How to Price Vintage or Retro Computers for Sale on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace

 Hi All,

As readers of my bLog will know, I buy and sell Retro computers on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace in the Minneapolis / St. Paul Metro area.  I see a common mistake being made by people listing computers for sale on these sites, and I want to offer a bit of education.  I think an informed buyer and seller create better outcomes for both parties.

The most common error I see is people asking too much for their Vintage or Retro computers.  One common reason for this is not doing basic searches online to determine what type of computer you have.  Do not assume that all grey IBM PCs are the original IBM 5150 computer.  Do not assume that all beige all-in-one Macintosh computers are the original Macintosh computer, look for model numbers on the back of the computer and do some web searches to figure out what you are selling.  As with all antiques the value is related to the rarity, condition, and completeness.

Another common reason for overpricing comes from the practice of looking up items to sell on eBay first, then asking the same or slightly less than the “Buy it Now” price of the highest active auctions on eBay.  This is not a realistic price, you want to find out what eBay buyers are paying, not what hopeful sellers are asking.

As an example, I will describe the latest computer I have sold, a Macintosh Classic from 1991.  At the end, I will tell you what I got for the computer.

When I do a search on eBay for this computer, the first match for a currently eBay listing is asking $240 and another one is listed for $350.  However, if you look one level deeper, the real value of this computer, what eBay sellers have actually paid, is not hard to find.  This information is available by scrolling down the main eBay search results page and finding the “Sold Items” checkbox on the left side near the bottom, as shown here...

As we browse this, we see that one Macintosh Classic sold for $200, another for $96, and another for $80.  The difference in the price was mainly due to condition.  The highest price system looked really clean in the pictures, was in working condition, and was more complete included the keyboard, mouse, and cords.  The others were sold for parts / not working without a keyboard and mouse.

Once you know the value of the item on eBay, how does that apply to local market selling like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace?  I believe that asking more than 50% of what the item could be sold for on eBay means that you may have to wait a long time to find a buyer, or may not find a buyer at all.   People expect the local market to be cheaper than eBay, and if you want to sell your item quickly, this price point is important.

Using the example of the Macintosh Classic, if we apply the below 50% rule, we should be asking below $100 at the top end and below $40 for this computer in less than ideal condition on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, again primarily based on condition and completeness.

I was able to sell my Macintosh Classic recently on Craiglist for $75 without a keyboard and mouse.  It was listed for about 1 week before it sold.

What do you think about this?  Do you have experience buying and selling Retro and Vintage Computers, or other antiques?  I’d love to hear if you have other thoughts or ideas about how to value these old machines, so leave a comment below, or send me an email.