15" MacBook Pro depreciation $$$$$

[joeperry]

Saved $600 by buying the base model 15" because my needs are very minimal even though I was very tempted to go for the $2599 spec model which would have been overkill.

I am going to actually put the $600 away in a bank account and use those funds for an upgrade 1.5 to 2 years from now to newest base model MacBook Pro.

What type of depreciation is everyone expecting on the 15" Haswell MacBook Pro ? $300-$400 per year not counting taxes ? I assume if exactly 2 years from now the newest 15" has a MAJOR redesign with regards to thinner size,lower weight and 4k screen resolution that the Haswell models might drop to 50% of original selling price ?

My last mac is almost 8 years old so who knows if I will really follow through with my plan to upgrade every 2 years when my warranty ends but I could be tempted if there are some massive improvements in the next 2 years.

 

[ducatiti]

Saved $600 by buying the base model 15" because my needs are very minimal even though I was very tempted to go for the $2599 spec model which would have been overkill.

I am going to actually put the $600 away in a bank account and use those funds for an upgrade 1.5 to 2 years from now to newest base model MacBook Pro.

What type of depreciation is everyone expecting on the 15" Haswell MacBook Pro ? $300-$400 per year not counting taxes ? I assume if exactly 2 years from now the newest 15" has a MAJOR redesign with regards to thinner size,lower weight and 4k screen resolution that the Haswell models might drop to 50% of original selling price ?

My last mac is almost 8 years old so who knows if I will really follow through with my plan to upgrade every 2 years when my warranty ends but I could be tempted if there are some massive improvements in the next 2 years.

i've purchased both the base 13" Macbook Pro and Air in the past with the $100 off discount. I was able to sell them both at the same price I bought them for, pre-tax.

I would say it is wise to buy the base model if you want to sell it a year after. So basically, you can sell them 10% the purchase price after a year.

I was able to buy my base Late 2013 15" Retina for $1799 and plan to sell it for the same price next year when Broadwell comes out.

 

[Windows&Apple]

i've purchased both the base 13" Macbook Pro and Air in the past with the $100 off discount. I was able to sell them both at the same price I bought them for, pre-tax.

I would say it is wise to buy the base model if you want to sell it a year after. So basically, you can sell them 10% the purchase price after a year.

I was able to buy my base Late 2013 15" Retina for $1799 and plan to sell it for the same price next year when Broadwell comes out.

How did you get it for $1799? Tell us your secret, master.

 

[aiyaaabatt]

How did you get it for $1799? Tell us your secret, master.

You won't get $1800 for it next year when Broadwell comes out. Expect ~$1400 +/- $100 for it exactly one year from now. If you sell it ~1-2 months before Broadwell releases, add $100 to that estimate.

 

[ducatiti]

How did you get it for $1799? Tell us your secret, master.

Best Buy gave a price match for the lower end 15 inch but gave me the discount for the $2599 model, which is $200.

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You won't get $1800 for it next year when Broadwell comes out. Expect ~$1400 +/- $100 for it exactly one year from now. If you sell it ~1-2 months before Broadwell releases, add $100 to that estimate.

I can sell it at $1750 if I included some apps with it

 

[johnnylarue]

Seems like $500 per year depreciation is about average for the expensive 15" models. The cheaper student-friendly models in the $1000-$1200 range hold their value much better.

There are a lot of people in my area trying to get $1800+ for their 15" 2012 base rMBPs, but the only ones that sell tend to go for $1400-$1500. That's really not great considering their original $2200 asking price. But I suspect you'll still be able to get $1200 for one this time next year, especially with AppleCare. The first year hurts the most.

 

[thekev]

Ahh you're way off in terms of depreciation. When a new model comes out, refurbished pricing drops. If you're selling in a company where Apple carries refurbished stock, you are competing against them. There are also semi-disposable parts that wear out. Keyboard condition matters, and eventual battery replacement will lower potential used value. The lack of a warranty also increases risk on the buyer end, but Applecare won't necessarily alleviate this as it's yet another cost. There are some people on here who buy annually. This way they don't have to deal with several of these issues. By the time their warranty expires, they're selling a machine that has only experienced a year of wear and tear. Upgrades often carry the worst depreciation, as included storage and ram will change over time. Another thing to consider is that the lower priced machines have become suitable for an increasing number of users, so they may opt for a new 13" over a used 15".

I can sell it at $1750 if I included some apps with it

Including installed software that you don't own is dishonest and only works on idiot buyers. I've never personally tried it, but if they were okay with pirated software, they could download it themselves. Any software license agreement you agree to indicates that the license is not transferable.

 

[john123]

You won't get $1800 for it next year when Broadwell comes out. Expect ~$1400 +/- $100 for it exactly one year from now. If you sell it ~1-2 months before Broadwell releases, add $100 to that estimate.

I have a lot of experience doing the "flip"—I've been doing it for about a decade—and I can definitively say that these numbers are too low. Assuming you live near an urban area, you'll definitely be able to get over $1400, even after Broadwell comes out. Base models hold their values pretty well. A well-written ad should be able to fetch $1650 or so.

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The lack of a warranty also increases risk on the buyer end, but Applecare won't necessarily alleviate this as it's yet another cost. There are some people on here who buy annually. This way they don't have to deal with several of these issues. By the time their warranty expires, they're selling a machine that has only experienced a year of wear and tear.

+1 to this strategy. Advertising your machine as still being under Apple's 1-year warranty, should anything go wrong, and letting buyers know they can buy AppleCare on their own for an additional 2 years of protection commands more buyer trust (and thus a price premium). It's a hassle, certainly, but economically it works quite well.

 

[thekev]

+1 to this strategy. Advertising your machine as still being under Apple's 1-year warranty, should anything go wrong, and letting buyers know they can buy AppleCare on their own for an additional 2 years of protection commands more buyer trust (and thus a price premium). It's a hassle, certainly, but economically it works quite well.

I haven't personally tested it, but I noted that others on here have chosen that route as it provides them with some amount of certainty that they won't be hit with out of warranty repairs while applying the savings on Applecare and ram/ssd upgrades to the next machine, as standard configurations do change over time. The ultimate thing to kill used value would be strong year to year upgrades at the low end. If that macbook air becomes much more desirable than the last, people are (justifiably) more likely to go for the new one there over the older 15". I suspect macbook airs and 13" mbps carry some of the lowest depreciation in terms of absolute dollars, because those buyers won't have to worry about the low end catching up.

 

[john123]

I haven't personally tested it, but I noted that others on here have chosen that route as it provides them with some amount of certainty that they won't be hit with out of warranty repairs while applying the savings on Applecare and ram/ssd upgrades to the next machine, as standard configurations do change over time. The ultimate thing to kill used value would be strong year to year upgrades at the low end. If that macbook air becomes much more desirable than the last, people are (justifiably) more likely to go for the new one there over the older 15". I suspect macbook airs and 13" mbps carry some of the lowest depreciation in terms of absolute dollars, because those buyers won't have to worry about the low end catching up.

Agreed on all counts. I've actually managed to make money upgrading a couple times. Go figure. A sucker is born every minute, and for some reason, they all log onto Craigslist.

 

[koban4max]

You won't get $1800 for it next year when Broadwell comes out. Expect ~$1400 +/- $100 for it exactly one year from now. If you sell it ~1-2 months before Broadwell releases, add $100 to that estimate.

AHhh i see....thanks for tip.