04-26-2011, 09:05 AM

Hello fellow mac lovers. I'm new to this forum. I recently started getting my hands dirty with macs and I gotta say that I'm really loving it. For the past couple of years I've been more of a PC guy. But recently I started repairing macs and I really like it.

The question I have today is: got this PowerBook G4 A1095, 15", 1.5GHz, 80GB, 512MB, ATI 64MB VRAM, superdrive. The laptop belongs to a coworker and he wants to sell it. He had it sitting in his closet for some time and decided to sell it and use the money to buy his wife a new MacBook/MacBook Pro.

I tested it out for him to make sure everything was running well. Turns out that the Hard Drive is no good (he mentioned it crashed way back which is why he stopped using it), and the left fan is broken (one of the fan blades is cracked).

Besides this, the laptop looks brand new. The screen is in perfect condition. The top case/keyboard are in perfect condition. The bottom case has one or two light scratches. The battery holds a full charge (surprising being that its been sitting around for so long (I guess because he had unplugged it from the laptop). It I were to rate the overall cosmetic condition of the laptop, on a 1-10 scale, I would say its a 9.5; not a full 10 because of the light scratches on the bottom.

So, would he get more money by selling it as a whole unit? Or selling each individual part (logic board, super drive, LCD screen, etc...)?

Sorry for the long post. And thanks in advance for any replies.

04-26-2011, 11:35 AM

You almost always make more money selling the individual parts (same logic applies to used automobiles)...especially on an older computer such as this Powerbook G4...for two reasons:

1. Generally speaking older computers need parts more than newer computers (due to age/abuse).
2. Older computers as a whole intact unit (in many cases) are worth less than the sum total of their individual parts.

Of course selling the individual parts is more of a hassle...and may take longer due to finding buyers for the individual parts.

HTH,

- Nick

04-26-2011, 11:37 AM

I'd sell it as a whole unit. I found a 160gb hard drive on Newegg.com for $40, and a left fan for $30. Whether you provide that information to someone else, or do the repair and then sell the computer, you're at least making sure the system they receive will be useful to them and not a several hundred dollar paperweight.

04-26-2011, 01:51 PM

pigoo3 and EvenStranger, thank you both for your replies.

04-26-2011, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by pigoo3

You almost always make more money selling the individual parts (same logic applies to used automobiles)...especially on an older computer such as this Powerbook G4...for two reasons:

1. Generally speaking older computers need parts more than newer computers (due to age/abuse).
2. Older computers as a whole intact unit (in many cases) are worth less than the sum total of their individual parts.

Of course selling the individual parts is more of a hassle...and may take longer due to finding buyers for the individual parts.

HTH,

- Nick

This is what I originally told my coworker we should do. Strip it down and sell it for the parts. On eBay I've seen logic boards for this model selling for $200-$300, and the other parts like the LCD screen and super drive selling for pretty good amounts. I will let him make the final decision of course being that its his PowerBook

04-26-2011, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by EvenStranger

I'd sell it as a whole unit. I found a 160gb hard drive on Newegg.com for $40, and a left fan for $30. Whether you provide that information to someone else, or do the repair and then sell the computer, you're at least making sure the system they receive will be useful to them and not a several hundred dollar paperweight.

This was of course another idea. Replacing the HD, and the left fan and reinstalling the OS, and selling it that way. The buyer wouldn't have to buy any new parts or have to mess with it in any way. They would just buy it and start using it. I saw on eBay the same PowerBook sell for $2000+, which was surprising to me being that its a 7+ year old laptop. But I guess there people out there willing to pay for this kind of laptop, for what, I don't know, but I guess that's good news.

04-26-2011, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by new2macs19

This was of course another idea. Replacing the HD, and the left fan and reinstalling the OS, and selling it that way. The buyer wouldn't have to buy any new parts or have to mess with it in any way. They would just buy it and start using it. I saw on eBay the same PowerBook sell for $2000+, which was surprising to me being that its a 7+ year old laptop. But I guess there people out there willing to pay for this kind of laptop, for what, I don't know, but I guess that's good news.

Are you sure you saw it actually sell for 2grand not just listed at 2grand? I would not expect to get anywhere near that. 500 tops I would say. But I would just fix it and sell it whole just because it is much less of a hassle, but I think you would get more parting it out.

04-26-2011, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by thurstmw

Are you sure you saw it actually sell for 2grand not just listed at 2grand?

Great point! I'm more likely to believe that it was listed (Buy It Now) for $2000...not sold for $2000.

I see stuff listed for some unbelievable amounts all the time...they just never sell.

- Nick

04-27-2011, 10:39 AM

Hey guys, I was able to find that PowerBook that sold on ebay for $2,000+

PowerBook G4 (Model A1106, M9677LL) 15" 1GB RAM, no HD | eBay

Check out the link. Just as I mentioned before, it sold for this price. With no hard drive. Pretty crazy, but true.

04-27-2011, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by new2macs19

Hey guys, I was able to find that PowerBook that sold on ebay for $2,000+

PowerBook G4 (Model A1106, M9677LL) 15" 1GB RAM, no HD | eBay

Check out the link. Just as I mentioned before, it sold for this price. With no hard drive. Pretty crazy, but true.

I refuse to believe that this Powerbook G4 sold for $2000+.

- First of all it's got multiple issues (listed in the e-Bay description)
- the high bidders have either 0 or 2 feedback (not very trustworthy)
- the highest bid from more "legitimate" or trustworthy e-Bay members (with lots of feedback)...was $40.99.

There is absolutely nothing special about this Powerbook G4 (with issues) to make it worth more than$150-$200 (if it was 100% working with a good battery).

- Nick

04-27-2011, 10:59 AM

I agree with you, but it was pretty interesting to find a powerbook g4 that sold for this price. Whether legitimate or not.

04-27-2011, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by new2macs19

I agree with you, but it was pretty interesting to find a powerbook g4 that sold for this price. Whether legitimate or not.

Yes...but I'm guessing that it never "actually" sold...since the seller probably never got paid.

It's not unheard of for people to runs "scams" on e-Bay...ranging from:

- hijacking of accounts
- folks signing up for multiple accounts and bidding on their own auctions to "jack" the price up.
- folks having friends (with e-Bay accounts) bidding on their auction...to again...raise the price.

- Nick

04-27-2011, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by pigoo3

Yes...but I'm guessing that it never "actually" sold...since the seller probably never got paid.

It's not unheard of for people to runs "scams" on e-Bay...ranging from:

- hijacking of accounts
- folks signing up for multiple accounts and bidding on their own auctions to "jack" the price up.
- folks having friends (with e-Bay accounts) bidding on their auction...to again...raise the price.

- Nick

True, you make a good point

04-27-2011, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by new2macs19

True, you make a good point

The main logic is...why would a legitimate person spend $2000+ on a 5+ year-old Powerbook G4 (that's not even working 100%)...when the same $2000+ will buy them almost any BRAND NEW model MacBook Pro from the Apple Store (which would be 100x or more better)!

- Nick

04-27-2011, 01:14 PM

Also they guy that won that powerbook still has zero feedback which if someone bought my powerbook for 2 grand and paid me I would immediately leave them some feedback. Maybe it secretly had coke it in though and these people some how knew about it.