Used MBA prices. Ridiculous.

[stchman]

I recently purchased a MBA and like it.

When doing my shopping I thought I might look at a lightly used MBA.

It seems that most Apple owners people are delusional in that a USED MBA can command as much if not MORE than a new MBA.

I know Apple products tend to hold their value better than others, but what makes people think that a 2011 MBA is worth as much as a brand new 2012 MBA?

I don't care how well you took care of your MBA, it is not going to be as good as a brand new one.

 

[Acorn]

I have noticed the same trend on ebay for gift cards. 100 dollar gift card starts off at 80. goes up to 105. grats. you won it 5 dollars more then the apple store. time after time again people bidding more then what the gift card is worth. just to win.

 

[Nitrocide]

I have noticed the same trend on ebay for gift cards. 100 dollar gift card starts off at 80. goes up to 105. grats. you won it 5 dollars more then the apple store. time after time again people bidding more then what the gift card is worth. just to win.

Nuts

 

[Madlamz]

Where have you been looking? I just upgraded from a 2008 13" unibody Macbook to a 2011 13" MBA i5 1.7/4gb/128gb. Got it for $900 practically brand new (Battery only had 50 cycles) and still has 6 months of Applecare on it.

 

[Chipg]

I have noticed the same trend on ebay for gift cards. 100 dollar gift card starts off at 80. goes up to 105. grats. you won it 5 dollars more then the apple store. time after time again people bidding more then what the gift card is worth. just to win.

Where I live with tax (9.9%) a $100 gift card costs $109.90 so I'd save $4.90 if they shipped it to me for free (from paying $105) because there is no tax

It's not nuts but if you do this I'm sure I could pull a diamond out of your a** because it's so tight. lol

 

[clyde2801]

I recently purchased a MBA and like it.

When doing my shopping I thought I might look at a lightly used MBA.

It seems that most Apple owners people are delusional in that a USED MBA can command as much if not MORE than a new MBA.

I know Apple products tend to hold their value better than others, but what makes people think that a 2011 MBA is worth as much as a brand new 2012 MBA?

I don't care how well you took care of your MBA, it is not going to be as good as a brand new one.

Back in the old power pc days....cpu and gpu updates were, to put it mildly, glacial. "Oooh....the g4 in the 15" powerbook got updated from 1.25 to 1.33 ghz this year!" And the true power users would sell their year old machines to gain that extra hour of productivity a year, and sell their 'old' systems for 80% of MSRP or more.

Some of that outdated attitude still exists in the oldtimers. As grand and giddy as the new systems and chips coming out of Cupertino are these days due to improved designs and the intel tick-tock upgrade cycle, it's a bit disheartening to see a pampered system be devalued by 40% or more in a single year. The $1700 ultimate mba from last year now is sold refurbished by apple for $1100, which means a used one is worth less, even with extended applecare and a whole bunch of extras included.

Of course, the good news is that a purchaser can grab a relatively little used system for 60% of the original MSRP if they don't require the latest and greatest. Just like the 1.25 and 1.33 ghz systems of yesteryear, I think you'd have to be Mister Freakin' Data to tell the difference between an '11 and '12 Air in everyday usage. Unlike days of yore, it's definitely a buyer's market.

Bookmark that CL ad and wait.....they'll definitely come to accept reality and come down off their unrealistic price, or say to hell with it and keep using their 'old' system.

 

[Nebrie]

I have noticed the same trend on ebay for gift cards. 100 dollar gift card starts off at 80. goes up to 105. grats. you won it 5 dollars more then the apple store. time after time again people bidding more then what the gift card is worth. just to win.

Actually, if you live overseas without a US credit card and want to buy apps off the US App store (aka the "good" app store), this is pretty much what you have to do so I'm not surprised.

 

[Sowelu]

I am waiting for my new 11" MBA to arrive - if I am happy with it, I will be selling my mint condition (mid-2011) 11" MBA (I am ridiculous when it comes to babying my Macs).

Not sure what I want to ask for it yet. It's the 11" with 1.6GHz i5, 4GB of RAM with a 128SSD). Both the display and SSD are Samsung.

I'll post it in the 'For Sale' forum when I am ready (if there is still such a forum here). A brand new one with the speed bumps would be $1100 - I'll probbly eBay it for $849 shipped and see if it moves.

I got $650 for my (maxed 3G) iPad 2, so there are definitely buyers out there.

 

[clyde2801]

I am waiting for my new 11" MBA to arrive - if I am happy with it, I will be selling my mint condition (mid-2011) 11" MBA (I am ridiculous when it comes to babying my Macs).

Not sure what I want to ask for it yet. It's the 11" with 1.6GHz i5, 4GB of RAM with a 128SSD). Both the display and SSD are Samsung.

I'll post it in the 'For Sale' forum when I am ready (if there is still such a forum here). A brand new one with the speed bumps would be $1100 - I'll probbly eBay it for $849 shipped and see if it moves.

I got $650 for my (maxed 3G) iPad 2, so there are definitely buyers out there.

Okay, gotta ask....what's the point in selling the 2011 and buying the next year's model? Been fighting off retina mbp mojo myself...but buying the same machine?

 

[Sowelu]

Okay, gotta ask....what's the point in selling the 2011 and buying the next year's model? Been fighting off retina mbp mojo myself...but buying the same machine?

Well, when I first got the 11" MBA last July the thought was that it would be my 'quick on-the-go' Mac for basic use (email, dialing into work, MobileMe apps, etc).

It immediately filled the larger MBP and iPad gap nicely, but little did I know how fast, sleek, light and usable the 11" MBA would be, and the more I used it, the more I realized that I would like (not really *need*) more storage and more memory.

I figured I'd wait for the next update to re-order with a bigger SSD and some more memory when the options become available. So, my new 11" with 8GB/256GB is on its way. There is nothing quit like the 11" MBA - it's what every NetBook should have been. A mini-MacBook on steroids that feels rock solid, runs silently and is extremely thin and light.

I won't even entertain the thought of 'Retina' MacBook (Air or Pro) until at least another year. Without retina supported apps, what's the point? I see how slow developers are updating their iPad 3 apps, so I can imagine that OS X apps will take a long time as well. I have zero tolerance for non-retina apps on a retina display.

I would have liked a small bump in the 11" display resolution and a black border-less bezel, but it looks like I am going to have to wait until the next update or two for that to happen.

 

[thekev]

Okay, gotta ask....what's the point in selling the 2011 and buying the next year's model? Been fighting off retina mbp mojo myself...but buying the same machine?

Sometimes it can kind of make sense. It's usually when you bought a machine that just barely met your needs or didn't really quite meet them but you bought it anyway because your factor. It can also be people who own the fastest mac pro but travel a lot. They may want something as close as possible when they're on the road. It could be that they put a lot of use on it and don't want to deal with things like battery servicing. It could be that they benefit greatly from the 8GB ram option. Like I said it's usually cases of people who are right on the edge of meeting their requirements that upgrade most often.

 

[Moshe1010]

Actually, if you live overseas without a US credit card and want to buy apps off the US App store (aka the "good" app store), this is pretty much what you have to do so I'm not surprised.

Actually, if you live overseas, you don't give a damn and download all the apps illegally.

 

[KPOM]

I recently purchased a MBA and like it.

When doing my shopping I thought I might look at a lightly used MBA.

It seems that most Apple owners people are delusional in that a USED MBA can command as much if not MORE than a new MBA.

I know Apple products tend to hold their value better than others, but what makes people think that a 2011 MBA is worth as much as a brand new 2012 MBA?

I don't care how well you took care of your MBA, it is not going to be as good as a brand new one.

Not me. I sold my 2011 11" Ultimate for $1100 and considered myself lucky. Computers lose value quickly. Base models are better for annual upgraders.

 

[scarred]

I recently purchased a MBA and like it.

When doing my shopping I thought I might look at a lightly used MBA.

It seems that most Apple owners people are delusional in that a USED MBA can command as much if not MORE than a new MBA.

I know Apple products tend to hold their value better than others, but what makes people think that a 2011 MBA is worth as much as a brand new 2012 MBA?

I don't care how well you took care of your MBA, it is not going to be as good as a brand new one.

Hey! A lot of us are pretty new converts. We were told Mac's hold their value! We were told Mac's could be resold for only a couple hundred bucks loss!

So we tried to do just that.

I guess "they" lied. I'm not going to give away my MBA 2011, but I did put "their" proclamations to the test to try and upgrade to 2012, and well, didn't work out for me.

 

[asting]

This isn't something exclusive to macbooks; it happens with pretty much every form of technology.

I notice it a lot with digital SLR cameras. I'll see cameras from 2007 listed for $50 under what they cost then.
"I paid $500 back in 07, so I think $450 is a fair price."
What these sellers don't take into account is any market movement. I can get a comparable camera for $300 new, yet they fail to realize that. The only value they assign is price history (not even current price) which is terrible.
Another segment I see it in pretty bad is video cards. A 2 generation old graphics card will be listed for $20 more than a new one that outperforms it. Sure the old one was the "high end" card at the time, but that doesn't change the fact that it sucks compared to entry level stuff now.

 

[KPOM]

Hey! A lot of us are pretty new converts. We were told Mac's hold their value! We were told Mac's could be resold for only a couple hundred bucks loss!

So we tried to do just that.

I guess "they" lied. I'm not going to give away my MBA 2011, but I did put "their" proclamations to the test to try and upgrade to 2012, and well, didn't work out for me.

Here's a hint. When Apple is selling refurbished models (with a full 1 year warranty) for less than what you are offering, then it might be a good idea to lower your price.

 

[scarred]

Here's a hint. When Apple is selling refurbished models (with a full 1 year warranty) for less than what you are offering, then it might be a good idea to lower your price.

I listed just below refurb level. My litmus test of "would I buy this", failed, but I tried it anyways... I really did believe that it would sell, though.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not really upset at all. This is the best computer I've ever owned, and that fact doesn't change even though something newer came out. My hopes of "yearly upgrades" have been sadly dashed is all.

 

[Biff...]

I just bought a semi new 2011 stock air for $650 on craigslist. It only had 40 cycles on the battery and five months of warranty left. I'm happy with the deal.

 

[dukebound85]

Where I live with tax (9.9%) a $100 gift card costs $109.90 so I'd save $4.90 if they shipped it to me for free (from paying $105) because there is no tax

It's not nuts but if you do this I'm sure I could pull a diamond out of your a** because it's so tight. lol

You should not be paying sales tax on a gc for the card itself. The taxes get taken when you use the gc

 

[26139]

Yep!

Not me. I sold my 2011 11" Ultimate for $1100 and considered myself lucky. Computers lose value quickly. Base models are better for annual upgraders.

Definitely right about the base model. I've sold my past three laptops (aluminum MB, c2d mbp, i5 mbp, all 13") for $700 each when they were about a year old. Cost about $400 to "rent" that computer for a year.

I like having a newer computer. I make my money with it. I entertain myself with it.

Most importantly, I make money from the work I do with it. So if spending $400 to $700 a year (my current 2012 11" MBA cost $690 after I used the money when I sold my i5 mbp for $700) sounds like a lot, well, I'm okay with that.

I splurged a bit on this new laptop, but only because I stayed with the base models before. The pricier models are usually that way because of expensive components (256 ssd in a MBA is $300, 512 is $700 from apple, but places like OWC aren't THAT much cheaper), so if you stick with the cheaper configuration, you'll get a bit more value.

 

[Chipg]

You should not be paying sales tax on a gc for the card itself. The taxes get taken when you use the gc

Good luck to you...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3561728?start=0&tstart=0

 

[quicks]

This isn't something exclusive to macbooks; it happens with pretty much every form of technology.

I notice it a lot with digital SLR cameras. I'll see cameras from 2007 listed for $50 under what they cost then.
"I paid $500 back in 07, so I think $450 is a fair price."
What these sellers don't take into account is any market movement. I can get a comparable camera for $300 new, yet they fail to realize that. The only value they assign is price history (not even current price) which is terrible.
Another segment I see it in pretty bad is video cards. A 2 generation old graphics card will be listed for $20 more than a new one that outperforms it. Sure the old one was the "high end" card at the time, but that doesn't change the fact that it sucks compared to entry level stuff now.

Def agree. I totally given up trying to buy used electronics, peole are delusional when it comes to pricing. Hell, sometimes they acually surpass the price of a new product. Why would I go trough the hassle and take the risks (could be dropped or mistreated) overlooking wear and tearm scratches etc.. just to save a few bucks?

Where have you been looking? I just upgraded from a 2008 13" unibody Macbook to a 2011 13" MBA i5 1.7/4gb/128gb. Got it for $900 practically brand new (Battery only had 50 cycles) and still has 6 months of Applecare on it.

Dont get me wrong, im glad your happy =). But ~200$ off vs new? You get slower cpu and gpu. Mint condition sure, but still used. The decreasse in warrenty is around 50$ alone (compared with applecare pricing).
And did I mention its used? ^^

Being used is a major minus for me. (with electronics) You dont know what treatment its gotten. Maby it survived some spilled milk, a trip to the floor or ...

Granted, it could be just me ^^

 

[dukebound85]

Good luck to you...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3561728?start=0&tstart=0

I have never been taxed on a gc purchase, only when I use the gc

Are you sure it's not a mistake? You should not be double taxed for the same dollar

 

[pgiguere1]

I can't seem to find a buyer for my 2011 11" MBA with i7 and 256GB SSD. I'm asking CA$1200 (slightly less in USD) including 2 Apple chargers and a Willow&Co (wool and leather) case.

I wouldn't mind letting it go for 1100$ but some people seriously offer 700-800$ and it's pissing me off. It seem to be harder to sell than my previous MacBook Pros.

It cost me CA$1650 + 15% tax and the accessories which comes to a little over 2000$. I think asking for 1200$ is reasonable but apparently people disagree.

 

[NewbieCanada]

I can't seem to find a buyer for my 2011 11" MBA with i7 and 256GB SSD. I'm asking CA$1200 (slightly less in USD) including 2 Apple chargers and a Willow&Co (wool and leather) case.

I wouldn't mind letting it go for 1100$ but some people seriously offer 700-800$ and it's pissing me off. It seem to be harder to sell than my previous MacBook Pros.

It cost me CA$1650 + 15% tax and the accessories which comes to a little over 2000$. I think asking for 1200$ is reasonable but apparently people disagree.

You can by a 13" i7, 256 in the Canadian Refurb store for only $1239 with a full one-year warranty. They don't have any similar 11s at the moment, but they'd clearly be going for less than you're asking.

You can buy a brand-new one like yours (but faster and USB 3.0) for 1429.

The accessories you added are, in resale terms, more or less incentives. You won't really get any money for them.