The coffee at "The Wired Bean" was lukewarm, but the Wi-Fi was fast enough for Maya to watch the quote on her screen change in real-time. On the mahogany table sat her iPhone 15, its screen a spiderweb of shimmering cracks—the souvenir from a clumsy trip on a sidewalk curb.

Maya briefly considered the pawn shop down the street, but remembered a friend’s warning: Gene's Pawn was picky. They’d test every button and port, and if the cracks were too deep, they might pass altogether.

She started with The Whiz Cells , a site she’d heard promised "top dollar" even for the shattered. Within seconds of entering her model and selecting "cracked," she had a quote. It wasn't the full price of a new phone, but at roughly 40% of its original value, it was a lifeline. Curious, she checked other specialized buyers: