Should you bother trying to sell your preowned computer? Yes, you definitely should.

Technology constantly gets updated and upgraded. As a result, many of us may find ourselves chasing after the best and the newest laptop, smartphone, and other gadgets, trying to keep up with current trends and market demands. Some even upgrade their computer every year! But what to do with the older model, which is still fully working but, say, it has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX card, and you would love to have the RTX-30 series one? Many PC and Mac users opt to trade in their older gadgets during a new computer checkout. Or exchange it for some store credit or a gift card to be used later. But what if it is not an option? Well, you can always resell it. 

There is a vast market space for preowned technology, so getting rid of an older computer shouldn’t be an issue. Yet, it does require some commitment, which we do not always can make the time for. 

This post is set out to motivate you to sell your used computer and show you that it is actually easier than you might think.

So Why Sell It?

We could come up with many arguments in favor of reselling preowned electronics, but essentially they boil down to the following three reasons:

1. Extra cash
2. Environmental motivation
3. Spring cleaning 

Let’s explore each of those reasons in a little bit more detail.

Selling a Computer to Get Extra Money

OK, fiscal motivation is the most obvious one. We all have been in a situation where we bought a computer, used it for a while, but it just could not meet all our needs. Maybe it is too heavy, or too small, not enough RAM, or you just don’t like how the keyboard feels. Whatever the reason may be, it is now too late to return the computer. So the most sensible thing to do in this case is to try and sell it for the highest possible cash offer and recover at least a portion of the funds you have already spent on your gadget. 

Marketplaces for Selling Used Computers

And when it comes to selling a computer for cash, the possibilities are nearly endless. You can sell it to a friend or a colleague. You can also sell it to a stranger on Craigslist, OfferUp, or Facebook Marketplace. Then there is eBay. And many online buyback recommerce sites. And we get it, selling on a marketplace can be time-consuming and risky. Plus, you would have to cover eBay fees, shipping fees. Your buyer could claim an issue and return the computer in much worse condition than it was in initially. Long story short, it can be a bit of a hassle. But that is precisely why buybacks exist. 

Online Buyback

We wrote about selling a laptop online in the pandemic not so long ago, but this can be applied to pretty much any other type of electronic device. With an online buyback site, you can get a dollar offer in a matter of minutes, ship your computer in for free, and get the money deposited into your PayPal, Zelle, or Venmo account after a few days. All you need to do is research offers, look up the company’s background, pick the one you are most comfortable with, and checkout without leaving your house. 

Eco-Friendly Factor

Selling your used laptops, tablets, phones and other gadgets is the easiest way to extend their lifespan and reduce your carbon footprint. But, unfortunately, even though throwing away electronics in most states is illegal, e-waste volumes caused by overconsumption just keep growing. In fact, only about 15% of electronics waste is properly disposed of and recycled in the US. And EU is not far ahead, recycling only about 17.4% of all discarded material. 

So, by simply reselling your unwanted computer, you are contributing to creating a circular economy. That sold gadget either gets at least a few more extra years of use or is being stripped for parts and rare metals to be repurposed in the manufacturing process. Plus, being paid for going green is always nice.

Free Up Some Space

So that unwanted laptop sits on your desk for a while, just collecting dust. Finally, you move it to your desk drawer because you need to make room. It sits in your drawer some more. Then you take the computer out because you are looking for something, but your tech takes up almost all of the space. So once again, you take it out and move it to a storage closet this time. And no one had seen that computer for years. Sounds familiar? We all have been there.

Getting rid of a used technology sounds like a chore we always put off, as we have so many more important things to take care of daily. Here is the thing, though: over time, your technology becomes obsolete. So that computer was probably still worth something while it was still sitting on your work desk, but by the time you transfer it into a closet or a storage space, there is likely no salvageable value left to recover out of it. And now you have to pay to recycle it responsibly. 

Luckily, selling used computers is much easier these days if you don’t sit on them for too long. Thanks to online buyback sites like Gadget Salvation, you can contribute to the circular economy without making too much effort and reclaim that storage space you always need!

In Conclusion

So why sell a computer, you ask? Welp, there is always room for some extra cash in your pocket. In addition, you will be making sure your unwanted technology lives on instead of sitting collecting dust in your house, or even worse, polluting landfills. Plus, you get to free up some room in your closet. Win-win-win!