Prepping to sell a Mac (questions)

[NewtypeCJ]

I've never actually sold a computer I've owned before (mostly I'd just trade them in to those second-hand computer shops). But I recently upgraded to one of the new iMacs and...well, it doesn't make sense for me to keep the other one and since the old one's not completely obsolete I figure I could/should sell it. But I have some questions first...

1) I don't do very much eBay selling, especially of larger-ticket, potentially fragile items. Any advice if I end up listing the computer there? Any horror stories? I've had one bad experience on eBay and it was for a larger-ticket item unfortunately. :'(

2) Would I have better luck trying to sell locally through Craigslist? (Alternately, I may offer it to friends and co-workers first.)

3) What would a fair price likely be for an 20" G5 iMac 2.0Ghz with a 500GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM? I'd throw in iLife 06 since I'm on '08 with my new computer.

Thanks much!

 

[wakerider017]

I've never actually sold a computer I've owned before (mostly I'd just trade them in to those second-hand computer shops). But I recently upgraded to one of the new iMacs and...well, it doesn't make sense for me to keep the other one and since the old one's not completely obsolete I figure I could/should sell it. But I have some questions first...

1) I don't do very much eBay selling, especially of larger-ticket, potentially fragile items. Any advice if I end up listing the computer there? Any horror stories? I've had one bad experience on eBay and it was for a larger-ticket item unfortunately. :'(

2) Would I have better luck trying to sell locally through Craigslist? (Alternately, I may offer it to friends and co-workers first.)

3) What would a fair price likely be for an 20" G5 iMac 2.0Ghz with a 500GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM? I'd throw in iLife 06 since I'm on '08 with my new computer.

Thanks much!

eBay would yield the highest price, go to advanced search and search completed listings for your G5 to see what others have sold for...

 

[imacfreak85]

I try to sell locally, that way the person can see the computer first, and most importantly.. you dont have to ship it. My boyfriend has a horror story of selling his Mac through ebay. It may or may not have been damaged during shipping, but shortly after arriving at its location.. the buyer said the computer didnt work and complained to ebay and paypal to get a refund. My boyfriend had insured the computer, but you have to contact the shipper within a certain amount of time before you cant claim damages anymore. So, buyer wanted money back, even though it wasnt my boyfriends fault the computer didnt work. So, in short.. make sure you get insurance for the computer, and be in direct contact with your buyer, and .. if you can, try to sell it locally. For prices, you can check any used mac online store, ebay, etc. I would guess it would be around $1000, considering you can get a brand new iMac for $1199.

 

[MikeL]

Craigslist is great, if you are a little patient. I disagree with the notion that eBay yields the best price. I recently sold my G5 2.0 for $1,500 on CL, where as on eBay they're going for $900-$1,300, with most being around $1,000-$1,100.

CL takes some time and patience. I've sold three computers and an iPod via CL, and each time I've gotten more than I would have on eBay. For this last one, it took two months during which I posted 18 ads. That's not as much work as it may sound like to the uninitiated. The iPod went in a matter of days, and the two laptops took a few weeks each.

Yes, you deal with some characters with CL. There are scammers (they're incredibly easy to spot), low-ballers, and lots of nibbles without bites. Eventually the right buyer comes along, though.

In short, eBay offers lower prices, charges fees, and less control over the process. CL offers complete control, no fees, and the ability to wait for a deal that is to your liking. eBay is also largely anonymous, which might be more comfortable for some people. The folks I've met through CL deals have all been great.

 

[NewtypeCJ]

Thanks for the help, all. I'm going to try my luck on Craigslist first, then if I don't get any bites I'll move to eBay. Is it wise to ask a Craigslist buyer to pay in cash only? I know there are a lot of scammers out there...

 

[teflon]

Yes, cash and cash only. Do a face to face meeting in a public place, he/she gives you the money, you count it, then give them the computer. If you aren't gonna deal in cash, then you might as well as do ebay.

 

[imacfreak85]

Also, if you do craigslist, know that you will get scammer emails. You can usually tell because its badly written and the person says they are from another country and they always offer you more than your asking price to make it more appealing. Just dont do it. If you sell on craigslist, just deal with local people.

 

[NewtypeCJ]

Also, if you do craigslist, know that you will get scammer emails. You can usually tell because its badly written and the person says they are from another country and they always offer you more than your asking price to make it more appealing. Just dont do it. If you sell on craigslist, just deal with local people.

Oddly enough I got one of those very email this morning. I think I'll ignore.

 

[Kaiser Phoenix]

I sell many things on ebay FB > 240 (used to be silver Pwrseller).

Whichever method u use to sell ebay or CL, you should do this:

Ive sold about 10 laptops (no desktops) before and what I would advise you to do FIRST is to completely erase your hard-drive.

By this I dont mean a simple format but the more time-staking Zero-overs in the Disk utility. People can extract data very easily so make sure your data is completely erased!

Secondly if you use ebay, ship only to confirmed address, use a trackable courrier AND put insurance. Get the buyers full address and PHONE number as well.

best of luck!