I got 8 computers last saturday

[cyberdan]

Might be my all time best for getting old computers at yard sales.
Paid a total of $7

I picked up one that the seller remembered she had in her garage. I spotted a black widow on the floppy disk opening. I knocked her off and stomped on her and got rid og two egg sacks. I asked the lady for a trash bag to put it in. I think it will be in that bag for a while. I don't want to get spiders on my patio.

Half the computers are MACs and one looks like the very first model that sold for $2500 I don't know if I should tear it down for the boards or feeBay it.

 

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[silversaddle1]

Never scrap a Mac. E-bay or Craig'slist.

 

[chukers]

I scrapped maybe 30 of them but because I don't have a place that takes the, I have to tear them apart... I have only turned in the steel... Its a lot of work and little return... granted I still have the copper and the aluminum from it but for those 30 I bet I'll get a total of about $150 and that for 2 weeks of work... I don't think its worth it but I am doing my part to keep this world clean.

Chukers

 

[silversaddle1]

Well if you did indeed scrap 30 computers and only made $150.00 off them, you need to do a little research on E-scrap. Granted, nobody knows everything about the scrap business, but a little time on the net could have gained you $400.00 to $500.00 on those 30 computers.

Knowledge is power and that equals money in this business.

 

[cyberdan]

I get $3 lb for computer boards (mother, CD, floppy, modem etc) I get more for harddrive boards, CPU and RAM. The guy I sell to is in FL and I am in CA and he even pays the shipping charge.

I did tear down the MACs. they are built like Ft. Knox. I would rather tear down a PC. But, the worst tear down are laptops. everything is so compact and hard to get to. Also, boards are smaller and that means less $$ I have two laptops that still work so I may not tear them down.

 

[silversaddle1]

laptops, yeah, I hear you. I hate them too.

Best thing about laptops is the magnesium in them. My kids freaked out when I burned some.

And laptop memory seems to hold some value.

It's all good!

 

[Go Bills]

My 2 cents as a guy who works his day job in IT for the last dozen or so years....

If you are scrapping laptops that turn on and post, you are better off selling the working parts themselves if they are fairly recent machines.

First, take a picture of the machine posting (the letters that scroll across the screen when it powers up) and sell the LCD and motherboard on ebay as working parts (include pics of the part, and the machine working). The memory and processor is worth selling separately too. A lot of people will toss out a computer if it has a virus on it or "runs slow". All that really needs to be done to it is reinstall windows if you can't remove the virus. But for reasonably new laptops (less than say 4 years old), you're talking a minimum of $100 EACH for a working motherboard and LCD display, more if its a higher end model. Just wear an anti static bracelet when dissembling (like this on NewEgg http://204.14.213.185/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899261005). Also, search eBay beforehand to see what other people are selling that laptop's parts for price wise (come in just below that), and also to get a list of all the models and submodels that your parts will fit. Chances are that anyone that buys the parts works in IT and knows what the @%@ they are doing so they will know how to install the board. I have sold quite a bit of computer parts like this on eBay. Another tip is to mark your parts with a UV marker in the corner. It's hidden to the naked eye, and piece of mind for you. One time a guy tried to return a part I sold him that he said "didn't work". I told him the motherboard was marked under UV and I had pictures to prove it, and that if he filed a dispute, we could compare them to prove that part I sent was a working board, and not the broken board he had just swapped out and tried to "return" his broken stuff to me. Only happened once. Laptops are HUGE money, if you get a newer model and sell off the parts processor, memory, motherboard, LCD, keyboard and heatsink (and plastic if you're feeling frisky) you're talking easy $300-$500 in most cases, I just sold a processor from a 1yr old model for $220.

The really old laptops (usually 5-6+ years) are better off scrapping down and trying to sell the metal in the boards to an E-salvager on the internet, along with whatever other parts they'll take.