What makes a water damaged phone worth $50???

[Jay2TheRescue]

I was just looking on Ebay to see if I could get a used V551 cheap so I would have a spare if I really screw up my phone modding again. I looked at the completed auctions for V551's to see what they were going for. I saw a good amount of phones - all damaged - under $50. What makes a water damaged and/or phone with a nonfunctional display phone worth $30 - $50? I can't see why anyone would pay $50 for a water damaged phone. Is there something I'm missing? I can understand the phones with broken displays can be repaired, but water? Isn't that toast?

[MOTOhooligan]

Spare parts, I'm thinking? Maybe it's still usable to place calls and such but not to surf the web, etc. I don't really know why anyone would pay $50 for a non-fully-functioning phone. I bought a phone I knew I couldn't use once... an analog StarTAC to add to my collection. That said, it only cost $1.00, not $50.00.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by rancidhooligan

Spare parts, I'm thinking? Maybe it's still usable to place calls and such but not to surf the web, etc. I don't really know why anyone would pay $50 for a non-fully-functioning phone. I bought a phone I knew I couldn't use once... an analog StarTAC to add to my collection. That said, it only cost $1.00, not $50.00.

I've actually been thinking of mailing you my old StarTac... I had a new case put on it about 2 months before it died for good so it appears in almost mint condition. Either that, or I'll convert it to bluetooth... I got a few cheap HS820's on ebay the past week, and a red Western Electric 500 at the flea market last week. I really don't want to hack up the 500 though, it would be so pretty cleaned up (and cleaned up I sell red ones for $100). I think I am going to make my prototype BT G3 handset out of a sunfaded handset, and if it works I'll have it coated red, or obtain some NOS red handsets.