New iPhones Are a Gold Mine on eBay

Sept. 24, 2013— -- Gold is selling at over $1,300 per ounce. But what about gold-colored iPhones? A quick search for "iPhone 5s gold" yields devices priced as high as $1,500, a significant markup above store prices.

One eBay seller, going by the username Papakar, recently sold an unlocked 16 GB gold iPhone for $10,100 in an auction that attracted 51 bids. The same model of iPhone is available to order on Apple's website, at $649.

Though Apple charges the same price for all three colors, eBay sellers seem to believe that gold is more valuable than silver, and that a gold iPhone should sell more than a silver or space gray model. Over 15 auctions are selling 16 GB gold iPhones with four-digit price tags on eBay's first page alone. In comparison, the other models only have two bids running higher than $1,000 on their first page.

Unlike the 5s, the iPhone 5c is not flying off store shelves. The Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York City was sold out of 5s models today, but the 5c is still available. A recent report by the analyst firm Localytics confirms what the New York store has seen, saying that the 5s is outselling the 5c by more than three to one.

Apple did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment about sales figures, both through official Apple vendors and on eBay. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement yesterday, "While we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5s, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly."

If you're still hanging on your old 4s iPhone and don't feel the need to unlock your phone with your fingerprints, the 5c might suit your needs. It still has the A6 processor that the original iPhone 5 came equipped with. The 5c also comes with iOS7.

And in a pinch, you could always dip a banana-colored 5c in gold paint. Fool's gold is better than no gold at all, right?