This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Technology is moving so fast these days that once coveted gadgets become quickly outdated.
That can result in a condition experts from the website http://www.uSell.com call "gadget hoarding."
The company recently surveyed 1,000 Americans about how long they keep devices they no longer use with somewhat surprising results.
The survey revealed:
• 68 percent of Americans have kept an old gadget for more than two years without using the device.
• 70 percent of Americans currently have multiple old gadgets at home that they haven't used within the past three months.
• Only 25 percent of Americans admit to having a "gadget hoarding" problem.
Usell.com conducted the survey because it is a website where used electronic equipment can be sold.
According to the company's chief operating officer Nik Raman, there are three steps to a digital spring cleaning.
These include:
1. Focus on one gadget at a time. Because he says it is too overwhelming to get rid of all old gadgets simultaneously, focus on selling just one to begin with.
2. Create a new gadget fund. To reward yourself for taking action, Raman suggests creating a special fund to buy new gadgets with the money you earn from selling the old ones.
3. Finally, compare buyers by looking at different websites to get an idea of what the highest bids are for used gadgets.
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