Picking out a car can be fun.
Picking out a new car can be even more fun.
Did you know that the moment you drive a new car off the lot, its value drops by nearly 30%?
Surprisingly, the same idea applies to toner cartridges once you open the box.
If you’re planning to use it right away, that’s fine (we don’t recommend trying to print while it’s still sealed). But if you’ve got one or two extra cartridges lying around, you could be sitting on unused cash.
Before unsealing your toner boxes, follow these six golden rules to maximize the resale value of your unused toner cartridges.
Just like driving a new car off the lot, even the smallest dent or scratch can lower the value of your toner cartridge. Whether you plan to use them or sell them later, it’s always smart to keep your unopened toner cartridges stored safely in their original boxes. This protects the packaging from wear and tear — and keeps your options open if you decide to sell them in the future.
At Toner Connect, we emphasize that a sealed box is the only reliable sign that a toner cartridge is truly brand new. If the original packaging has been opened, torn, or altered, we can’t guarantee that the toner inside hasn’t been used. For this reason, we only buy back authentic OEM toner cartridges in their original, untampered packaging.
Companies like Hewlett Packard package their cartridges with a handy pull tab to unseal easily. Once it’s been pulled and opened, we can not accept it. Plan on leaving the package entirely sealed until you know you’re going to use the cartridge for your printer. Otherwise, it can be resold and it’s highest profit price.
You may be tempted to take a sharpie to your cartridge boxes from one reason or another but if you’d like the option of being able to sell them in the future that is a big no no. If you need to make a note on a toner cartridge, we recommend using a sticky note or other adhesive paper that can be easily removed without damaging the packaging.
The better the condition of the box, the higher the offer it will command. Contrarily, if the packaging is severely disfigured, the value of the toner will depreciate and you won’t get the best deal.
Unlike those random jars of honey and the three packets of soy sauce lurking in your junk drawer, toner cartridges can and will expire. And unfortunately, once they do they’re no good to us or to you. Toner cartridges only carry a life cycle of about 24 months. After that, the chemicals keeping the ink in a liquid state start to break down and the ink begins to coagulate into a more sludgy state. Side effects include poor printing jobs, possible damage to the printer, and no money from us.
To make use out of your toner cartridge before it expires, after you’ve stored your cartridge(s) in a protective outer box, write in big numbers on the outer box the date you purchased the toner and when it’s set to expire. That way you can keep track of how long you have before it loses value.
Every ink and toner cartridge has a shelf life. The expiration date will give an indication of when the ink has surpassed its life cycle, after which, it may no longer be viable.
Once you’ve decided to sell your unused toner cartridges, you might be tempted to open the box to check the contents or remove any shipping labels. However, doing so would depreciate the value of the cartridges almost at once. As long as the package is still factory sealed, you don’t need to worry about checking it for us.
When you’re ready to ship, be sure to overbox the package so that any shipping labels present on the cartridge package does not interfere with being shipped to us.
Bare in mind “Any toners shipped by themselves without a box will automatically be rejected.”
Another rule to follow when preserving the integrity of your toner cartridge is to not interfere with the package’s barcode. Not only does it help to identify the value of the brand but removing it would again, cause unnecessary damage to the package and you would not be paid the entire worth you would otherwise receive.
When we consider each cartridge for purchase, the first thing we look for is the OEM or the Original Equipment Manufacturer. While there does exist plenty of generic and third-party sellers, Toner Connect only accepts cartridges from the popular brands. Such as Canon, Brother, Xerox, and Dell. For our full list of accepted manufacturers click here.
In our opinion quantity does not always mean quality. To find out more about why we’re toner snobs (and you should be too!), check out our “Why Toner Connect Only Buys OEM Toner” post. here.
We at Toner Connect want to give you the best bang for your buck. And now that you have the six proven ways to get the most out of your toner cartridges we can! Keeping your cartridges in mint condition will not only preserve the functionality of the cartridge but it will also pay off in the long run…literally!
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