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Selling laptops

I was just curious with anyone who has sold laptops here on eBay. I have upwards of 300 various laptops. Is it better to sell them as a single bulk lot with various models or should I break them up per their manufacture so one listing be Novo, another listing, BHP another B deal and so on or would it be best to just take all of those and put them in one post. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time

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Re: Selling laptops

I'll give you a useful reply as someone who HAS sold and occasionally DOES sell used laptops on eBay. From 2004 through about 2010, a company I co-owned sold thousands of laptops on eBay. Selling conditions were slightly better back then. I wouldn't consider selling nice laptops here anymore.

 

Any laptop that you believe has value selling as an individual laptop for a fair price should NOT be sold on eBay. First, good laptops are a target of scammers. Second, if you have 300 laptops, you are not likely going to have time to test them in real-world use like a buyer. Used laptops cannot be trusted to outlast eBay's buyer guarantee. The two most common issues that can escape your best efforts of quality control are fans that fail or become noisy and batteries that either fail or simply don't meet buyer expectations. I have seen hundreds of laptops over the years that appear to have good batteries, but during use will work their way down to some random percent like 62% remaining, then the laptop shuts off.

 

INADs, scammers and whiners are not worth the time, wasted money and frustration to sell laptops here. I don't know what the local market is like in Omaha, but here in Pittsburgh, good laptops sell locally just fine. I price them on the low-end of what someone could find it for on eBay, but there are no fees, no shipping and no returns.

 

As for laptops that have problems, those sell fine on eBay in lots. I like selling lots of 4 because the weight and box size and packing are easy for 4. I recently sold a lot of low-end laptops, item# 305149887537 in "parts or not working" condition. The format of this ad has been effective for me.

 

You used to be able to list lots in auction format and buyers would bid them up to great prices, but that seems to have died right around the time eBay claims to have eliminated bot views. Now, just do a BIN for what you want or high BIN+offer option. If priced right, they will sell and the buyers tend to be decent. 

Message 31 of 36
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Re: Selling laptops

      While I have dabbled in laptop computers it is not something I would list on eBay these days for the reasons others already mentioned. However, if you are set on doing this I would suggest breaking them up into lots, which is what I do with the ones I sell off eBay. If you were to list a single lot of 300 you are talking some serious shipping costs for both dim's and weight, possibly even palletized freight. It may also be difficult to list all the models and describe the condition of each one in a single eBay posting. 

     If you decide to list then I would use a lot strategy and separate them by brand and seeing how many I could pack into a box without making the shipping costs excessive for/to the buyers. It may take a little bit to optomize the various shipping options and potentially you may want to offer buyers multiple shipping options such as ground advantage, priority mail large flat rate box, etc. 

Message 32 of 36
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Re: Selling laptops

And I guess the OP's statement that any feedback would be appreciated didn't really mean that.  

Message 33 of 36
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Re: Selling laptops

Thank you sir.  Very much appreciated! 

Message 34 of 36
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Re: Selling laptops

     One other thing I forgot to mention in my last post. For laptops that are in really poor condition I generally take those to my local scrap yard which pays $.15 a pound for the laptops and $.90 a pound for the power supplies.  I just dropped off a load last week. Not much $ but it's hassle free, no shipping, no returns, no NAD's............  and they don't wind up in a landfill. 

Message 35 of 36
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Re: Selling laptops

Promote the laptops in any manner you find effective, but be ready to provide detailed, eBay-acceptable receipts for each. Keep in mind that if you're a relatively new seller listing a substantial number of laptops, it may attract eBay's attention for obvious reasons. Providing thorough documentation will enhance trust and compliance with eBay's policies.

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