Used Mac mini (2018) vs M1 Mac mini price

[TallManNY]

I was thinking about treating myself to an M1 Mac mini upgrade from my Mac mini 2018. I took a look at eBay prices for Mac mini (2018) as I either sell or hand down my used Apple hardware and I don't have anyone who would like my Mac mini (everyone I know uses laptops or iMacs). The prices seem quite high and it looks like I could pretty much sell my 2018 i5 Mac mini for about the same price as the base model M1 Mac mini.

I do standard office type work from home. So while I use my computer all the time, it is only intermittently taxed by the occasional large excel file or a particularly complicated PDF. My 2018 is plenty of power. But if I can just swap it out for a M1 at, maybe $150 total upgrade price, I might as well do it.

Why are 2018s selling in used market for so much?

 

[velocityg4]

The used market for Mac has always been crazy high. There’s just high demand from people who want a Mac but can’t or won’t pay the new prices. At any rate the sold prices aren’t particularly remarkable. $675 to $750 for the base i5 if the RAM is upgraded by the owner to 32GB.

 

[glenthompson]

Look at actual selling prices, not listing price. Often a big difference. Some people have an overinflated opinion of what their Mac is worth. Intel Macs should hold value for awhile due to people needing to run Windows via boot camp or virtualization.

 

[TallManNY]

Look at actual selling prices, not listing price. Often a big difference. Some people have an overinflated opinion of what their Mac is worth. Intel Macs should hold value for awhile due to people needing to run Windows via boot camp or virtualization.

Good point. But filtering for Sold also showed high prices. Maybe it is folks realizing this is the last cheap desktop that can run MacOS, all your programs, and boot camp. Tons of folks must be going to the used market since Apple is selling only one configuration of the old model and it is for $1,099.

Anyway, I think I can sell my 2018 Mac mini and get at least $550. That goes a long way towards a $699 2020 M1 Mac mini.

 

[TallManNY]

The used market for Mac has always been crazy high. There’s just high demand from people who want a Mac but can’t or won’t pay the new prices. At any rate the sold prices aren’t particularly remarkable. $675 to $750 for the base i5 if the RAM is upgraded by the owner to 32GB.

That doesn't seem remarkable to you? Basically $150 less than a new M1 that is (A) new and (B) will vastly outperform the 2018 right now and probably be even faster once all software is M1 native in a year.

 

[Mac... nificent]

I have a 2018 Mac mini with 32Gigs RAM. I also bought the M1.

I'm so happy that I bought the M1...

 

[velocityg4]

That doesn't seem remarkable to you? Basically $150 less than a new M1 that is (A) new and (B) will vastly outperform the 2018 right now and probably be even faster once all software is M1 native in a year.

It doesn’t seem remarkable because it’s usual for the previous model to sell for only a little less than a new current model. Especially low end models. High end models drop more significantly.

That’s just the way the used Mac market has been for a long time. It may be ridiculous. But that’s the way it is. Heck a 2015 13” MBP still goes for over $400. Even my 2010 MBP 13” and 2009 iMac 21.5” can fetch $150 or more.

I’d even say this drop is bigger than usual.