As someone who consumes a lot of gadgetry, there often comes a point when the old needs to make way for the new. In years past, I've used eBay to unload my gently used gizmos and gadgets to people with less demanding technology needs. It's not a process I find especially enjoyable, though I still go through the rigamarole of taking photos, writing copy and setting a price. First and foremost, reselling my old gadgetry ensures my old peripherals don't contribute to the growing electronic waste problem. And I don't object to the revenue the sales generate either.

Today, however, I discovered Gazelle, a service that makes eBay — at least as I use it — obsolete. Users simply visit the website, find the gadget they no longer want and Gazelle mails a prepaid box to that same user. Gazelle then takes delivery of the item, verifies the condition of the gadget and sends a check. There's no copy to write, no photos to take, no wrangling with a buyer over method of payment.

I'm sure the reimbursements Gazelle gives its customers are not as large as the sums one could generate by selling the same item on eBay. But given the time commitment and uncertainty associated with listing an item on eBay, I'm not convinced a person isn't better off just using Gazelle.

I haven't actually used the service yet, but I have every intention to give the service a whirl when my iPad arrives in April. Gazelle claims they will give me about $50 for my aging 30 GB 5th generation iPod, which I see my iPad as replacing. (For interested parties, I pre-ordered a 32 GB WiFi-only iPad.)

I'll report back when I've given the service a try.