7 phones classified as collector's items that are worth serious money

Buying a phone is an investment that most people would spend a lot of time thinking and contemplating about, mainly because more often than not, there's a substantial amount of money that needs to be handed over. Yes, most of us might be reluctant about finalizing that decision to buy, but that's simply the reality of things if we're to experience the latest and greatest when it comes to cell phone technology. But while the initial investment is needed to buy a phone, you'd be surprised to realize that there's potentially more income involved in the long run – if you happen to keep your phone in good condition after using it for a period of time.

The used cell phone industry is a lucrative one, especially if you happen to be holding onto one of those rare gems. Time can do wonders for some things, including cell phones that have become few and far between as the years go on – making them rarities that could possibly fetch you huge sums of money when the conditions are just perfect. Sure, you might be tempted to sell it for some quick money after the first or second year of ownership, but if you're able to wait even longer while keeping it in pristine condition throughout that time, your device might end up being classified as a collector's item with significant value.

Nokia 8110

The Nokia 8110 might look like an inconspicuous phone, but thanks to one blockbuster movie and time, this phone is now one serious collector's item! Released back in 1996 by the famed Finnish company that spurred the modern-day cell phone revolution, the Noka 8110 was rather unique for its time because of the "slider" form factor that it employed with its design. Thanks to a cover that slid out to expose the dial pad and answer incoming phone calls, it was eventually nicknamed as the "banana phone" because of its slight curvature when in use.



Now, what really elevated this phone to become a collector's item was its on-screen debut in the 1999 action blockbuster film The Matrix, in the scene when Neo is delivered a package, only to discover it's the Nokia 8110 inside. The phone quickly proceeds to ring, and Neo picks up the call when the cover automatically slides out. In reality, though, the cover doesn't open up on its own, but rather, you physically have to slide the cover down, as opposed to the spring-loaded action we see in the scene with The Matrix.

If you happen to own this one, it's a part of movie history because it's one of the few memorable phones to make an appearance in a movie. Searching for a Nokia 8110 in good condition on eBay, you'll find them ranging in price, with one advertisement that's asking $500 for a brand new, never opened model. Most preowned models range from $55 to around $200 for ones in decent condition.

Motorola DynaTAC

When you watch movies and television shows aired during the 1980s and 1990s, then you've probably come across the Motorola DynaTAC on several occasions. Known as the original 'brick' phone due to its immense size, which happened to be classified as portable in comparison to the other options released during its time, the Motorola DynaTAC was actually in development as far back as 1947. It wasn't until 1973 when the "father of the cell phone," Martin Cooper, helped to solidify the Motorola DynaTAC's place in the history books by placing the first ever cell phone call using a prototype version of the phone.



Eventually, it was the DynaTAC 8000X that became the first commercially available mobile phone back in 1984, and since then, it has gone on to help usher in a new age for telecommunications. By today's standards, this 2.5 lbs 'brick' of a phone is a Goliath, but back then, the prospect of being able to place a phone call anywhere was regarded as even more valuable. By the time the 1990s came around, the Motorola DynaTAC continued to see several iterations – with a notable appearance on the television show "Saved By The Bell," eventually being dubbed the "Zack Morris Phone."

While several version of the Motorola DynaTAC were produced during its run, a perfectly working model of the vintage phone can fetch upwards around $500 on the average. That's some serious chunk of change considering what you can pick up for approximately the same amount with today's smartphones. The crazy part about picking this one up is that you're not buying it to be functional, but rather, just a collector's item meant to generate income as more time passes.

Nokia 808 Pureview

Most of the phones on this list reached their popularity in either the 1980s or 1990s, with very few batch coming after 2010. Quite simply, these older "vintage" phones tend to generate more value because of their age, as well as how very few are still in circulation. The Nokia 808 Pureview has gone down in cell phone history as one of the best performing camera phones ever released, which is pretty impressive when you consider how the optics and lens technology have dramatically improved since it was released back in 2012.



Part of the reason why the Nokia 808 Pureview is such a memorable phone, even though the Symbian platform has long been extinguished, is because it still packs one serious camera – a monstrous 41-megapixel 1/1.2" sensor with a f/2.4 Zeiss all-aspherical 1-group lens. When it comes to snapping up photos, it's still incredibly versatile in capturing sharp stills that can contend with the best devices released today. And that alone is what makes it such a collector's item! That 41-megapixel camera is hard to fathom when we look at the stuff we have currently.

Even though the Nokia 808 Pureview doesn't fetch as much money as some of the other phones on this list, its value hasn't diminished terribly over the few years since its release. In fact, working models in good condition can fetch between $200 to $300, but you know that value will only increase as time continues to pass by.

Samsung SPH-N270

We've already talked about how cell phone appearances in movies can help to increase their value over time. Even more amazing is that this next cell phone on our list comes from another Matrix movie. While the Nokia 8110 cemented its status as a collector's item by being featured in the original The Matrix movie from 1999, the Samsung SPH-N270 is an even more alluring phone which made its on-screen debut in 2003 with the sequel, The Matrix Reloaded. This time, however, the Samsung SPH-N270 was actually used by Morpheus in the movie.



While the movie prop of the Nokia 8110 was different from its real-life counterpart, the Samsung SPH-N270 featured the same spring-loaded action with both the prop and actual model. The phone's earpiece popped up at the press of a button, revealing the screen underneath it and enabling Morpheus to make calls. It was especially gratifying to see the same action with the actual phone. For a phone released during 2003, it wasn't particularly any more advanced than its contemporaries, but that spring-loaded action was nevertheless cool.