It turns out that not all bankers are greedy b*%@!#s. Having gathered quite enough dust in an upstairs drawer, I finally decided it was time to get shot of a couple of old mobile phones I've had lying around for (literally) years. Coincidentally, both were Windows Mobile smartphones: an Orange C500 and a T-Mobile MDA Pro. Both had served me well: y0u couldn't argue with the C500 in its time, a candybar smartphone which did it all; the MDA was really too big to be a phone, but it found plenty of use as a pocket laptop.
Having checked a few of the phone recycling sites, I settled on Fonebank.com: not solely because they were prepared to give me the best prices, but because their website seemed more professional than some others - it's easy to imagine how you could easily get 'done' by one of these sites, deciding your phone wasn't quite in the mint condition you claimed.
The phones were duly bubble-wrapped, and sent to a Freepost address - thus avoiding the hassle of paying postage by weight and dimensions. A week later, and I've got a genuine, actual cheque in my hands. So I've now got a bit more room in my drawers, and enough cash to pay for a half-decent meal out. On that basis, I've got no problems recommending you give your old mobile a new lease of life through Fonebank, either in a less developed market, or in bits. And if you do, quote the referral code RkVnxJ - it might be enough to get us our pudding too.