Monday, July 30, 2018

Wading Through the Delusional Waters of the Used Gadget Marketplace


I peruse listings for used technology all the time and I have come to the conclusion that people who sell their gadgets this way are delusional. They list their items at retail or close to it, even when it’s obvious that there are so many other people out there trying to sell the same way. Listing your used gadget for retail is almost like not listing it at all. You might as well include “Don’t buy this” in the title of your listing. People who look for used gadgets are trying to get them for a lower price. It’s impossible to recoup the cost of what you spent in the store unless your item is still in the box and wrapped in plastic.

From time to time, I message people about devices I find interesting to see if they have any wiggle room on the price they’ve chosen. More often than not they tell me that not only is their zero wiggle room, but they would love to list it for more if they could. I believe that this buyer’s remorse could be remedied one of two ways.

First, buyers need to do more research before they go out and buy something. We have a tendency to fall in love with things based solely on what advertising and word of mouth tell us. The reasons why a device works for a person differ depending on the individual. Just because a device works for someone you know doesn’t mean that it’s going to work for you. You have to look at each device individually and pick the one that gives you the most value, not what’s most expensive or listed at the lowest price.

Second, buyers need to resist the temptation to buy the newest version of a device the moment it comes out. This approach often leads to mountains of still usable devices falling by the wayside all because their owners wanted something new. If you are able to get the newest device every year, you are more than welcome to do so. I would encourage it. Don’t expect that people are going to pay off your old device or buy it outright though. The moment the new version of a device comes out its value plummets. When you get two or three version out, you’re looking at a device with zero resale value.

I feel bad for people who are anticipating a payday when they resell their old devices. I’ve been there and had to face the harsh realities of nobody being interested. I’m from a different camp of device owners though. I use a device until there’s none of it left. My devices are slow as molasses and look like a train has run them over by the time I’m done with them. That’s why I have a tendency to give them away to the places from which I buy my new devices. I’ve gotten my money’s worth and no longer have use for them. Whatever they do with them is fine by me.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

I'm Finished with Bad Technology


I've realized recently that my fascination with all things technology is becoming more profound as I get older. However, my appetite for gadgets and gizmos is going unaddressed because of the sorry state of my current contraptions. I have a laptop that I have had for 7 years that gets the job done, but is being held together with duct tape and inaccessible innards due to a botched repair from a scammer repair shop. My phone is an iPhone 6 and there's far too much money standing between me and paying it off. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy my phone. I feel like Android has done a lot to catch up to Apple and the phones that are coming out in that segment of the marketplace are much better.

I get that it sounds like I'm doing more complaining than anything. It all has to do with the aspirations I have for the future. I want to be involved with the technology world. I can't do that if my devices are dusty and antiquated compared to what's currently out there. In the first stages of this blog, my content will be speculative as I lack the resources to purchase what's needed to convey first hand experiences. I don't want that to be the case for long though. I believe that the best content comes from people who have actually gotten their hands on the thing they're talking about. Anything else is a waste of time.

I plan to go to every corner of the technology world to talk about things you've heard of and a lot that you might not know about. I will even try to see what's coming on the horizon and let you know about it before anyone else. Nothing is off limits. Technology is important. People need to hear about it. They're not going to benefit from rehashed content talking about what the juggernauts. We all know what the juggernauts are doing. That’s why they’re juggernauts. I will talk about the titans of the industry because it would be irresponsible of me as tech correspondent to do so.

The way I cover technology will seem unusual to some. I will discuss specifications, but I won’t get as deep into them as some of my competitors. I feel like the main thing that most consumers are interested in is how well a device works. That’s the point I want to get across. It’s great that a phone has this screen or that processing chip. What can all those things do for the consumer when they are put together? The audience is not going to care unless they can grab onto something they can use. Otherwise they will just buy what everyone else is buying or a bargain bin unit with no shred of value.

I will never disparage any other content creators. While they’re my competitors, there’s enough room out here for all of us. I’m a big fan of each and every one of them and look forward to the possibility of collaborating somewhere down the line.