How To Maximize Profits When Selling Used IT Equipment

IT Equipment

Selling any piece of IT equipment, be it your old hard drives, CPUs, memory, and others, can be quite a challenging task. 

First, there’s a question of timing. Is this the right time to sell my IT equipment now? Or should I wait a little bit longer? Selling too soon might end up causing overall loss after considering the installation costs and the drop in price for your upgrade gears. 

Next, there’s always the issue of data security. Will my data be recoverable if I sell my used drive to others? 

In this post, we will discuss all you need to know about how to maximize your profits and ensure data security when selling your IT equipment. 

This post is specifically designed for those looking to sell their IT equipment in bulk. However, if you are just looking to sell a single piece of equipment, you can still use the same principles. 

Without further ado, let us begin right away. 

Selling Used IT Equipment: Step-By-Step Guide

1. Knowing what you are going to sell

The first and arguably the most crucial step is to first identify the piece (or pieces) of IT equipment you are looking to sell. 

If you are looking to sell in bulk, then you might want to create a spreadsheet for this purpose. Whether you are looking to sell your IT equipment to a specialist IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) company or find a private buyer on your own, having a detailed spreadsheet will be helpful when offering your goods.

For each item, you should list the following information: 

  • Type
  • Brand
  • Model name
  • Serial number
  • Age
  • Whether you have the original packaging
  • Condition
  • Size (when applicable)
  • Quantities

Then, you should add the following information for each type of IT equipment: 

Hard Drives: 

  • Type (SSD, HDD, others)
  • Model number
  • Size (i.e. 2 TB)
  • Speed (for HDD)
  • Conditions
  • Connectors (i.e. SATA3)

Servers: 

  • Model number
  • Purchase dates
  • HDD/SDD part numbers
  • CPU part numbers
  • RAM part numbers
  • Service tags (when applicable)

CPUs and GPUs:

  • Model number (i.e. Intel i7 9750H, GeForce RTX 3080)
  • Additional model details (when applicable)
  • Quantity
  • Overclocked (Yes/No)

Memory: 

  • Brand and part number (OEM number for Dell, HP, IBM, Mfg number for Samsung, Micron, etc.)
  • Quantity

OEM Computers/Laptops: 

  • Model name and number (i.e. Macbook Air Mid 2020 M1)
  • OS (Windows 11, macOS, etc.)
  • RAM memory specs 
  • CPU model number, quantity
  • GPU model number, quantity
  • Storage size 

The more details you can provide, the better. 

2. Research Market Price

Now that you’ve identified all the necessary details of your used IT equipment, you can do simple research to determine the average market price for your goods in their current conditions. This will help you in deciding how much you should sell your goods, and will also help you in negotiating with buyers. 

Doing this nowadays is also fairly simple, simply go to relevant online marketplaces (i.e. Amazon, eBay), and search for used products that are similar to yours. 

3. Taking Photos of Your Goods

The next step is to photograph the goods you are willing to sell. The purpose here is to showcase the condition of your equipment, so it doesn’t have to be professionally taken. Clarity should be your focus, and a clear photograph with your phone will do just fine.  

Also,  if there are any defects, it’s best to capture them in your photos rather than trying to hide them. 

You should also take pictures of the product numbers, which will be essential if you are going to offer your goods to specialist ITAD companies since it will help them in providing accurate quotes. These companies can accurately check the exact type/model of your IT equipment from the verified serial number, and you can eliminate the chance of getting inaccurate valuations just because they misunderstood your equipment for a different model. 

4. Finding Your Buyers

You basically have two options here:

The first is finding a private buyer on your own. This includes listing your equipment on common online marketplaces like eBay or even Reddit, and you can upload the pictures you’ve taken above to help you attract buyers faster. 

The second option is to contact specialist ITAD vendors, like Big Data Supply Inc. to get quotes. This is typically the preferable option if you are selling used IT equipment in bulk. You might want to contact multiple ITAD companies to make sure you are getting the best possible offer. 

Also, make sure to ask whether they’ll pay for shipping or will you (or whether they’ll pick up your goods). Shipping costs can be quite significant especially if you are selling in bulk, so this is an important thing to consider. 

If you are selling hard drives (including SSDs), data tapes, and other storage devices, selling to specialist IT companies will also offer the benefit of getting your data securely wiped. 

In choosing between different buyers, you should typically consider three key factors: 

  • Price, pretty self-explanatory, you should choose a buyer that offers the best price after considering shipping costs
  • Secure data erasure, if you are selling storage equipment (you may need to perform a secure wipe yourself). Also, check applicable regulations whether you are required to get a Certificate of Data Destruction.
  • Recycling certification, also may be legally required for your business. 

Wrapping Up

While selling your IT equipment can be a major headache if you don’t know where to look, by following the step-by-step guide above, you should be able to maximize your profits when selling your used hard drives, CPUs, and other pieces of IT equipment.

We’d recommend selling your equipment to specialist ITAD vendors instead of looking for private buyers so you’ll get a more accurate valuation for your equipment. This is especially true if you are planning to sell hard drives and storage services, so you don’t have to worry about having to securely wipe your data on your own. 

Read also: The Essential Safety Equipment You Need To Have in Manufacturing

How To Maximize Profits When Selling Used IT Equipment

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