Help my friend determine the TRUE value of her T60

[brainpicker]

A friend is thinking about selling one of her T60's and she wants me to sell it for her. I will be looking it over and using it as my daily machine for a few days, and if I'm satisfied it meets my high standards I will stand behind it and offer it for sale here. If it doesn't sell here then she will have to ebay it herself as I have no patience for those buyers. Though it hasn't been delivered yet she is a very neat and careful person so I expect it to be a super-clean top quality example of a used T60. She has a digital camera and will provide me with some pictures to post in a few days when she brings it over.

The problem is that she doesn't know what to ask for it, and I haven't been much help in that area as I want HER to set the asking price. I did tell her that I would ask here for opinions of a price range ahead of posting the sale, and if she wasn't satisfied then she didn't have to sell it here (and she could auction it off on ebay herself to the highest bidder).

Here is what I know about the laptop:

Model 2623-D6U

Warranty Expires November 7th, 2009 (this is an On-Site Warranty)
"This product has a three year limited warranty which includes a ThinkPlus warranty upgrade. This product is entitled to parts and labor and includes on-site repair service. Service is available Monday-Friday, except holidays, with a next business day response objective."

Original description: T2400 (Core Duo @ 1.83GHz), 512MB RAM, 80GB 5400rpm HD, 14.1" 1400x1050 LCD, 64MB ATI Radeon X1300, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abg Wireless, Bluetooth/Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure Chip, Fingerprint Reader, 6cell Li-Ion Battery, WinXP Pro

Assuming the condition of the machine and battery is very good to excellent as she claims, and there are no screen issues or defects, what price range to you think it would sell for here only? I will pass your opinions on to her when she delivers the machine next week.

Thanks in advance for your honest participation.

- Yak

[gator]

Yak, I sent you an email.

[Kyocera]

I hope it's at least worth a grand, if not If it is then my t60 2623D7U, with some extra goodies is holding it own value wise.

[SkiBunny]

I remember last year when the 2623D6U has MSRP of $1299 new because I helped someone buy one.

The last sale on here was $799:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... ht=2623d6u
Depot instead of onsite, but has a spare new 9-cell plus RAM upgrade.

There is another one still on here asking $850 with no takers described as "mint" (search 2623D6U)

So I'd say $799 - $830 (plus shipping) but I'm not in the market to buy one.

[brainpicker]

I remember last year when the 2623D6U has MSRP of $1299 new because I helped someone buy one.

The last sale on here was $799:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... ht=2623d6u
Depot instead of onsite, but has a spare new 9-cell plus RAM upgrade.

There is another one still on here asking $850 with no takers described as "mint" (search 2623D6U)

So I'd say $799 - $830 (plus shipping) but I'm not in the market to buy one.

Wow, If that's the case then I don't see her selling it at all. This was my poll so I could not vote, but if I had I would have figured $1000-1099 without doing the research of all the sales on and off the forum. Everyone knows how folks think their laptops are worth more than they actually are (due to very fast depreciation), and I suspect this is a similar case. Heck I offered her way more than $799 sight unseen and she laughed. I'm going to tell her to not even bother bringing it over as I don't want to waste my time testing it only to have her balk at the low offers that are likely to come her way. I assumed that being a (claimed) nice looking T60 with onsite that she might have a shot at getting 4-figures after costs, but I now think this might be one for the bargain hunters, like the high-school kids I deal with daily on the older used stuff (and the crap I put up with to help them... ugh!). I guess an 8-month-old laptop seems pretty old these days, and the vultures sense the rotting carcass!

Thanks for all your input. I'm going to e-mail what I have so far (sugar coated a bit) and try to get out of this unless I can sense my time won't be wasted. I waste enough on my own!

- Yak

[spuddog]

It seems like high-end Laptops are like cars if you don't keep it more than 2 years, you take a real beating on the resale. Unless you can buy the the comp very cheap initially, you have hard time recouping you investment. I don't know the value of laptops well, but I watch the prices in the Market-place. It seems like there is no ryme or reason as to what sells and what doesn't. But good luck to your friend. E-bay is pretty chancy on high dollar items, but then again so it is here.

Scott

[brainpicker]

It seems like high-end Laptops are like cars if you don't keep it more than 2 years, you take a real beating on the resale. Unless you can buy the the comp very cheap initially, you have hard time recouping you investment. I don't know the value of laptops well, but I watch the prices in the Market-place. It seems like there is no ryme or reason as to what sells and what doesn't. But good luck to your friend. E-bay is pretty chancy on high dollar items, but then again so it is here.

Scott

I called her tonight and told her that to get the price she wants she'd be better off selling it on ebay using the method I use when I have something the local kids can't afford and it's not pristine enough to sell here. I use a fixed price buy-it-now with a best offer option and run it for the full 10 days. That will put her in control. She will only have to sell at a price she accepts. It may well be that her idea of "fair" is way off and she has to take less or even keep it, but like you said things can sell at any price for unknown reasons and someone might bite for the buy-it-now price or slightly less.

For those of you who expressed interest via e-mail I will still have her bring it to me Monday night, and if it's worthy to sell to a forum member I will e-mail you back. One of you may want to make her an offer prior to her listing on ebay. I'll send the picture she took too.

- Yak

[SkiBunny]

You know how ebay & paypal fees can kill you. Try craigslist?

The good news is that whatever she wants to buy is less now than before. I'd suggest you look at the price difference between what you're selling and what you're buying.