buying a used macbook, some LOLworthy observations on people selling them

[wheresmybacon]

Been shopping for a new(er) Macbook for my fiancée, and among the ads I've seen so far this week on Craigslist, it seems a large majority of Mac users are unaware of the concept of depreciation.

Like this guy:

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/sys/1691720249.html

$600? That's an original 1,1 machine. The very fist Macbook! Dude will be lucky if he can get half that!

Or this guy:

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/sys/1691391328.html

Or finally, my favorite, this guy:

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/ele/1691386527.html

He's asking $200 MORE THAN the starting price of a new 15" pro. LOL!!!! epic!

I like Macs, it's just for my purposes my money is usually better spent on PC's. I'm just getting a kick out of these folks. Have I caught lightning in a bottle here or is this an epidemic?

Memo to Mac guy: used stuff is worth less than new stuff. This even applies to your beloved Macbooks.

I'm probably just going to get her a new one @ $999.

 

[umrigar]

I look around on Craigslists a lot for Mac stuff. It's almost always overpriced.
There are a few reasons why.

1. They paid a lot for it, so they think it's still worth a lot.
2. They don't research the value.
3. They think people who buy Macs are stupid and/or so loyal that price doesn't matter.
4. The expect people who respond to offer less; I can tell you they always do.
I listed an iMac, and put in the text "don't offer me $400 because I won't take it."
What does someone offer me? $400. Idiot.

Always compare prices to a refurbished Mac. Once in a while you can find a deal, but they go fast.

 

[alkemyst]

sounds like you aren't a mac buyer then.

If you want a cheap laptop get a PC one

 

[aphex]

The prices in the OP are indeed too high, but used Mac's do tend to hold their value better as there is less supply. I've sold year old Mac's for $100-150 less than I paid.

 

[umrigar]

They do hold their value. HOWEVER:

1. Laptop batteries lose charge - unless the battery is listed as new or recently replaced, that needs to be taken into account.
2. G4s and G5s are falling behind fast in regard to supported software. While still viable machines, sellers still ask WAY too much for them.

Use http://mac2sell.net to get an approximate value. Also search closed eBay auctions. Get an idea of what a GOOD price is for the exact used Mac you're shopping for.

Use http://crazedlist.org/ to search multiple CLs in your area.
Or http://www.searchtempest.com/

 

[wheresmybacon]

The prices in the OP are indeed too high, but used Mac's do tend to hold their value better as there is less supply. I've sold year old Mac's for $100-150 less than I paid.

That's incredible. It's easy to totally fuck up a battery within a year's time, and unless people simply don't have access to a Mac store I can't imagine paying nearly full price for a used machine.

To each their own I guess.

 

[Kmax82]

A battery, really? It's only $99 to get the Unibody battery changes, and $69 for a brand new one for the older Macbooks, so that shouldn't decrease the value THAT much.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Use http://mac2sell.net to get an approximate value. Also search closed eBay auctions. Get an idea of what a GOOD price is for the exact used Mac you're shopping for.

Use http://crazedlist.org/ to search multiple CLs in your area.
Or http://www.searchtempest.com/

Great info. Thx. Also agree with all your points 1-4 above.

 

[TheStu]

A battery, really? It's only $99 to get the Unibody battery changes, and $69 for a brand new one for the older Macbooks, so that shouldn't decrease the value THAT much.

From whence come these numbers? From Apple new batteries are $129.

 

[raystorm]

Use http://mac2sell.net to get an approximate value.

wow..according to that site my 3.5 year old macbook pro is worth 800 bucks? crazy My dvd drive is busted though and I have no plans to sell it but I guess its nice to see it worth something.

 

[secretanchitman]

wow..according to that site my 3.5 year old macbook pro is worth 800 bucks? crazy My dvd drive is busted though and I have no plans to sell it but I guess its nice to see it worth something.

last year, my dad sold his late 2006 macbook for around $1200 on ebay, just about $200-300 off from what he paid. hoping to get similar for my late 2008 15" mbp

 

[Anonemous]

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/ele/1691386527.html

That guy either made an error in the ad or he upgraded his 9600 GT to a 9800 GT. (Didn't know you could upgrade gpus in Macs)

 

[TheStu]

That guy either made an error in the ad or he upgraded his 9600 GT to a 9800 GT. (Didn't know you could upgrade gpus in Macs)

The GPUs are soldered to the Logic Board, he did not replace it, he either typoed or did that intentionally.

Though, I once had a Best Buy salesman try to convince me that he A: had 6 hard drives and 2 optical drives in his Mac Pro, and he had a 13" MBP with a 9600m in it. Cuz see, if you call Apple and are really super special nice to them, and are willing pay, they will create a one-of-a-kind laptop for you.

 

[pcgeek11]

Like they say a fool and his money are soon parted.

An Apple is just a PC like any other PC. I don't see it.

 

[QueBert]

Like they say a fool and his money are soon parted.

An Apple is just a PC like any other PC. I don't see it.

If you take resale value into consideration and plan on selling it, a Mac is the only way to go. It's not unheard of to get 80% of the original price of an iMac 2 years after you buy it. A PC 2 years later? You'd be lucky to get 40% of what it cost you. Not even getting into smart/stupid people. When I buy a car resale value is a big factor, Mac's have crazy resale value. Hell all Apple products do, I sold a 1g iPhone right about the time the 3GS came out for $200, a 4 gig model. Put it on Craigslist, had about 8 offers in the first 6 hours and it was sold that same day. On the flip side I put a Windows Mobile phone on for $120 and ended up having to lower the price to $70 to sell it. Both came out about the same time and both cost about the same. So in a way a Mac's worth the price premium if you plan to sell it after a few years.

 

[Kmax82]

From whence come these numbers? From Apple new batteries are $129.

For the Unibody? Hmm.. I could've sworn they said $99 somewhere.. maybe I'm thinking of the iPad replacement costs they stated. Oh well.. still not a huge depreciation there.

 

[pcgeek11]

If you take resale value into consideration and plan on selling it, a Mac is the only way to go. It's not unheard of to get 80% of the original price of an iMac 2 years after you buy it. A PC 2 years later? You'd be lucky to get 40% of what it cost you. Not even getting into smart/stupid people. When I buy a car resale value is a big factor, Mac's have crazy resale value. Hell all Apple products do, I sold a 1g iPhone right about the time the 3GS came out for $200, a 4 gig model. Put it on Craigslist, had about 8 offers in the first 6 hours and it was sold that same day. On the flip side I put a Windows Mobile phone on for $120 and ended up having to lower the price to $70 to sell it. Both came out about the same time and both cost about the same. So in a way a Mac's worth the price premium if you plan to sell it after a few years.

Thank you for making my point so well! You proved that there are a lot of fools out there paying 80% of the new price for a 2 year old outdated product.



A fool and his money are soon parted. There is essentially no difference in the hardware between an Apple and a PC.

Other than the Hype. Look at me I'm so cool with my Apple. :O

 

[Tegeril]

You can all use my auction on eBay as empirical data

...in about 5 and a half days: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270563197194

I'd say recently systems that are within 2 years of age have been depreciating faster in the eyes of buyers as the changes to the platforms have been significant (the other day: Core i5/i7, previously: unibody, etc). There have been small things that kept value up such as the matte display on the pre-unibody systems, but Apple has remedied that in the 15/17" range.

As for the price people look for on G4/G5 hardware. Those people are insane.

 

[Paperlantern]

sounds like you aren't a mac buyer then.

If you want a cheap laptop get a PC one

Get down off your high horse son.

 

[alkemyst]

hardly high horse when the market bears the asking prices.

 

[bigsnyder]

I understand and agree that the macs hold value better than PCs, but when people are pricing used hardware (especially 2yrs or older) almost as much as a brand new machine, it just doesn't make sense. I will glady pay 200 more for brand new vs used hardware that the condition can't guarenteed.

 

[TheStu]

You can all use my auction on eBay as empirical data

...in about 5 and a half days: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270563197194

I'd say recently systems that are within 2 years of age have been depreciating faster in the eyes of buyers as the changes to the platforms have been significant (the other day: Core i5/i7, previously: unibody, etc). There have been small things that kept value up such as the matte display on the pre-unibody systems, but Apple has remedied that in the 15/17" range.

As for the price people look for on G4/G5 hardware. Those people are insane.

I think that you are lowballing yourself and will get much less than the laptop is worth. A 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo laptop with a 15" screen and 8600m is not exactly a piece of shit. And if that person actually gets it for $400 then you have well and truly ripped yourself off.

 

[alkemyst]

I understand and agree that the macs hold value better than PCs, but when people are pricing used hardware (especially 2yrs or older) almost as much as a brand new machine, it just doesn't make sense. I will glady pay 200 more for brand new vs used hardware that the condition can't guarenteed.

For most that $200 'savings' puts them into a macbook they couldn't have afforded at 20% more.

 

[Kmax82]

I think that you are lowballing yourself and will get much less than the laptop is worth. A 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo laptop with a 15" screen and 8600m is not exactly a piece of shit. And if that person actually gets it for $400 then you have well and truly ripped yourself off.

Agreed, but most eBay auctions don't take off until the 5th or even 6th day that they've been listed. So he'll probably still do fine.

I won't sell another computer on eBay though. The fees KILLED me last time. They took almost $150 between Paypal and eBay.. ugh..

 

[wheresmybacon]

I think that you are lowballing yourself and will get much less than the laptop is worth. A 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo laptop with a 15" screen and 8600m is not exactly a piece of shit. And if that person actually gets it for $400 then you have well and truly ripped yourself off.

Ebay
5 days left on the auction