Gazelle raises cash payouts on old iPads as leaked Apple event date spikes trade-ins

The nation’s largest electronics buy-back service saw nearly a twofold jump in the number of customers who locked in cash offers to sell their old iPads immediately after Apple leaked the Oct. 22 date for this year’s iPad introductions to a major media publication.



 

Gazelle — a service that pays cash to customers who trade-in their old tablets, phones or computers — said iPad trade-in volume rose 86 percent this Tuesday on a week-over-week basis after AllThingsD confidently reported that Apple would be ready to introduce new models on Oct. 22. On a yearly basis, volume soared a staggering 269 percent, the firm added.



This year more so than years past, consumers are embracing services like Gazelle to help them upgrade to the latest Apple hardware at a fraction of the usual cost required to purchase those new devices. That's because they're locking in high cash trade-in offers for their existing devices when new models are known to be on the horizon.



For instance, consumers who act now to lock in a trade-in offer on their 16-gigabyte Wi-Fi iPad mini may be able to upgrade to a new iPad mini later this month for about half price. Gazelle says it’s currently buying the first-generation 16-gigabyte Wi-Fi iPad mini for $175 and expects the new model to cost $329, which means a customers should just have to pay a net cost of $154 out of pocket for their new iPad mini.



Customers have a 30-day grace period from when they first lock in a price for their old gadgets to when their devices need to be in Gazelle's hands. To begin the process, customers select their existing device from the company’s website and quickly assess its condition — broken, good, or flawless.

 

Within days, a pre-paid shipping box will show up on your doorstep. You place your old device in the box and send it off to Gazelle. Alternatively, you can choose to use your own box and simply print a pre-paid shipping label. Once your device is received, Gazelle will issue a check within 10 business days for the value of your device. You can also choose to be paid more quickly via PayPal, get an extra 5 percent by selecting your payment in the form of an Amazon Gift Card, or donate the proceeds entry to charity.



As was the case with Apple’s recent iPhone event, Gazelle said it expects iPad payout prices to decline as the Oct. 22 iPad media event draws near. To help readers make the best of their existing hardware, AppleInsider’s team is keeping track of the ever-changing iPhone and iPad cash payout prices on a regular basis its Trade-in Price Guide (iPad prices also below).

	Flawless	Good	Broken
Current iPad Trade-in Payouts (Oct 10th 2014)
iPad 16GB WiFi	90	80	-
iPad 32GB WiFi	90	80	-
iPad 64GB WiFi	90	80	-
iPad 16GB WiFI + 3G	90	80	-
iPad 32GB WiFi + 3G	90	80	-
iPad 64GB WiFi + 3G	90	80	-
iPad 2 16GB WiFi	185	170	60
iPad 2 32GB WiFi	205	190	60
iPad 2 64GB WiFi	215	200	60
iPad 2 16GB WiFi + 3G (AT&T)	190	175	60
iPad 2 32GB WiFi + 3G (AT&T)	210	195	60
iPad 2 64GB WiFi + 3G (AT&T)	220	205	60
iPad 2 16GB WiFi + 3G (Verizon)	185	170	60
iPad 2 32GB WiFi + 3G (Verizon)	205	190	60
iPad 2 64GB WiFi + 3G (Verizon)	215	200	60
iPad 3rd generation 16GB WiFi	220	200	75
iPad 3rd generation 32GB WiFi	240	210	75
iPad 3rd generation 64GB WiFi	260	230	75
iPad 3rd generation 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	225	205	75
iPad 3rd generation 32GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	245	215	75
iPad 3rd generation 64GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	265	235	75
iPad 3rd generation 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	220	200	75
iPad 3rd generation 32GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	240	210	75
iPad 3rd generation 64GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	260	230	75
iPad 4th generation 16GB WiFi	275	245	100
iPad 4th generation 32GB WiFi	300	270	100
iPad 4th generation 64GB WiFi	350	320	100
iPad 4th generation 128GB WiFi	430	400	100
iPad 4th generation 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	290	260	100
iPad 4th generation 32GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	315	285	100
iPad 4th generation 64GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	365	335	100
iPad 4th generation 128GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	445	415	100
iPad 4th generation 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	280	250	100
iPad 4th generation 32GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	305	275	100
iPad 4th generation 64GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	355	325	100
iPad 4th generation 128GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	435	405	100
iPad 4th generation 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE Sprint	275	245	100
iPad 4th generation 32GB WiFi + 4G LTE Sprint	300	270	100
iPad 4th generation 64GB WiFi + 4G LTE Sprint	350	320	100
iPad 4th generation 128GB WiFi + 4G LTE Sprint	430	400	100
iPad Mini 16GB WiFi	185	175	50
iPad Mini 32GB WiFi	215	200	50
iPad Mini 64GB WiFi	250	230	50
iPad Mini 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	215	200	50
iPad Mini 32GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	240	225	50
iPad Mini 64GB WiFi + 4G LTE AT&T	275	255	50
iPad Mini 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	205	190	50
iPad Mini 32GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	230	215	50
iPad Mini 64GB WiFi + 4G LTE Verizon	265	245	50
iPad Mini 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE Sprint	185	175	50
iPad Mini 32GB WiFi + 4G LTE Sprint	215	200	50
iPad Mini 64GB WiFi + 4G LTE Sprint	250	230	50

Last month, Gazelle said the number of iPhone trade-ins for cash payouts leading up to — and immediately following — the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s unveilings rose 53% compared to the same period during last September's iPhone 5 launch. When compared to the same period in 2011, trade-ins rose nearly eighteenfold.