Frequently Asked Questions
How can I sell my old IT equipment?
Whether it's a server or it's an industrial-grade backup tape, there are always viable ways to sell your old IT equipment and make some money from it.
While your options may vary depending on the type of equipment, your location, or other factors, basically, you have three major options in selling your old IT equipment:
1. Finding your own buyers on peer-to-peer marketplaces (like eBay), you have the most freedom in setting your prices and "promoting" your IT equipment, but it can be difficult to find the right buyer willing to purchase the goods at your terms.
2. Listing your IT equipment on classified sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or even Amazon. It's typically easier to find buyers on these platforms when compared to on peer-to-peer marketplaces, but you'll have less freedom.
3. Selling your IT equipment to trusted IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) companies that will take the goods off your hands. The easiest and quickest option (and you can still sell your IT equipment at a fair market price). If your IT equipment contains sensitive/regulated data, these ITAD companies will also perform secure data eradication for you.
What is the best place to sell used IT equipment?
Out of the three options we've discussed above, the best option for selling your IT equipment can vary depending on several key factors:
• Condition/age of the equipment: if the IT equipment is fairly old and/or is no longer in good condition, then finding your own buyer via listing sites or peer-to-peer marketplaces can be difficult, and it's unlikely you'll get a fair price on these platforms. Selling to an IT Asset Disposition company may be the most viable option in such cases.
• Demand: some types of IT equipment may be more in-demand than others. Also, customers may prefer certain brands or models over others. If your IT equipment is in-demand, then it's probably better to list the IT asset on peer-to-peer or classified marketplaces so you can maximize its value. However, if the IT equipment is not very in-demand, selling used IT equipment to an ITAD company can save you some time.
• Sensitive data: if the IT equipment stores data (i.e., hard drives, SSDs, smartphones/tablets, etc.), and you are not 100% confident about wiping the data on your own, then it's best to just sell the IT equipment to IT Asset Disposition companies like Big Data Supply Inc. to ensure data security and compliance with relevant regulations.
Is old IT equipment worth anything?
The answer will depend on the type of IT equipment you are trying to get, as well as where you are buying the used IT equipment from.
The biggest pros of buying used IT equipment is obviously price. Used IT equipment will obviously be priced lower than brand new ones, and you might be lucky in getting a fairly new piece of IT asset in a fairly good condition. Buying used IT assets can let you increase the number of IT assets quickly while staying on a budget.
The main downside of buying used IT equipment is the fact that you won't get any factory warranty you'd otherwise get from buying brand new IT assets. However, if you are buying from reputable IT Asset Disposition companies like Big Data Supply Inc., you can ask for an inspection sheet for the IT equipment you are going to purchase so you can evaluate its current condition.
If you are buying from reputable sellers (or a friend you can trust), then buying used IT equipment can definitely be worth it so you can maximize their ROI.
Is it worth buying used IT equipment?
The answer will obviously depend on several factors, such as:
• Age: the older an IT equipment is, obviously the lower the market price will be.
• Condition: fairly self-explanatory, a "healthy" piece of IT equipment will be priced higher compared to IT assets with cosmetics of functional defects.
• Newer model(s) available: IT equipment will typically decrease in price when a direct replacement has been released (i.e., a used iPhone 12 will decrease in price as soon as iPhone 13 has been announced.) If there hasn't been any direct replacement released, even if the IT asset is relatively old, then typically, the price won't go down a lot.
• Rarity: sometimes, very old IT equipment can go up in price if it's no longer available on the market (i.e., for collectors)
This is a non-exhaustive list, and there are other factors that may affect your IT equipment's price. Fortunately, it's now fairly easy to check for the average marketplace of specific IT equipment, as you can simply search for similar goods on sites like Amazon or eBay.
Nevertheless, many people were surprised at the value they can get out of their used IT equipment, so don't be discouraged from selling your used IT equipment even if it may seem too old or too broken at the moment.
