The Most Profitable & In-Demand Retro Phones and Gadgets on eBay in 2025

Nostalgia sells—and when it comes to retro tech, some devices are worth a small fortune. Whether it's classic mobile phones or beloved gaming consoles, eBay remains a hotspot for collectors and tech enthusiasts looking to cash in.

But are you sitting on a gold mine? Well, back in 2022 we found the most profitable and in-demand retro phones. So, we thought it’s only right to dig back into the data to see if anything has changed and look at the gadget market too. 

After our data analysts looked at eBay reseller hub for hundreds of phones and gadgets, here’s what we’ve found. 

The Most Profitable Retro Phones

Some retro mobile phones have seen their value skyrocket, especially early-era models that defined mobile communication. Here are the top earners:

• Motorola MicroTAC 9800X – Averaging £669.14 per sale, this brick-style mobile phone remains a collector’s dream.

• Samsung i607 Blackjack – A true business-class relic, now fetching an impressive £299.61.

• Motorola DynaTAC 8000X – One of the first-ever mobile phones, selling for £295.51.

The Top Grossing Retro Phones

Certain models continue to dominate the resale market in terms of total revenue on eBay. There’s one in particular that’s stealing the spotlight:

• iPhone 3G – With an estimated £2.28 million in total sales, Apple's second-generation iPhone proves that nostalgia for Apple products is still strong.

• Nokia 3310 – The classic indestructible phone has generated over £20,785 in resale value.

• Nokia N-Gage – A cult favourite gaming-phone hybrid, contributing over £13,761 in sales.

The Most In-Demand Retro Phones

You’re guaranteed to find a buyer for the following phones, as hundreds have been sold over the past year;

• iPhone 3G – With 12,266 units sold, it remains a must-have for collectors and Apple loyalists.

• Nokia 3310 – A close second with 755 units sold, it’s the most popular retro NOKIA.

• BlackBerry Bold – The iconic business phone saw 379 units snapped up by buyers – the return of BBM anyone?!

The Most Profitable Retro Gadgets

Let’s move to gadgets now. While these models aren’t coverable with our policies, you shouldn’t let that stop you selling yours. You might just be sitting on hundreds of pounds!

Here’s the most profitable - 

• Sony Walkman TPS-L2 (1979) – The iconic cassette player is fetching £728.76 per sale. It was one of the first in the market and now a huge cash cow for those that have kept them in good nick. 

• TurboExpress – This handheld console from the ‘90s is selling for £447.46 on average. You can’t really get more retro than this. It competed with the Game Boy and looks like it’s finally beaten its rival, at least in one regard (and it only took 30 years!).

• Sony MiniDisc MZ-RH1 (2006) – A relic of the MiniDisc era, pulling in £329.31 per unit. As of February 2025, Sony announced you can’t buy recordable discs any more – perhaps that’s what’s driving up the value!

The Top Grossing Retro Gadgets

Millions are being spent on the following:

• Xbox (Original) – Generating a staggering £4.2 million in total sales - Microsoft’s first console still has a loyal following.

• Nintendo 64 – So great to see this one on the list – lots of memories! Nostalgia for this ‘90s classic has led to total sales surpassing £2.02 million.

• 35mm Film Cameras – The resurgence of analogue photography has helped these cameras generate over £1.14 million in sales.

The Most In-Demand Retro Gadgets

Just like those in-demand retro phones, you’re guaranteed to find a seller for:

• Xbox (Original) – With over 36,000 units sold, it’s by far the most in-demand retro gadget.

• 35mm Film Cameras – Film photography continues its resurgence, with nearly 17,000 cameras sold.

• Nintendo DS – Another Nintendo gem, there were over 15,000 units sold last year.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve got an old phone or gaming console gathering dust, now might be the time to cash in. Particularly if you’re sitting on a classic Nokia or iPhone, a vintage Walkman, or a beloved Nintendo/Xbox console. Retro tech continues to attract serious buyers in 2025!

Are you sitting on a fortune without realising it? A quick search on eBay could reveal that your old gadgets are more valuable than you think!