Motorola, Samsung and Nokia were among the first companies to manufacture mobile phones that was 30 years ago. Latest information from online stores is that some of the old phones are on demand and some customers are willing to pay up to Ksh300, 000 to have those phones.
Apple smartphones are deemed to be the most expensive gadgets now, but not until you get an order from a client who wants an old phone. At eBay, some of the old phones are going for $3,000 (Ksh300, 000) and majority of them could cost as little as $10 some two years ago. These phones, according to experts, are extremely durable, classic and antiques.
Mobile phone expert Ben Wood, from CCS Insight, who has a collection of nearly 1000 mobile phones from the last 30 years said: “We all remember our first mobile phones, whether it was the iconic brick-sized Motorola DynaTAC used by Gordon Gekko in Wall Street, a Samsung that flipped open, or the noughties manufacturer of choice, Nokia.
“It’s now over 30 years since the first mobile phone became commercially available and a whole generation of people have owned a host of different handsets over the years.
“Finding an old handset in the back of a drawer can be an evocative experience: people tend to remember the phone they had during significant periods in their lives, such as a certain job or a particularly memorable holiday. It’s interesting that a piece of technology can induce sentimental feelings in many people.”
“It’s no surprise people are nostalgic about their Nokias,” says Ben. “The brand was a real game changer back in the nineties and Nokia worked extremely hard to make the mobile phone accessible to everyone.
“Nokia phones were affordable, robust and reliable, and unlike most smartphones of today, sometimes only needed charging once a week. Thanks to Nokia the mobile phone became the most prolific consumer electronics device on the planet.”
If by chance you own an old phone, keep it safe.