Can I Make Money by Selling My Used Computer?

One way to make money is buy selling your used computer. Whether you bought a new one and simply don’t have a use for your old one, or you need a couple of bucks fast, selling a used computer can be profitable. Here are some of the outlets you can use and routes you can take.

Local Stores

You may find that you have some stores in your neighborhood that are willing to buy your used computer off of you. This may be a sort of second hand electronic store or pawn store. They may want it to use for parts to fix other computers, or they may want to refurbish it to sell for a profit. Most likely, you will not get what you want for it at a store like this. They will want to make a profit by buying it off of you, so you surely will not get the most possible. However, if you do not want to go through a lot of hassle and aren’t all that concerned with what you get out of it, this is the easiest way to go about it.

Classified Ad

You may be able to get more for your used computer if you sell it to an individual who is interested in buying it to use for themselves as opposed to reselling it for a profit. You can place an ad online, on an auction site, or in the newspaper. Depending on where you place the ad, you may have to pay a small fee, but it may be worth it if you get more money than you would otherwise. You also have to be prepared to wait for the right buyer to come along. If you are selling an older computer, you will have to find someone who doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of newer computers.

How Much to Expect

When you sell anything that is used, you have to expect to make less than what you paid for it. You are not going to make enough selling your old computer to buy a brand new fancy computer. If you can make back half of what you paid originally, you are doing alright. However, since it is your property, you are entitled to ask whatever you want and deny the sale to anyone who doesn’t want to pay what you are asking.

How to Make the Most Profit

Of course, to make a decent profit off the computer, you are going to have to be a bit of a salesman. This means you will have to do some research on the beneficial aspects of your individual computer. You may be able to lock in a sale by pairing it with some software that you purchased for it, such as an antivirus program or even games and other equipment. If you sound like you have a lot of knowledge regarding the computer, whoever buys it will be more willing to trust you and pay what you are asking.

If you are selling it through an advertisement, you should also plan to haggle. When a potential buyer sees the ad, they will automatically try to get you to come down in price. To avoid not getting what you think you deserve for it, start a little bit on the high side. This gives you room to come down in price but doesn’t start it so high that people skip right over your ad.

Before You Sell

When you sell your used computer, you are selling something that is very personal to you. Even if you are not emotionally attached to it like you where when you first bought it, you have probably put in tons of passwords and personal numbers that you should not pass on to a stranger. Make sure that you completely wipe it of anything before you hand it over. Erase files, saved passwords, and anything else. Ideally, it would be best to reset the computer back to factory settings. This is the only way to make sure that you are not selling your identity for the price of a used computer. If you have any questions, an electronic store will be able to walk you through the process.

Article written by Jet Russell. In his spare time Jet likes to contribute to the blogosphere whenever he can. His day job includes doing out reach for a Interent remarketing company.