Question by Pradyumna: How does the unboxing the gadgets videos work?
I want to know the unboxing gadgets videos’ business model and how does it work. Specifically I want to know, how the video makers on youtube channels who do the unboxing of gadgets, like iphones, lumia, android phones and tablets etc. 1)Procure the gadgets? Where does the initial money to buy the gadgets come from? 2) How do they monetize it? I don’t see ads on many of their videos, and 3) What do they do with all the gadgets that they have done with reviewing? Sell them probably?
Best answer:
Answer by Robsteriark
Most of them make no money at all for the person posting the video, but if YouTube gets enough extra site traffic as a result then the poster can get a small amount of money.
Most posters buy the gadgets themselves. Many probably sell them a little later to recoup some money to re-spend on their next gadget, but others are simply collectors who are lucky enough to have a high disposable income. Either way, the poster usually loses a bit of money each time, but almost all hobbies cost money.
A very tiny number of posters get so many followers and upload so many videos that they acquire a reputation as a gadget blogger. Those people may be actively cultivated by advertisers and publicists to receive loans of new gadgets or sometimes free samples for them to review.
To summarise: all but a very few spend their own money to produce those videos and do so solely for the pleasure of it and to satisfy their own egos.