Thread
$50 for an orange iMac - reasonable?
The campus PC repair shop has a "scrap pile" of old machines, mostly PCs, which are destined for the recycler. In the past year, I have purchased a desktop G3 and a 20" Apple ColorSync monitor, both for $30.
Now, they have an orange iMac and the shop owner is offering it for $50, but refuses to negotiate. A worker at the shop remarked that they could get $20 at the recycler for this iMac. They tested the iMac and said that it works, but they have wiped the HD on it after testing, and no one was able to tell me how much RAM is in the iMac, nor how large the HD is. So essentially I am buying it "as-is" and I don't know exactly what I'm getting.
I was prepared to offer $30-40 for this iMac. Is that reasonable, or is it really worth the $50, keeping in mind the situation which I described?
Now, they have an orange iMac and the shop owner is offering it for $50, but refuses to negotiate. A worker at the shop remarked that they could get $20 at the recycler for this iMac. They tested the iMac and said that it works, but they have wiped the HD on it after testing, and no one was able to tell me how much RAM is in the iMac, nor how large the HD is. So essentially I am buying it "as-is" and I don't know exactly what I'm getting.
I was prepared to offer $30-40 for this iMac. Is that reasonable, or is it really worth the $50, keeping in mind the situation which I described?
Seems a bit steep to me, unless it's in museum condition. The real question is: is it worth it to you? If the $50 won't lead to starvation and the iMac is something you'd get any use out of then I'd say go for it.
BTW, if you have an OS X install disk you can verify RAM, HDD etc -- if they won't let you do that then I'd be a little wary.
BTW, if you have an OS X install disk you can verify RAM, HDD etc -- if they won't let you do that then I'd be a little wary.
It's going to be given to a friend as an upgrade to an original bondi iMac which I gave him a few years back. He doesn't know that he's getting it though. It's sort of a late-Christmas / early-birthday gift.
I bought a 6 or 700mhz imac for 20 or so bucks with hd/etc... I'd be firm with an offer of 30 since after all it is 10 bucks more than they are saying the recyclers would give them which I kinda doubt anyways.
What type of model? Slotloader or Trayloader? This makes a huge difference. Technically this should be the price for these iMacs, but their price is so low because they are commodity.
30-40$ is fine. I draw the line at 50$ for spending on an old mac.
30-40$ is fine. I draw the line at 50$ for spending on an old mac.
I'm not certain, but I think that it's a tray-loader. I didn't pay attention. Also keep in mind, I haven't actually seen this thing work. I could buy it, take it home, and it's totally trashed.
So I don't know if I'm going to stop in the shop again or not.
So I don't know if I'm going to stop in the shop again or not.
Any bootable CD should allow you to check those things. Bootable on that particular iMac that is.
If the HD appears on the desktop, select it and hit Apple-I for information. To check RAM and CPU, select About This Mac from the Apple menu (top left)
Didn't think the trayloaders came in orange. Check LEM or everymac.
IMHO trayloaders aren't worth the effort. They top out at 333MHz and you need laptop RAM. So if it is a trayloader, my opinion is that it's definitely not worth $50.
If the HD appears on the desktop, select it and hit Apple-I for information. To check RAM and CPU, select About This Mac from the Apple menu (top left)
Didn't think the trayloaders came in orange. Check LEM or everymac.
IMHO trayloaders aren't worth the effort. They top out at 333MHz and you need laptop RAM. So if it is a trayloader, my opinion is that it's definitely not worth $50.
If it was AU$50, I'd snap it straight up. But US$50? Fahgeddaboutit.
They're not really very friendly at this shop. It is PC-only. I'm not sure if it's worth my time/money to come back and ask again about the iMac.
And the orange iMac was both tray- and slot-loading.
And the orange iMac was both tray- and slot-loading.
i would give them the option
40$ and you take it
or they can take it to the recyclers and hope to get 20$
40$ and you take it
or they can take it to the recyclers and hope to get 20$
Yeah, I agree with you. They're lucky to get any sale on it at all. The thing is, I didn't even get a chance to make my offer. It was literally, "$50, as-is, and that's final." Maybe I should have been more assertive.
Any legitimate recycler paying $20 for an old iMac is horseshit.
It generally costs recyclers money to deal with the CRTs. That means there has to be more than $20 in scrap value in the remaining parts, and there isn't.
Tray load CD - worthless
Hard drive - less than $1
Motherboard - small motherboard equals small scrap value
CPU - small scrap value due to lack of gold on those particular CPUs
Memory - small scrap value
Analog Board - almost no scrap value
CRT - negative scrap value
Copper Windings - reduced copper values
Plastics - less than 1¢
Steel - less than 1¢
Even if the recycler is fake and just dumps the CRT in a river they still aren't making $20.
It generally costs recyclers money to deal with the CRTs. That means there has to be more than $20 in scrap value in the remaining parts, and there isn't.
Tray load CD - worthless
Hard drive - less than $1
Motherboard - small motherboard equals small scrap value
CPU - small scrap value due to lack of gold on those particular CPUs
Memory - small scrap value
Analog Board - almost no scrap value
CRT - negative scrap value
Copper Windings - reduced copper values
Plastics - less than 1¢
Steel - less than 1¢
Even if the recycler is fake and just dumps the CRT in a river they still aren't making $20.
Excellent, now we've got the expert's evaluation.
Now I need to make up my mind whether I want to try and go in again. The problem was that all communication was through an employee, not the boss-man who set the $50 price. I went in yesterday at 2 PM and asked if it worked, and the owner said he'd have someone test it maybe later that day. I came in at 4 PM, still no. That was the last time I spoke directly to the shop owner. Twenty-four hours later, I stopped in a 4 PM again (today) and was greeted by an employee. This was the employee who gave the $20 figure. It was basically me talking to him, then he'd go over to the owner who was busy in the back with something else, then relay communications back and forth.
I figure it's either I have to confront the owner face-to-face and try to negotiate a deal, or just forget it. The problem is that he's always in the back somewhere, and there's always 4 - 5 employees swarming around. This is a somewhat small shop.
Now I need to make up my mind whether I want to try and go in again. The problem was that all communication was through an employee, not the boss-man who set the $50 price. I went in yesterday at 2 PM and asked if it worked, and the owner said he'd have someone test it maybe later that day. I came in at 4 PM, still no. That was the last time I spoke directly to the shop owner. Twenty-four hours later, I stopped in a 4 PM again (today) and was greeted by an employee. This was the employee who gave the $20 figure. It was basically me talking to him, then he'd go over to the owner who was busy in the back with something else, then relay communications back and forth.
I figure it's either I have to confront the owner face-to-face and try to negotiate a deal, or just forget it. The problem is that he's always in the back somewhere, and there's always 4 - 5 employees swarming around. This is a somewhat small shop.
show up around 10ish (smoke break lol)
dolla fiddy
fy fiddy!
I think this is too much work for an iMac you can find on a curb. Abandon ship.
I think this is too much work for an iMac you can find on a curb. Abandon ship.
mars, not everyone lives in new york, not everyone lives in a city, hell if i want to see a curb i have to drive 10 min and I have never found a Macintosh on one (found a 386 in a ditch one time but no mac on a curb)
and round these parts, the hillbillys will try to sell you a beat up pos bondi for 150$
so just cause you happen to live in a place where people treat the streets as a dumpster (and urinal) doesn't mean its not worth while to someone else in a whole different situation
and round these parts, the hillbillys will try to sell you a beat up pos bondi for 150$
so just cause you happen to live in a place where people treat the streets as a dumpster (and urinal) doesn't mean its not worth while to someone else in a whole different situation
I was getting early G3 iMacs as giveaways even several years ago. If it's a top-end G3 iMac, maybe I'd consider US $10-25, if I wanted one. (Personally I've no interest in PPC/Intel AIOs, but that's me.) $50 is a sad sad joke.
I really doubt that it's top-end. It likely still has the original RAM configuration and HD. But I don't know. No one seems to know, or even care.
Where do you live?mars, not everyone lives in new york, not everyone lives in a city, hell if i want to see a curb i have to drive 10 min and I have never found a Macintosh on one (found a 386 in a ditch one time but no mac on a curb)
and round these parts, the hillbillys will try to sell you a beat up pos bondi for 150$
so just cause you happen to live in a place where people treat the streets as a dumpster (and urinal) doesn't mean its not worth while to someone else in a whole different situation
In the mid-west.
on the edge of "YEE HAW" and "you got a purdy mouth" Tennessee
YEEHAW!on the edge of "YEE HAW" and "you got a purdy mouth" Tennessee
Hahahha My dad lived in Tennessee once he came here from Uruguay. I'd like to go there to see what real america is like. I've never lived out of the tri state area, for a few years in Bensalem PA...
EY I'LL TRADE YOU MAH TRALER FAH YA'LL'S SHOT GUN?!
yea you need to get out more, everyone round here already has at least 2 of each
I once got a snow 700mhz model for free from Freecycle. I also got an indigo for free once, so you can do a lot better than $50 for one. If he wants to scrap it for $20, let him because it's not worth more than that. Heck, you can get a 1.42ghz eMac for $100 or less on ebay now so $50 for an orange iMac is no bargain.
Just saw this on CL, for comparison.
Good point, and one that always gets overlooked in these "what is x worth" discussions... out here on the prairie life is hard and I have to drive an hour through a blizzard (barefoot) to get to the nearest Value Village. Given the circumstances, just about anything locally available is worth at least $50 to me – I'd even call it a bargain.not everyone lives in new york, not everyone lives in a city
No hillbillies here ('cause there aren't any hills) but the biker that runs the pawn shop will happily sell you an LCIII for that kind of cash (because it's an awesome graphics workstation... and no, it's not negotiable!).and round these parts, the hillbillys will try to sell you a beat up pos bondi for 150$
Fortunately we have a recycling depot that doesn't lock the gate at night, so there are pickings to be had – you just have to be ready to run if the cops drive by.
I'd liket to add to my previous post, that I have lived all over the world, but not all over USA. I've lived in Germany, Denmark, France, Norway etc etc.
army dad?
I have only lived in 2 places, Illinois and Tennessee, but Ive spent my time in many places outside of the US on holiday
I have only lived in 2 places, Illinois and Tennessee, but Ive spent my time in many places outside of the US on holiday