valuable.
In 2023, a brand-new, unopened specimen fetched a mind-blowing $190,372 (£146,991) at auction, almost 400 times its original price. An unactivated example sold on eBay recently for $5,600 (£4,346), and even used 1st Gen iPhones can be worth big bucks – anything up to $1,700 (£1,319) depending on the condition.
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