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What Affects the Secondhand Value of Smartphones: Evidence from eBay

Author

Listed:
  • Tamar Makov
  • Tomer Fishman
  • Marian R. Chertow
  • Vered Blass

Abstract

Reuse via secondhand markets can extend the use phase of products, thereby reducing environmental impacts. Analyzing 500,000 listings of used Apple and Samsung smartphones sold in 2015 and 2016 via eBay, we examine which product properties affect how long smartphones retain market value and facilitate market‐based reuse. Our results suggest that although repairability and large memory size are typically thought to be “life extending,” in practice they have limited impact on the current economic life span of smartphones and their market‐based reuse. In contrast, we show that brand, an intangible product property, can extend smartphones’ economic life span by 12.5 months. Because longer economic life spans imply extended use phases and longer life spans overall, these results illustrate the potential of harnessing the intangible properties of products to promote sustainable consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Tamar Makov & Tomer Fishman & Marian R. Chertow & Vered Blass, 2019. "What Affects the Secondhand Value of Smartphones: Evidence from eBay," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(3), pages 549-559, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:23:y:2019:i:3:p:549-559
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.12806
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    Cited by:

    1. Lucas, Benjamin & Francu, R. Elena & Goulding, James & Harvey, John & Nica-Avram, Georgiana & Perrat, Bertrand, 2021. "A Note on Data-driven Actor-differentiation and SDGs 2 and 12: Insights from a Food-sharing App," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(6).
    2. Junming Zhu, 2020. "Suggested use? On evidence‐based decision‐making in industrial ecology and beyond," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(5), pages 943-950, October.
    3. Chen Jin & Luyi Yang & Cungen Zhu, 2023. "Right to Repair: Pricing, Welfare, and Environmental Implications," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(2), pages 1017-1036, February.
    4. Zikopoulos, Christos, 2022. "On the effect of upgradable products design on circular economy," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    5. Christopher Kennedy & Reid Lifset, 2020. "Winners of the 2018 Graedel Prizes: The Journal of Industrial Ecology best paper prizes," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(2), pages 268-270, April.
    6. Robert H. W. Boyer & Ann‐Charlotte Mellquist & Mats Williander & Sara Fallahi & Thomas Nyström & Marcus Linder & Peter Algurén & Emanuela Vanacore & Agnieszka D. Hunka & Emma Rex & Katherine A. Whalen, 2021. "Three‐dimensional product circularity," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(4), pages 824-833, August.
    7. David Font Vivanco & Jaume Freire‐González & Ray Galvin & Tilman Santarius & Hans Jakob Walnum & Tamar Makov & Serenella Sala, 2022. "Rebound effect and sustainability science: A review," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(4), pages 1543-1563, August.
    8. Shima Mirzaei & Sajjad Shokouhyar, 2023. "Applying a thematic analysis in identifying the role of circular economy in sustainable supply chain practices," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 4691-4722, May.

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