well i posted my dual 2ghz Power Mac G5 w/ 20" apple display and 24" soyo for $2000 2 days ago and have yet to hear from anyone...please share you tips for selling so quickly. I don't think my price is unreasonable...is it?
The trick is that the item you are selling has to have a demand in the area you are selling, and your price has to match with what the local buyers are willing to pay.
To many, the G5 systems are of little interest. So, that may be working against you.
So, while $2000 may seem like a reasonable price to one, that price also needs to be within the value that your potential local buyers will also place on it.
Some people wouldn't buy a G5 at any price. Some people would pay $1400 or so for it. I don't think you'll find many buyers for it in the $2000 price bracket.
Personally, I would separate the computer from it's display. I'd sell the computer first (holding onto the display). Start in the $1300 to $1500 range. Then work down.
Within your ad, you could state that you also have a monitor available to those that are interested, and list an asking price for the monitor.
That way, the initial price will not immediately turn people away, but you also have the option of letting the buyer purchase the complete package.
Then, if you do sell the computer by itself, place a separate individual listing for the monitor.
You see, that way you've kept the monitor to help you sell the system. But, if the system sells by itself, you can then sell the monitor to get a little more money.
I hate to say that someone is asking too much. But, the G5 has a rep. And, it's hard for many to get past that.
I myself suffered through two G5 duds that were always in need of service.
So, for myself, I wouldn't pay more than about $100 for anything with a G5 in it. I know that they are worth more than that. But, given my experience, I'd have to buy it cheap enough that I wouldn't get upset if I had to throw it out.
I also see various iMac G5 systems come up in the $300 range quite frequently (locally), and they don't sell either. I suspect that it's also due to the G5 reputation and lack of local interest.
For the items that are harder to sell, sometimes e-bay is the only way. It's a numbers thing. More lookers means potentially finding that one person who wants what you have.
For high demand items, Craigslist works great.
We went through the house recently, and cleared out everything we didn't want anymore. We posted things in batches, and within the day almost everything we posted was gone. The next day we posted another group of items, and almost everything was again gone by the end of the day.
We got calls starting within two minutes of posting, and basically I said whoever shows up at my door first gets it. There was a lot of competition, and I even had some people offering more to insure they could get it.
I even sold a couple of automobiles. And, while putting them on a "Park and Sell" lot would cost me fees, and they'd sit for 2 to 3 months, they sold within minutes on Craigslist (with no selling fees and were paid for in cash). I had immediate calls, and they were purchased by the first people to look at them. I had several more calls throughout the day (even after canceling the posting by those that had printed out the ad but called later). I could have sold each car 10 or 15 times (if only I had more of them).
Now, sure, out of the couple hundred items I put up for sale, I did have about 10 or so items that didn't sell. So, I waited a week, and put up a second listing for them at a lower price.
After lowering the price, several of those items sold. And, the ones that didn't, I donated to a local thrift shop.
In the end, demand and price determine how fast an item sells.
From my experience, I would say that if it hasn't sold in two days, then you are asking more for it than the local market will pay.
If the demand is there, and the price is right, then you'll have a hard time holding onto the item with the flood of calls you'll receive.
Stumbling blocks for the G5 are going to be:
1) it's reputation
2) the fact that Apple has switched to Intel, and people are aware that the G5's days of support are numbered (yes it's got a few years left, but $2000 is a lot for some people to spend on something that they know is being phased out or has been phased out).
3) that they can get a new 2 GHz quad-core for around $2200 with a factory warranty (although it won't have a monitor). But, then monitors are only $100 to $300 depending on what someone wants. If a 19-inch screen is sufficient, then that will only cost them between $100 and $170 depending on the brand and local sales. Current price for a 19-inch locally is $149 for an LCD.
Myself, I would be saying: I can get a new Mac Pro 2 GHz with 4 processor cores for $2200, or I can get an older 2 GHz G5 for $2000. I think I'll get the Mac Pro and buy a monitor for $150. $2350 for a new system with current support, or $2000 for one that was replaced while back and based on completely different technology.
I think that most likely what is causing your delay is lack of local demand for a G5 system.
You have to first find a local Mac user (which can be hard in some towns - especially mine). Then, you have to find a Mac User who is interested in a G5. Then, said user has to agree that it's worth what you are asking. Sometimes it's hard to find such a user.
In your situation, if reducing the price and selling it without the monitor doesn't work, then you may need to use e-bay. Alternatively, you could post it for sale here on Mac Rumors, and let people discuss the price with you until you manage to come to an agreement on price with someone.
With my last G5 system, I had a hard time getting rid of it. I found several buyers. But, none willing to pay what it was worth at the time (and this is prior to any knowledge of the Intel systems ever coming out). What I finally did, was start of bit of an offering system. I settled on parting out the system a bit. I found a buyer who said I'll give you $1000 and an old G3 iMac for it in a reduced configuration (they would pay all the shipping both directions). So, I took out the upgrades and parts they were willing to go without.
Then, I sold those parts to other buyers. In the end, I ended up with more money than I could get out of the whole system as one package. And, I got a G3 system for my daughter
I do wish you luck.
