Update: Here’s a link to the essential product returns page that will help you generate a return shipping label
With last week’s announcement of the new Kindle 3 3G and wi-fi models, the earlier launch of the graphite Kindle DX, and now the more recent news that the new Kindles are out of stock, we have a perfect storm of factors that may have hundreds of thousands of people thinking about getting a new Kindle and — in many cases — trying to figure out what to do with an earlier Kindle model. So I thought it would be helpful to try to give you all the most helpful information in one place.
Buying a Kindle. First, here are the links to the models that Amazon is currently selling new, and a “first come, first served” rule applies:
- Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi Only, 6″ Display, Graphite – Latest Generation
– $139
- Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6″ Display, Choose Graphite or White, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation
– $189
- Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7″ Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation
– $379
- Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7″ Display, White, 3G Works Globally – 2nd Generation
Here’s a link to our special Kindle Nation issue on the launch of the new models last week, if you want to review features.
Returning a Kindle. If you’ve decided on a new Kindle but you received your old Kindle in the last 30 days, you should still be able to return the old Kindle to Amazon for a full refund with no questions asked. Here’s a link to Amazon’s support page on Kindle returns and refunds. If you purchased your Kindle at Target or another retailer, of course, you’ll have to check with that retailer regarding return policies.
And of course the big news today is the $139 Kindle Wi-Fi
So, that’s big news, and it should mean two very significant things:
First Come, First Served. If you’ve been thinking that you could order a new Kindle anytime between now and August 25 and have it delivered or shipped on August 27, that won’t work. I’ll admit that I got caught on this one myself, so I sheepishly placed my own pre-order today.
Selling a Kindle. The fact that no new 6-inch Kindles will be available for at least 30 days makes this the best possible time to sell an earlier model Kindle. Kindles have always held their value pretty well for resale — after adjusting, of course, for price cuts in new Kindle models — but used Kindles tend to get even higher prices when new Kindles are out of stock. But check with friends and family members first — that venerable, mature Kindle may be more attractive to one of your loved ones than you’d guess!
Some Kindle owners have had great success selling used Kindles on eBay or Craigslist, but Amazon also makes it easy for any individual to sell earlier model Kindles right on these Kindle pages:
- Kindle: Amazon’s Original Wireless Reading Device (1st generation)
- Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 6″ Display, White – 2nd Generation
- Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7″ Display, U.S. Wireless)
- Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7″ Display, White, 3G Works Globally – 2nd Generation
If you’d like some nuts and bolts information on how to sell Kindles, used books or just about anything else through Amazon Marketplace, you may want to download a copy of the first book I wrote about Amazon’s business innovations, Selling Used Books Online: The Complete Guide to Bookselling at Amazon’s Marketplace and Other Online Sites (Harvard Perspectives in Entrepreneurship).
Whether you are returning or reselling an old Kindle, the closer you can come to original packaging, the better.
Donating a Kindle. If you are planning to donate your Kindle to a school, library, or other nonprofit organization, you may want to make use of the links above to determine the deductible fair market value of a used Kindle for tax purposes.
Good luck!
