Check the back of your wardrobe to see if you've got any old Apple handsets.

For a first-edition iPhone from has sold for US$39,000 ($67,000), the Wall Street Journal reports.

US auction house LCG sold the handset to an un-named Australian buyer.

The first-release iPhone from 2007 had never been taken out of its box.

The seller was an American man who decided to put it on the market after seeing a similar iPhone sell for US$35,000 in August.

The iPhone that sold for US$39,000 attracted 28 bids after being put on the block at US$2500.

LCG founder Mark Montero said the market for iPhone collectibles had boomed during the pandemic.

"An item like this is something everyone can relate to. It has a lot going for it as a collectible investment."

While your scuffed iPhone from 2019 might not attract big money bids, the global supply chain process has sharply increased second-hand and trade-in prices across all brands of smartphone.

2degrees, for example, is offering up to $955 off a new iPhone 14 Pro Max if you trade-in an iPhone 11 or newer model (noting the Pro Max sells for a robust $2199 - $3199).

And Apple runs its own trade-in scheme, which offers from $40 for an iPhone 7 to up to $720 for an iPhone 13 Pro Max.