The Wonder of Tech: Craving an iPad? Glyde is on your side

You might be craving the new iPad, but your wallet is telling you something different. Acquiring new technology is an expensive habit so finding a site to make the process more affordable can be an exciting discovery.

Glyde is a peer-to-peer marketplace, but Glyde restricts its listings to electronics and books. Glyde emphasizes ease of use, value and user experience. The site is clean and uncluttered with straight-forward listings that provide basic information about a product, its price and its condition.

Buying

"For the buyer, Glyde produces a clean and intuitive, almost curated buying experience. A buyer can find a product very quickly and easily and see it at a very good price," explains Lieberman.

If you're looking to buy a device, such as an iPad 2, searching on Glyde will show you a number of available models. You can search by device name or by other terms -- such as "AT&T" -- if you're looking for one that's compatible with your carrier. The supply of iPads is abundant now so you should be able to find all models available:

You can also choose the condition of the device: Excellent, Good or Acceptable.

Prices are set, there's no bidding, and prices vary significantly between models. You might have your heart set on a white 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad in Excellent condition, but by exploring Glyde a bit you might discover that the black 32 GB Wi-Fi iPad in Good condition is much less expensive. Or perhaps you decide to save even more money and get an original iPad for less than $300.

But Glyde isn't just for iPads. You can also find other tablets, iPhones, a variety of Android phones, e-readers, iPods, video games and books. If you're looking for a specific model of device, and Glyde doesn't have it, check back in a few days to see if it pops up.

Selling

Selling on Glyde is designed to be simple and hassle-free. When you sell an item, you are asked for the model and the condition. Glyde suggests a sales price for the item, but you can raise or lower the price. You are also shown how much you will be paid by Glyde if the item sells at that price. You don't pay anything to list an item. If it sells, Glyde takes a cut.

You don't need to add a description or photo of your item, Glyde takes care of that for you. Glyde also helps you with the shipping. "Glyde takes all of the pain points of other sites out. We do the work for the individual," says Lieberman.

After your item sells, you're sent a pre-paid, pre-addressed mailer. You put your item in the package and mail it directly to the buyer. After the buyer receives the item, Glyde releases the money into your account, arranges for an electronic transfer of funds to your bank account or mails you a check. There is no PayPal option for payment. "The vast majority of our products sell within four to seven days," says Lieberman.

Speed Sale

Glyde recently introduced a Speed Sale feature that will guarantee you a price and pay you more quickly than a regular Glyde sale. The trade-off is that the sale price for a Speed Sale is lower than for a regular sale. "Speed Sale is based on feedback from our customers who said that in some cases they would be willing to trade a few dollars for immediacy and certainty of the sale going through," says Lieberman.

Glyde vs. Other Resale Sites

I asked Lieberman the difference between selling on Glyde versus other resale sites. "Typically our sellers see a premium versus other trade-in sites. In our standard marketplace offering, it averages between 30% and 60%. It takes a couple more days, so you may be trading in a little bit of time, but you get a 30, 50 or 60% premium in price, which could mean real money. Even our Speed Sales are about a 20% premium versus other trade-in options. We're as easy as other trade-in sites with even more value."

I informally compared the prices on Gazelle versus Glyde for selling an original iPad 64 GB Wi-Fi plus 3G in Excellent/Flawless condition. The price offered on Gazelle was $180, with payment via an Amazon gift card (with a 5% bonus), check or PayPal payment. Glyde's suggested sale price is $320, with the seller getting $286.90. The Speed Sale price from Glyde for the iPad was $240. (Note that Gazelle locks in its price for 30 days without an obligation to sell your item and promises to increase the sale price if it determines your device is worth more than was quoted.)

Bottom Line

If you're looking to buy a used electronic device, check out Glyde to see if you can get a deal on the item of your choice. Try to be flexible with the model you want to see if you can get a better price.

If you're selling an item, compare prices you can get on Glyde with other resale sites. Weigh the benefits of both and consider how quickly you would like the money to be paid.

Between buying and selling on Glyde, you may just be able to afford the iPad you covet.

Carolyn Nicander Mohr is a Chester County resident and creator of the website, The Wonder of Tech. Contact her at wonderoftech@gmail.com.