Fetch the best price for your used phone

Apple’s latest iPhones begin shipping later this month, a move bound to inspire many fans of the popular smartphone to ditch their current models in favor of the bigger, sleeker iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.

It’s a ritual familiar by now to most smartphone users. Every couple of years, new models boasting more features and improvements compel users to trade up.

Often that means turning in your older phones for a credit from your carrier.

Here are some ways to cash in on that soon-to-be mobile relic:

• Price it right

When selling your phone online, think of it like a house. Homes generally sell for about the same price as comparable houses.

If you list the phone on eBay, the site will suggest a price range based on recent sales of the same model.

Details such as the model, memory size and whether you have the original packaging, manual and peripherals, such as the charger, factor into the potential sale price.

For the most recently available iPhone model, the 5S, with 32 gigabytes of memory and in excellent condition, eBay suggests a buy-it-now price of $359.

If it’s brand new, however, the site suggests the phone could fetch as much as $650. If it’s used, but in good condition, $329; in fair condition, $300 or so.

• List it soonest

USell.com, a portal for selling mobile phones, says iPhones typically depreciate about 20 percent in the six to eight weeks after a new model is announced.

So if you plan on buying the new iPhone, which begins shipping Sept. 19, consider selling your older phone right away.

• Consider trading it in

Wireless providers often will buy back your older phone when you trade up to a newer model. You generally won’t get as much as you could from selling it online, however.

Still, one advantage: You won’t have to wait until a buyer comes along.

• Donate to charity

If you’re still hanging on to your flip phone from 10 years ago, getting money for it even in a trade-in may be difficult. But you can still wring some value out of it if you donate it to charity.

• Buy used

If you can put off upgrading a few months, you are likely to find a previously owned version of the newest models for sale online.