What is my 2009 iMac worth and is now the time to sell it?

jmpage2 · Jan 22, 2013

Hello everyone. I have a 27" 2012 iMac on order, but my 2009 is still performing well. I am considering the upgrade for new USB3 and Thunderbolt support, faster graphics, better cpu (I do a lot of video encoding), etc.

It seems like this might be a good time to "flip" my 2009 iMac as it is still under Apple Care protection.

Late 2009 27" iMac
i7 CPU
4850 Radeon graphics
16GB Ram
1TB hard drive
Apple Care until October 2013.

Value?

Should I sell this now while it has quite a bit of Apple Care left or should I wait for the next refresh?

RedCroissant · Jan 23, 2013

jmpage2 said:
Hello everyone. I have a 27" 2012 iMac on order, but my 2009 is still performing well. I am considering the upgrade for new USB3 and Thunderbolt support, faster graphics, better cpu (I do a lot of video encoding), etc.

It seems like this might be a good time to "flip" my 2009 iMac as it is still under Apple Care protection.

Late 2009 27" iMac
i7 CPU
4850 Radeon graphics
16GB Ram
1TB hard drive
Apple Care until October 2013.

Value?

Should I sell this now while it has quite a bit of Apple Care left or should I wait for the next refresh?

How did you get AC to last until October 2013? Did you buy it in 2010 then or was it a refurb purchase even later?

And not only is that still a good performing machine, the specs are similar to the current base 2012 iMac. The major differences(as I'm sure you know) are the I/O changes and the loss of the ODD. If this machine is still good and you are able to buy a new Mac anyway, why not keep your current machine and just continue to save to possibly get a Mac Pro(if it is ever released again) or a super maxed-out iMac in the future?

However, you should be able to get(as long as everything is still in working order and original box/packaging/media is included) around $1300 for it. Everymac is quoting $1600-$1750 retail. Mac2Sell.net is quoting $1,160.

I know that if I could afford it, I would offer $1300 for it. That's an awesome machine.

GGJstudios · Jan 23, 2013

As a starting point, you can check Mac2Sell, eBay (including completed sales), or Amazon for prices of similar models, to get an idea of what a reasonable price may be. Then adjust the price to account for condition, configuration, remaining AppleCare coverage (if any), etc.

jmpage2 · Jan 23, 2013

RedCroissant said:
How did you get AC to last until October 2013? Did you buy it in 2010 then or was it a refurb purchase even later?

And not only is that still a good performing machine, the specs are similar to the current base 2012 iMac. The major differences(as I'm sure you know) are the I/O changes and the loss of the ODD. If this machine is still good and you are able to buy a new Mac anyway, why not keep your current machine and just continue to save to possibly get a Mac Pro(if it is ever released again) or a super maxed-out iMac in the future?

However, you should be able to get(as long as everything is still in working order and original box/packaging/media is included) around $1300 for it. Everymac is quoting $1600-$1750 retail. Mac2Sell.net is quoting $1,160.

I know that if I could afford it, I would offer $1300 for it. That's an awesome machine.

Good information. I actually caved in and bought the new top end 2012 model last night as my local Apple store had them in stock. You are right, it's not a huge upgrade as the 2009 machine was a monster at the time. However, the upgrades to the screen, etc, are worth it to me.

I will probably ask $1400 for the 2009 and if it doesn't go at that price, then I will consider going lower.

RedCroissant · Jan 23, 2013

jmpage2 said:
Good information. I actually caved in and bought the new top end 2012 model last night as my local Apple store had them in stock. You are right, it's not a huge upgrade as the 2009 machine was a monster at the time. However, the upgrades to the screen, etc, are worth it to me.

I will probably ask $1400 for the 2009 and if it doesn't go at that price, then I will consider going lower.

Well congratulations anyway! I'm sure that you'll still notice a speed boost from the more recent CPU and you're right about the screen being a good reason to upgrade and the fact that TB and usb 3.0 is now included would be more than good reasons to upgrade.

Good luck with the sale but I seriously doubt you'll have too much trouble selling it. Just be sure to include how much similar the specs are and how much better your price is. And be sure to include the fact that your machine can also be used as an external display. In fact I forgot about that tidbit, so you should try $1500+ since the newer Macs do not have that capability. I know many people that would love the 27" iMac as a display for a PS3 or XBOX.

phoenixsan · Jan 23, 2013

I would say....

$950-1100 tops. The remaining AppleCare helps in the price, but also helps no cosmetic/functional issues and good care of the machine.

If you use Firewire tech so much, I will say hold on the sell, until Thunderbolt solutions that work for you and are affordable appears.

Dont forget to factor in shipping costs/fees

jmpage2 · Jan 23, 2013

phoenixsan said:
$950-1100 tops. The remaining AppleCare helps in the price, but also helps no cosmetic/functional issues and good care of the machine.

If you use Firewire tech so much, I will say hold on the sell, until Thunderbolt solutions that work for you and are affordable appears.

Dont forget to factor in shipping costs/fees

I have checked eBay auctions completed and looks like most 2009 i7 machines with the 4850 still sell for $1300 or more, so that seems like a very low price to me. Maybe if I had no apple care, no RAM upgrade and didn't have original box, etc, it would fetch as little as $950.

RedCroissant · Jan 23, 2013

jmpage2 said:
I have checked eBay auctions completed and looks like most 2009 i7 machines with the 4850 still sell for $1300 or more, so that seems like a very low price to me. Maybe if I had no apple care, no RAM upgrade and didn't have original box, etc, it would fetch as little as $950.

$1500, because of the included accessories and box, the type, and of course the fact that it can be used as a secondary display.

jmpage2 · Jan 23, 2013

To answer the earlier question, it was purchased in late 2010 when the refresh hit, brand new from MacMall. Not a refurb.

Drharrington · Jan 26, 2013

The price floor on all those 2009 iMacs 27 is no less than 900 because of the target display option. Too many people get way too caught up in the specs - they forget the display holds its value - basically a 27 Cinema Display. So 1300 - you getting the computer for 400 bucks. Great price. I'd say ~ 1500 range.

lali · Jan 26, 2013

Jmpage2. Please be sure to let us know how much an improvement it makes for your encodes

Some reading for you; and you can benchmark your machines as well. ,i really need to spend some time to add recent results to the main page
http://https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1119583/

Enjoy

----------

And yes I think now is the time to sell. If only for usb2

jmpage2 · Jan 26, 2013

Link doesn't seem to be working.

From what I can tell encodes are 30% faster at least. Another bonus is that when doing huge batch encodes that run for hours the Mac never gets that warm and the fans don't spool into over-drive as they did on the 2009.

GGJstudios · Jan 26, 2013

jmpage2 said:
Link doesn't seem to be working.

Fixed link: It's Benchmark Time for iMac owners ! *Updated with results*

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