Side Street Technology Blog

You might be surprised how old a laptop can be to still have some value.  Many times older used laptops are used for parts for business who are wishing to extend their investment in their current fleet of laptops.  In other situations, an older laptop works just fine for businessman who needs a portable device for word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, and occasional Internet surfing.  Last, an older model used laptop may be of value to someone in another country where technology is not as prevalent.  Of course, the value is also determined by other factors such as the used laptop brand.  At Side Street Technology, we purchase laptops as far back as Pentium II models!

Did you know that your obsolete laptop may be worth more than you think?  Obsolete laptops can be used for parts to refurbish other used laptops.   The value of an obsolete laptop will be determined by a few criteria.

First, the manufacturer and model of the obsolete laptop is taken into account in determining value.  The manufacturer and model determine the technical specifications for the used laptop including processor speed, RAM size, Harddrive size, and optical drive type.  Additionally, some brands and models may have more value than others depending on how rare the used laptop is or how saturated the market is for that model.

Second, the completeness of the obsolete laptop is taken into account.  Does the laptop have the majority of its significant components including RAM and the Harddrive?

Third, the condition of the obsolete laptop is considered.  Are the significant components operational including the Motherboard, RAM, or Harddrive?  Is the casing in good condition?

 At Side Street Technology, we purchase obsolete laptops if they can be used or sold for parts.  If the obsolete laptops cannot be utilized for parts, we will recycle the units.  Selling obsolete laptops is quick and easy.   For more information about buying your used obsolete laptops, please contact Side Street Technology.

Is your company looking to sell a lot of used laptops that are ready to be retired? Vendors are available that will purchase your used laptops as a wholesale lot. There are also a few advantages to selling used laptops in wholesale lots. One reason is that it saves you time. When used laptops are sold individually, each unit must be assessed to determine its configuration and condition. It can be very time consuming to assess each used laptop. On the other hand, when used laptops are sold in wholesale lots, the value received per laptop will be less than if the used laptops were sold individually. By comparing the value of your time that it would take to assess each used laptop with the lower price you would receive by selling the used laptops in wholesale lots, you will be able to determine which option is best for your company

If you are interested selling your used laptops as a wholesale lot, please contact Side Street Technology.

In addition to selecting the right packaging material, wrap each used laptop with bubble wrap. We recommend:

• Wrap the used laptop with one layer
• Either make a second wrap to get the 2 remaining sides or cover the sides with a small piece of bubble wrap
• Make sure the used laptop corners are wrapped
• Use ½ inch bubble wrap

Once each used laptop is wrapped and placed in the box, fill the remaining area with packaging peanuts.

Don’t forget to include the battery, A/C adapter, plus any manuals and software CDs that you have.

Packing used laptops is not too complicated, but care should be given, especially to ensure displays do not become cracked. Here are a few guidelines and things to remember:

Select the right box

Make sure that you choose a box that will get your used laptops to Side Street Technology safely. A few recommendations when selecting the right box:

• Use a corrugated cardboard box
• The box should be at least two inches bigger on all four sides of the used laptops
• The box should be at least six inches taller than the height of the used laptops
• Don’t place too many used laptops in a single box. We recommend 3 layers of 4 laptops or 12 per box.

What used laptops hold their value the best?

There are a few brands of used notebooks that standout. IBM (now Lenova) has a well-earned reputation for durable laptops with their ThinkPad brand. IBM ThinkPads hold their value very well.

Additionally, Toshiba and Fujitsu also have excellent reputations for building solid business-class laptops. Last, Apple also makes high quality, well integrated and elegant laptops.

What about the Dell brand? One factor that affects the value of used Dell laptops is their market saturation. Because of their popularity in the marketplace, used Dell notebooks sometimes don’t hold their value quite as high as some other brands, but still can fetch a very reasonable price.

This series of articles focuses on the factors driving the used notebook market – meaning the reasons used notebooks and laptops are popular.

Another reason that buying used laptops is popular is that buyers can now purchase used units with confidence enabled by reduced risk.

One factor for reduced risk is the availabilities of a warranty for used laptops. Just because used notebooks are “used” does not mean they do not come with warranties. At Side Street Technology, we offer either a 30 or 90 day guarantee. Extended warranties are also available for our used notebooks, laptops, and handhelds. Extended warranties can extend the coverage of the unit for 1, 2, or even more years.

Because of the demand for used notebooks and laptops, the market for your businesses to sell your used equipment is strong.

This series of articles focuses on the factors driving the used notebook market – meaning the reasons used notebooks and laptops are popular.

Another reason that buying used laptops is popular is that buyers can now purchase used units with confidence enabled by reduced risk.

One factor for reduced risk of purchasing a used notebook is that they are very durable. They are built to be portable and have few moving parts. Though some notebook brands and models with be more durable than others, their overall durability provides buyers assurance that a used notebook will last a long time.

In addition to their durability, not all used notebooks are sold because there is something wrong with the unit. Corporations, in particular, have IT departments that ensure employees take good care of the equipment that is loaned to them by their employer.

Because of the demand for used notebooks and laptops, the market for your businesses to sell your used equipment is strong.

This series of articles focuses on the factors driving the used laptop market – meaning the reasons used notebooks and laptops are popular.

The most obvious reason is a low cost of ownership.

Oftentimes, consumers don’t need the latest technology and don’t need to pay a premium for it. If you are an Insurance salesman or student for example, a used laptop with basic internet connectivity, a word processor, a spreadsheet program, and a presentation program is all you need.

Other times, consumers purchase used laptops to obtain “just off” the latest technology at a greatly reduced price. This is similar to consumers who buy a one year old automobile that lost several thousand dollars in value when the original owner drove it off the lot.

Because of the demand for used laptops, the market for your businesses to sell your used equipment is strong.

Are you planning to do a laptop refresh?

Operational units that are currently in-service can bring good value because vendors that buy used laptops will need to do little repair to prepare them for resale.

Do you have laptops taking up space in an office or storage room?

Out-of-service units whether they are operational, partially operational, or just for parts are also of value. Vendors that buy used laptops can oftentimes use parts from a few non-functioning units to make a fully functioning unit. Vendors that buy used laptops can also sell other complete non-functioning units to businesses that may be looking for parts to help repair a unit that is currently having problems. This allows businesses to extend the life of their current units.

Most used laptops have value, whether they are operational, partially operational, or are usable for parts. Your laptop may be worth more than you think to vendors that buy used laptops.