Do you save money by Buying/Reselling or just Keeping till Death?

[sukanas]

So w/ the new iMac popping out, couple of questions came to mind.

Seems like a lot of people on this forum love the latest technology so they sell to get the latest. Of course some money is lost and it can be anywhere around at LEAST 800 dollars (considering age of technology, ebay/paypal fees, and apple tax). But in the long run, they get an extra life span of their computer life.

I also seem to think that keeping it for life would also save a lot of money too.. Especially since buying/reselling would happen often cause technology moves so fast. So a typical computer life span would be around 5 years... and after that five years, that computer MIGHT get you 300-400 dollars...

So lets do the math (please keep in mind that this is simple a sUPER ROUGH estimate) Buying reselling within 5 years will probably cost you at least 1600 dollars (upgrading every 2.5 years?). However, within the end of 5 years, you'll have the latest computer paying 1600 dollars

Keeping your computer for five years will simply lose you 1500 dollars (100 dollar resell) and buying a new computer can cost you another 2000 dollars.


Of course my math is EXTREMELY off, obviously. But I hope you guys see where I'm getting at. So I'm just curious as to what you guys think, financially esp., as to whether you guys prefer keeping your computer or constantly upgrading

 

[Nautilus007]

calc

I have thought this out for me to get a new mac every year and selling the old one. Always going for the midrange to low highend model it would cost me 5000.00 in 10 years. If you get a discount on the purchased machines they usually keep their value and you can usually upgrade to the new machines for a 100-200.00 price.

 

[sukanas]

thanks for your info! its helped a lot

 

[ViViDboarder]

Damn... I've never even thought of selling one of my computers.

I can't begin to think of parting with one of my babies. I'm relatively new to Mac's though. (Bought my first and only Mac, a MacBook Pro, back in 2006)

I'm more of a keep my computer until it dies... And then buy a new one. Then I just stock pile computers! I currently have 4 (in my sig) and I'm looking to buy an iMac or Mac Mini this weekend.

 

[psingh01]

I usually keep my laptops for 3 years then replace. If my old one still works I try to sell it on ebay to recover some of the cost.

2004 bought 15" Powerbook ~$2400
2007 bought 17" MacBook Pro ~$2400 (ebayed Powerbook for $1000) so MBP was $1400

I will try to do the same when I replace my current MBP. I don't think you save anything if you resell afater 6 months and lose 30% or more of the value. If you can make it last longer then I think you get the ultimate value. Some people don't need the fastest. My friend has had a PowerMac for 9 years and only now is looking to upgrade.

I still have my old PowerMac 9600. I've had it since 1998 and don't ever plan to sell it

 

[Blinkwing]

I keep my computers til death do us part.

Then I just buy a new one with what money I can scrape together.

 

[splitpea]

Keep till death. There's a lot of time and headache invested in re-configuring and customizing a new computer, especially if you run software (from MacPorts in my case) that can't be migrated directly but needs to be recompiled; and additional time and headache invested in finding someone to buy the old computer.

Well, almost death. Until it's no longer useful *for me*. I seem to end up selling at around a $300 value, which isn't bad for a 3-5 y/o computer.

 

[rdowty]

I thought I'd chime in since most people are going the other way. First let me say I'm a programmer and a geek so I may not be typical.

For the last few years what I've done is buy the middle of the road MBP and then I eBay and upgrade when a new one comes out each time. I usually end up getting about 2/3 of the purchase price but I don't have to buy Apple Care.

I'm my experience if I keep a laptop two years when I sell I get about 1/3 of the purchase price so if the depreciation is 1/3 a year no matter if it's one or two might as well sell it after one and get incremental speed bumps more often.

The downside is that it can be a hassle because often new products have quirks especially in the first batch but since keeping a laptop 3 years is not likely for me what I do seems to work. 18 months would be an ideal cycle if there were a 2 year warranty.

 

[optophobia]

I actually buy a new one every year.
Until this year this has been true for both my mac mini and macbook.

I sell the one year old computer on ebay, for at least 75% every time. SOmetimes I get more than 100% back (I am nit sure why but that just happens)
Example - Just sold my mac mini (2007 model - bought in 2008) for just under $600 and COULD buy the latest one for the same price, but think I may opt for the $799 model this time .

The only downside is I have to reinstall everything every year...

 

[iOrlando]

i have never sold any piece of technology.

if I dont want it and there is no private info on it (ipod touch). i give it away to family member/friend for free.

 

[Happy Luppy]

Usually any of my electronic devices that i've owned lasted for 3 years, so when it hit it's 3rd anniversary, i would usually purchase a new one.

Technology is revolving so fast, so i don't the need to "rush" to always buy the newest and best.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Bought my MacBook in 2007 for 1200 including 4GB RAM. Sold it last night for 675 on eBay, still in okay condition, it was getting old. New MacBook Pro today will cost me 1522 with everything. So new mac is under 900, I'm extremely happy with that.

 

[ViViDboarder]

Usually any of my electronic devices that i've owned lasted for 3 years, so when it hit it's 3rd anniversary, i would usually purchase a new one.

Technology is revolving so fast, so i don't the need to "rush" to always buy the newest and best.

That's exactly how I feel.

Also, if a machine works, I'm going to use it. My Macbook Pro is old now but it still runs very well. I may rip it apart and do a little modding to make it feel like a new toy again though now that my Apple Care is over.

 

[Hitrate]

That's one of the many reasons I'm getting a mac...bought a maxed out Zepto laptop almost 5 years (!) ago for over $3000, can't practically sell it for anything these days even though it's still an okay machine...the company is bankrupt, and the pc won't sell. So I'm giving it to my mom for free as soon as the i5/i7 macbook pro 17" comes out which i'll probably configure with ssd and maxed out cpu. Sell that one in a year or two, when there's a REAL upgrade to the macbook pro's (usb 3, even newer cpu's etc.) and by then, I'll hopefully be able to sell the macbook pro and get enough for it, that purchasing a new won't be as drastic a reach in my pocket as it will be this time!

 

[MacMini2009]

I'm not rich so I'm never going to sell my Mac Mini to get a new version.

Cellphones on another hand are different because you have the option to get a new phone depending on your contract. Plus they are cheap and you could sell your old one for a good price. I'm keeping my HTC Droid Eris until my 2 year contract ends and see if any new phone is worthy.

 

[flakes8]

I'm not rich so I'm never going to sell my Mac Mini to get a new version.

Cellphones on another hand are different because you have the option to get a new phone depending on your contract. Plus they are cheap and you could sell your old one for a good price. I'm keeping my HTC Droid Eris until my 2 year contract ends and see if any new phone is worthy.

That would be an iPhone !!!!

 

[MacMini2009]

That would be an iPhone !!!!

iPhone 6G? Lol.

 

[yojitani]

Yes. I'm Mr. Revolving door. It irritates me about me. I generally try to stay a little ahead of the wave so I'll sell before an update and often replace with the version before an update. So for example, a year ago I sold my macbook 1.83 before a revision (can't remember which) and bought a mbp 1.83 for as much as I sold the mb for. This year I bought a newer (late 08 mbp) and will sell the older mbp for about as much as I bought it for a year ago. The mb I sold last year isn't anywhere near the same value...

 

[Mal]

Well, I haven't been in a position to buy my own stuff to have developed a specific habit, but I've had a new computer every 2-3 years for the past few years. I didn't buy them, however, and likely wouldn't have replaced my computers by choice until they hit about 4 years or if something new came out that would significantly affect my computer usage. I guess I'm closer to the keep till death end of the spectrum, but not because of an emotional attachment, I just figure why not get the best value I can out of the items I buy. For me, that's keeping them until it no longer makes sense to use them, then replacing them with something current.

jW

 

[student_trap]

macs do keep their value exceptionally well, however I never sell my computers, I just pass them on to members of my family that need them

 

[talmy]

I've bought 17 computers since 1979 and have only sold 3 of them. 8 are still in use and the rest I gave away.

 

[JoeSixPack]

4 years between upgrades on the desktop Mac seems to be the number. Less than that and you pay too much, and if I hold out for 5 years the Mac OS outgrows the processor and parts start to fail at inconvenient times.

 

[techound1]

Don't think of it as buying a new computer, think of renting the technology from the march of time.

 

[dreary]

i have my very first laptop from when i was 13 (2003)... sentimental value i guess.

 

[splitpea]

i have my very first laptop from when i was 13 (2003)... sentimental value i guess.

Thank you for making me feel OLD!