Best sites to look up computer value, sell computer

February 10, 2024 8:29 AM

The title pretty much says it all: I'm looking for the best sites to look up the value of a computer (think Kelly Blue Book for computers) as well to sell a computer. I found this CNET article but would like to know if anyone has personal experience with doing this recently and what went well/didn't. I know ebay and FB Marketplace are also options but was thinking a there may be other sites that specialize in electronics only, which might be better?

In case it's relevant: the computer is a 14" 2023 MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip, 16GB of memory and 500GB of storage. I do know Apple does trade-ins for both new stuff or gift cards, but I'm up to my ears in Apple gadgets already so don't want to go that route. I'd rather have cold hard cash!

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions!

posted by hapax_legomenon to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

IMHO the chances of getting scammed on eBay or FB for something like this are pretty high.

A lot of tech blogs get a kickback for recommending Decluttr but last time I checked they hadn't even updated their pricing for Apple portables made after 2021.

When I was in the trade we used to direct companies to Sell Your Mac because their parent company (OWC / MacSales.com) has been in the Apple business since the 80s and they're just a no-nonsense kind of shop.

You might not get top-top dollar but you will have an honest transaction. Wherever you end up selling make sure you take fees into account; some trade-in places claw back like 15% but I'm pretty sure Sell Your Mac just tells you exactly what you're getting.
posted by bcwinters at 8:52 AM on February 10 [1 favorite]

I've never found a guide like that; there are so many varieties of computers and prices are quite volatile. Ask Apple what the trade-in value is. Then look at their refurb offering to see what things sell for. That would give you a range from lowest (trade-in) to highest (Apple does a good job refurbishing and prices reflect that and Apple prices things high). Look at prices on ebay and fb marketplace for that specific computer, make the range of miles on fb quite large. That will also give you comparative pricing. Then price it according to how fast you need to sell it. I forgot I had my old truck on fb, it sold months later.

I bought a great used computer on craigslist, locally. Consider taking a picture of the laptop next to something local so people know you're actually in the town you say. Outside the Starbux at Maine and Maple or whatever. I have bought and sold on fb marketplace, which allows scammers and sketchy listings, but people use it a lot.

I have bought several used laptops on ebay, mostly small operations that sell off lease laptops. Make a terrific flyer, post on and college/ uni campuses near you.

On all ads, note that you have proof of purchase; people don't like to buy stolen goods.
posted by theora55 at 9:18 AM on February 10 [1 favorite]

Best answer: As far as I know Swappa still has a good reputation as a mobile device marketplace. Looks like postings with your config are in roughly the $1400-1600 range with sellers covering the cost of shipping.
posted by theory at 9:21 AM on February 10 [4 favorites]

For something that recent, my rule of thumb is new price less 30%.

I do know Apple does trade-ins for both new stuff or gift cards

Apple knows what their stuff is worth. So take what they'll offer for it and up it by 15% for their profit margin.

In either case, the upper range is principally governed by how much your time is worth.
posted by Candleman at 12:22 PM on February 10

Honestly, I would have no problem with listing in on your local Facebook Marketplace. Just make it clear it’s sold as-is, cash only, and you won’t ship it.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:01 PM on February 10 [2 favorites]

The closest thing to a pricing guide like what you're asking for is looking up completed auctions on eBay for your model of computer. Unfortunately, since there is a lot of variation in specs even for the same model of computer, this can get very tedious. Apple computers hold their value better than most, but used computers lose their value so quickly that it's just not worth anyone's time to try to make anything like what you're looking for.
posted by Aleyn at 1:59 PM on February 10 [1 favorite]

I've bought a few used Macs from MacOfAllTrades.com, and it was a good experience. I'd expect their buying dept, MacMeAnOffer, would be a good place to get a price for an easy low-drama sale.
posted by hovey at 3:31 PM on February 10 [3 favorites]

2nding Swappa. Have bought and sold ~10 devices over the past decade there and haven't had a single issue.
posted by Quack at 6:17 PM on February 12 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Reporting back: @theory thanks for the Swappa rec! Just sold my laptop and the whole process was easy and painless. Thanks again for pointing me in that direction!
posted by hapax_legomenon at 3:40 PM on April 3