How/where should I sell my Mac Pro (2008)

[badlydrawnboy]

I was planning to do it on eBay, but using 60 pounds as the shipping weight and their shipping calculator, it comes out to $210 UPS Ground from CA to NY. That seems crazy!

I guess I can try Craigslist, but wondering if anyone might have a trick for getting better shipping rates?

 

[tampasteve]

Fedex is usually cheaper, I have shipped powermac g5 systems for about $50. But CL will likely be better anyway, IMO.

 

[Celedral]

Another vote for craigslist. I usually do craigslist then ebay, since ebay collects fees.

 

[flowrider]

From another thread:

I sold my last machine (3,1 MacPro) to these guys:

http://turntronics.com

They gave me the highest quote of any of the other resellers, were very easy to deal with. I described the machine with all the upgrades sent them pics. and got a quote. They arranged for and paid for shipping.

I tried Craigslist and got low ballers.

Lou

Lou

 

[MacVidCards]

The nice thing about CL is once it's gone, IT'S GONE.

There will be no buyer's remorse returns, no Paypal chargebacks, no negative feedback because you forgot about a tiny dent on the bottom and the buyer is a righteous a-youknowwhat. Also no damage or delays due to shipping.

They drive away with computer, you put wad of cash in pocket. You will likely get LESS $$$ on CL, but it will be over and done.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

The nice thing about CL is once it's gone, IT'S GONE.

There will be no buyer's remorse returns, no Paypal chargebacks, no negative feedback because you forgot about a tiny dent on the bottom and the buyer is a righteous a-youknowwhat. Also no damage or delays due to shipping.

They drive away with computer, you put wad of cash in pocket. You will likely get LESS $$$ on CL, but it will be over and done.

I definitely prefer CL, but lately when I've tried to sell photography or computer stuff I've just gotten a bunch of low ball offers. Maybe it will be different this time. I don't think eBay makes much sense with the shipping weight of the Mac Pro anyhow.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

Well, I put it on CL and haven't received a single response. I don't know why, but I've been really unlucky with CL and computer stuff. I've had my 2011 Macbook Pro on there for several days, and only received one lo-ball offer.

I got an offer to buy it for $687 from SellYourMac.com, so I guess I have that as a fallback.

But I did some research on completed auctions on eBay for 3,1 2008 Mac Pros, and many of them sold for $800-$900 even without all of the extra stuff I'm offering.

Then again, maybe I should just sell the Mac Pro with memory and ATI 5770 and then sell the other stuff separately?

 

[GoCubsGo]

What are you trying to get for your MP? I have a 2008 octo MP and it still buzzes around fine, but I've considered selling it myself. I would only sell it on CL. Even though I have the original box, I would not risk shipping it.

Also, you kind of have to consider that this is super dated tech. You're trying to sell it when the new ones are coming, now. It is probably going to be slightly difficult to get good money for it.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

What are you trying to get for your MP? I have a 2008 octo MP and it still buzzes around fine, but I've considered selling it myself. I would only sell it on CL. Even though I have the original box, I would not risk shipping it.

Also, you kind of have to consider that this is super dated tech. You're trying to sell it when the new ones are coming, now. It is probably going to be slightly difficult to get good money for it.

Yep, performance is still great, and I do have an NEC 27" monitor that I really like hooked up to it.

Frankly, one of the main reasons (which I mentioned above) is the heat this thing generates, which makes my office several degrees warmer than the rest of the house—especially in the summer. The second is the noise. It's no louder than any other Mac Pro tower, but the iMac is nearly silent (especially with SSD, which I ordered).

I may just go for the $687 SellYourMac offer. I'm sure I could get more if I sold the parts separately, but that's also time consuming and time is at a premium for me right now. So I'll either take this offer (they pay for shipping) or put it all together on eBay and see what happens.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I checked that other site linked above and with the SSD and all in my machine (16 GB ram and upgraded video card) they offered me $550. That's laughable. I'd rather sell a kidney.

 

[pastrychef]

For something as big and heavy as a Mac Pro, I definitely prefer Craig's List. As MacVidCards said, once the transaction is done and handshake is over, that's the end of it.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

Yeah, me too. Problem is I'm not getting any bites on CL. Maybe the price is too high (I listed it for $1,200).

I just checked eBay and saw a Mac Pro 3,1 with similar upgrades to mine sold for $800 recently. When you take fees away from that it's not too much more than the $687 SellYourMac is offering.

I think I'll try dropping the price on Craigslist down to $950 as I originally planned. I'll still come out way ahead of what I would have gotten from SellYourMac, and probably ahead of eBay as well (certainly less of a hassle).

 

[pastrychef]

When I sold my 3,1, I started off by listing it with all the upgrades I'd done to the machine on Craig's List. I repeatedly got lowballed so I changed strategy and stripped it down to basics and sold it for $500. Then I sold the extra RAM and upgraded video card on Ebay. I ended up getting more than what I originally listed everything for as a single package.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

When I sold my 3,1, I started off by listing it with all the upgrades I'd done to the machine on Craig's List. I repeatedly got lowballed so I changed strategy and stripped it down to basics and sold it for $500. Then I sold the extra RAM and upgraded video card on Ebay. I ended up getting more than what I originally listed everything for as a single package.

No doubt that's the smarter way to do it. Problem is, I'm super busy and don't have the time to sell, pack and ship multiple packages right now.

If I could figure out a way to break it out in maybe 2-3 sales, that's probably manageable. But I'm not sure how to do that given all of the stuff I have.

I don't have the original graphics card anymore, so does it really make sense to sell the tower without the 5770? Maybe I could sell the tower, 5770, 24 GB of RAM and eSata card together. I saw one of those go for $800. Then sell the storage, tablet and Airport Express separately. (That's more than 3 transactions, especially if I sell the hard drives individually, but maybe if I do it over time it'll work out.)

 

[pastrychef]

I don't know how much value used hard drives hold... I would pull some of the RAM from your computer and sell those separately along with tablet, and Airport Extreme. Maybe the eSATA card too.

 

[hfg]

Yeah, me too. Problem is I'm not getting any bites on CL. Maybe the price is too high (I listed it for $1,200).

I just checked eBay and saw a Mac Pro 3,1 with similar upgrades to mine sold for $800 recently. When you take fees away from that it's not too much more than the $687 SellYourMac is offering.

I think I'll try dropping the price on Craigslist down to $950 as I originally planned. I'll still come out way ahead of what I would have gotten from SellYourMac, and probably ahead of eBay as well (certainly less of a hassle).

I don't know where you live, but if it is a smaller town you might try putting your CL ad in the section for a nearby major city or a University town close by.

 

[echoout]

I drove down to San Antonio to get a 2009 last weekend. The guy also had a fairly decked out 2008 with a 23" ACD that he couldn't get rid of. He offered it to me for $300 just to get it off his hands.

The central Texas area is FLOODED with 2008s. I can't imagine being able to get more than maybe $400 for one around here.

 

[Macsonic]

No doubt that's the smarter way to do it. Problem is, I'm super busy and don't have the time to sell, pack and ship multiple packages right now.

If I could figure out a way to break it out in maybe 2-3 sales, that's probably manageable. But I'm not sure how to do that given all of the stuff I have.

I don't have the original graphics card anymore, so does it really make sense to sell the tower without the 5770? Maybe I could sell the tower, 5770, 24 GB of RAM and eSata card together. I saw one of those go for $800. Then sell the storage, tablet and Airport Express separately. (That's more than 3 transactions, especially if I sell the hard drives individually, but maybe if I do it over time it'll work out.)

There was a seller in eBay who played it smart and combined his 2008 Mac Pro with a 30" Apple Cinema Display. His main photo catches your eye. His item was sold for $1725. He used nice photos that made his sale well presented. I think he knows his 30" ACD will help make the sale attractive plus his items being in Mint condition Maybe if you can make the photos enticing plus with your add ons might make the sale attractive at CL. Good luck!

 

[badlydrawnboy]

There was a seller in eBay who played it smart and combined his 2008 Mac Pro with a 30" Apple Cinema Display. His main photo catches your eye. His item was sold for $1725. He used nice photos that made his sale well presented. I think he knows his 30" ACD will help make the sale attractive plus his items being in Mint condition Maybe if you can make the photos enticing plus with your add ons might make the sale attractive at CL. Good luck!

Image

I have an NEC PA271 (27" high-end LCD) that I might sell with the Mac Pro. I was considering keeping it and having a dual-monitor situation, but two 27" monitors might be a bit much. I agree that selling with a monitor would probably be easier.

Man, the shipping must have been >$100 on that set-up though. I'd definitely try to sell that bundle locally.

 

[Macsonic]

I have an NEC PA271 (27" high-end LCD) that I might sell with the Mac Pro. I was considering keeping it and having a dual-monitor situation, but two 27" monitors might be a bit much. I agree that selling with a monitor would probably be easier.

Man, the shipping must have been >$100 on that set-up though. I'd definitely try to sell that bundle locally.

NEC is a good brand monitor and hope it helps your sale. The guy's shipping was only $35.43 using UPS ground. I have no idea how he managed to offer a low shipping rate. For Mac Pros' shipping the average rate is around $50 to $65 for a 51lb computer using either UPS Ground or FEDEX ground.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

NEC is a good brand monitor and hope it helps your sale. The guy's shipping was only $35.43 using UPS ground. I have no idea how he managed to offer a low shipping rate. For Mac Pros' shipping the average rate is around $50 to $65 for a 51lb computer using either UPS Ground or FEDEX ground.

He must have discounted it (paid for some of it himself). Could be another reason why he fetched such a high price.

Unfortunately, I don't have the original box for the Mac Pro or the NEC anymore, which makes it a little more of a hassle for me to ship them.

 

[thekev]

He must have discounted it (paid for some of it himself). Could be another reason why he fetched such a high price.

Unfortunately, I don't have the original box for the Mac Pro or the NEC anymore, which makes it a little more of a hassle for me to ship them.

The NEC is great, especially if you can show a low count on hours.

 

[tampasteve]

While CL is the best option if you have local buyers, Ebay is the best option if you have specific hardware that you know should sell for a specific price point. Honestly, if you have a buyer ready to drop $1K, or close to it, another $80 for shipping is worth it to them. The item you have will be worth the shipping to the right buyer, they are already saving hundreds of dollars buying used over new. It may be more hassle for you to ship, but if you can't get the price you want on CL I would go the Ebay option. Set the price where you want it to be, consider the fees, and don't go lower unless you feel you have to. Sometimes the item may go several auction cycles until it sells at the price you want, but if it is worth that price then the right buyer will come along eventually.

 

[ActionableMango]

NEC is a good brand monitor and hope it helps your sale. The guy's shipping was only $35.43 using UPS ground. I have no idea how he managed to offer a low shipping rate. For Mac Pros' shipping the average rate is around $50 to $65 for a 51lb computer using either UPS Ground or FEDEX ground.

He must have discounted it (paid for some of it himself). Could be another reason why he fetched such a high price.

UPS has significantly discounted shipping rates for Ebay sellers and businesses, but you have to sign up for a UPS account. If your workplace has a UPS account you can often ship through them and pay them cash or check to get your workplace's discount. My workplace actually lists UPS discount as an employee benefit.

The worst case scenario is walking into a retail UPS Store (which despite its name is not the same company as UPS) and paying them to ship it. They will charge full retail price including their cut.

 

[Macsonic]

UPS has significantly discounted shipping rates for Ebay sellers and businesses, but you have to sign up for a UPS account. If your workplace has a UPS account you can often ship through them and pay them cash or check to get your workplace's discount. My workplace actually lists UPS discount as an employee benefit.

The worst case scenario is walking into a retail UPS Store (which despite its name is not the same company as UPS) and paying them to ship it. They will charge full retail price including their cut.

Thanks for the explanation. No wonder some sellers in eBay could afford to offer Free Shipping and I noticed it's always UPS Ground that is being offered.