Pawn shop/used displays for Mac mini

[WilliApple]

Dear MacRumors community,

I got a new Mac mini for Christmas, and while I already have a 1080p display for my Mac mini, I believe that I should get a second display for it.

Im wondering if anyone has bought a display from ebay/a pawn shop, and your experience with it.
And has anyone successfully bought a 4K display from ebay/a pawn shop? Someone recommended 4k for my next display.

If so, what else should I look for if any.

 

[Fishrrman]

I doubt you'll find many folks here who bought their display from a pawn shop.
Especially a 4k display.

Buy from a "known good" source.
Spend a little more.
My fearless prediction is that things will go better that way.

 

[Thirio2]

I bought my Asus 27” 4k monitor from Facebook marketplace for $60 and aside from being a little dirty from storage, it is fine.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Like buying anything used with no warranty, it's a crap shoot. You might luck out and get a monitor that will last for many years or you might get one on its last legs that soon fails and you are just OUT whatever you pay for it.

Fishrrman offered best advice. Find/earn the money and buy yourself a great monitor.

 

[Monotremata]

I had good luck buying CRT's this way back in the day but I don't know if I would trust it with LED/LCD displays.. Those already have an iffy finite life on them, so make sure you get one from the get go with a warranty intact..

If you happen to find a ViewSonic you want, hit me up and I can see if the customer service department has any discount codes to give out (you'll have to buy it direct though).

 

[Kenny99]

If your city has any Computer Stores / Repair Shops check them out.That way you would be able to see the CRT before you buy it.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

TBH I haven’t looked at displays in a pawn shop… they’re so inexpensive brand-new these days I’d be surprised if the cost is all that much better. For electronics I’d be pretty picky… I would not buy “used” without some warranty protection.

 

[Alameda]

Pawn shops usually have terrible electronics and their prices are often just as bad.

Some items should only be bought used if you have expertise in what you’re buying. Monitors can have uneven backlights or dead/hot pixels, and you need to know how to look for that. And then there’s the spec of the monitor itself. Brand new 4K monitors are so cheap that you should probably just get a new one, unless the pawn shop sells you a fully working display for 1/3 or 1/4 the cost of a new one.

 

[Astuces iOS]

Buy apple studio display bro 😎!

 

[dgalvan123]

I recommend FB marketplace for stuff like this. Sure, no warranty, but you're only risking small amounts of money and in all likelihood it's going to be just fine for what you need.

I bought two 4k Samsung 27" monitors from other folks off Facebook Marketplace. One is a U28E510D, the other is a LU28E590DS/ZA. $50 each, so I now have 2 4k monitors running off my M4 Mac Mini at a total cost of $100. (This was less than half the cost I would have paid for a single new 4k 27" monitor.) No shipping, just drove to their place, had them demo the monitor worked, gave them $50 and walked away with a new-to-me monitor.

28" UE510 UHD Monitor (Refurbished) Monitors - LU28E510DS/ZA-R | Samsung US

Discover the latest features and innovations available in the 28 inches UE510 UHD Monitor (Refurbished). Find the perfect Monitors for you!

www.samsung.com

28" UHD Monitor with Eco Saving Plus | LU28E590DS/ZA | Samsung Canada

U28E590D

www.samsung.com

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I recommend FB marketplace for stuff like this. Sure, no warranty, but you're only risking small amounts of money and in all likelihood it's going to be just fine for what you need.

I bought two 4k Samsung 27" monitors from other folks off Facebook Marketplace. One is a U28E510D, the other is a LU28E590DS/ZA. $50 each, so I now have 2 4k monitors running off my M4 Mac Mini at a total cost of $100. (This was less than half the cost I would have paid for a single new 4k 27" monitor.) No shipping, just drove to their place, had them demo the monitor worked, gave them $50 and walked away with a new-to-me monitor.

28" UE510 UHD Monitor (Refurbished) Monitors - LU28E510DS/ZA-R | Samsung US

Discover the latest features and innovations available in the 28 inches UE510 UHD Monitor (Refurbished). Find the perfect Monitors for you!

www.samsung.com

28" UHD Monitor with Eco Saving Plus | LU28E590DS/ZA | Samsung Canada

U28E590D

www.samsung.com

The U28E is the exact monitor I bought two of… from a local pawn shop. ("Pawn shop" isn't really the right word for this place, though. By law here, they do have to offer buyback like a traditional pawn shop, but they specialize in electronics with the expectation that you are outright selling things to them for resale, not letting them hold on to it for a loan.)

Bought them years ago, and only just replaced them about a year ago. They've been great (my wife is now using them replacing HER single 1080p.)

 

[JPack]

I recommend FB marketplace for stuff like this. Sure, no warranty, but you're only risking small amounts of money and in all likelihood it's going to be just fine for what you need.

I bought two 4k Samsung 27" monitors from other folks off Facebook Marketplace. One is a U28E510D, the other is a LU28E590DS/ZA. $50 each, so I now have 2 4k monitors running off my M4 Mac Mini at a total cost of $100. (This was less than half the cost I would have paid for a single new 4k 27" monitor.) No shipping, just drove to their place, had them demo the monitor worked, gave them $50 and walked away with a new-to-me monitor.

28" UE510 UHD Monitor (Refurbished) Monitors - LU28E510DS/ZA-R | Samsung US

Discover the latest features and innovations available in the 28 inches UE510 UHD Monitor (Refurbished). Find the perfect Monitors for you!

www.samsung.com

28" UHD Monitor with Eco Saving Plus | LU28E590DS/ZA | Samsung Canada

U28E590D

www.samsung.com

Had to look up those models to see why they were so cheap. Wow, did not realize TN panels were still a thing in the 4K era.

 

[Starfia]

(Personal ads like Craigslist are a third similar avenue.)

There's nothing inherently wrong with doing that – there are just fewer guarantees and warranties, so try to be a good shopper and ask appropriate questions to confirm you're getting what you think you are. Sometimes they're a great way to spend very little on something you'll use for ages.

 

[MacPoulet]

Have you looked at University/College surplus? Usually they're on 3-5 year rotations and often will be in great shape. About ten years ago, I picked up a 4,1 Mac Pro for $150CDN and it's still running strong.

 

[Monotremata]

Have you looked at University/College surplus? Usually they're on 3-5 year rotations and often will be in great shape. About ten years ago, I picked up a 4,1 Mac Pro for $150CDN and it's still running strong.

That's actually a great idea heh. I was the 'desktop/network tech' for the Facilities department at UCSB from like 2002-2009 or so (around when the state budget dropped out). Sometimes units didnt even last 'in the field' that long depending on the user. The Central Stores department was where all the old stuff/recycling went, and two days a week it was open to the public to come in. Stuff there was DIRT CHEAP, and sometimes you can find cool **** like Sun workstations and stuff, three or four of the G4 towers I have in the garage came from there for free, and I was able to score a couple 'pizza box' Mac's and some other old stuff that way. Remember this was 20 something years ago, so Im sure it's much newer tech being thrown out now hahaha.

And remember, the state unis have to spend all their budget by the end of the fiscal year or they don't get it back. We had a buying frenzy every year around the end of May/beginning of June and that included random workstations because you had to spend the money somehow, so someone's not very old machine was going to central stores in a bit..