Your old mobile phone could actually be worth thousands of pounds, according to an online antiques marketplace.

The company LoveAntiques.com compiled a list of the most valuable "vintage" mobile phones with the highest price last month, WalesOnline reported.

Top of the ranking is a rare prototype version of the first iPhone, which is said to be worth a staggering £10,000. Old models of Motorola and Nokia devices may also be worth significant amounts of money though, it's been reported.

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According to the antiques marketplace, the following devices are the 10 most valuable mobile phones:

  • Pre-production Prototype iPhone 1: £10,000+
  • Motorola 8000x: £800 - £3,500
  • Nokia 7700: £1,000 - £2,000
  • Mobira Senator NMT: £800 - £2,000
  • IBM Simon Personal Communicator: £800 - £2,000
  • Nokia Sapphire 8800: £500 - £2,000
  • Technophone PC105T: £600 - £1,500
  • Orbitel Citiphone: £600 - £1,000
  • Ericsson R290 Satellite Phone: £300 - £1,000
  • Rainbow StarTAC: £100 - £400

It's understood that small factors like software, model, cult status and rarity are just some of the things that can make an old mobile phone valuable on the market.

The prototype iPhone is said to have fetched up to £30,000 in the past. It's worth noting that post-production models are said to be different and likely to be less valuable.

The online antiques marketplace has shared some advice for anyone collecting old phones:

  • Check the condition of the phone: items in their original packaging, with their original paperwork and accessories will fetch more money.
  • Find the unique selling point: icon status and tech milestones are far more valuable than age alone.
  • Understand the tech: many old phones either don’t work due to the battery or can no longer connect to a network. This is not necessarily a bad thing but make sure to understand why it no longer works.
  • Study the phones: make sure to understand the differences between models that have barely been altered as it could make a vast difference to the price.

Will Thomas, from LoveAntiques.com, explained: "As something most people use every day, it’s almost strange to think of mobile phones as antiques."

He said: "As we outlined with our ‘Antech’ category [though] the pace of technological advancements means that a lot of them are nearing that stage."

"It is safe to say that there are some weird and wonderful models out there, some I'm sure a lot of people today wouldn't even know were phones and yet they can be worth an enormous amount."

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