So I had this old MacBook Pro gathering dust for months, sitting right next to my coffee maker like some kind of expensive paperweight. Started digging into recycling options today – figured I’d walk you through the messy trial-and-error process myself.
Step One: The “Maybe I Can Still Sell It?” Phase
Powered the thing on after six months of hibernation. Took a solid 20 minutes just to boot up – fan sounding like a jet engine. Checked the specs: 2015 model, battered keyboard, battery lasting about 45 minutes. Realized nobody would pay real cash for this relic. Felt dumb for even thinking it. Moved to Plan B.
Step Two: Apple Trade-in Hopefulness
Hopped onto Apple’s website, typed in all the deets. Their system asked:
- Does it power on? (Barely, but yes)
- Any cracks? (Minor scratches but no breaks)
- Water damage? (Thankfully no puddle history)
Got an instant quote: $30. Thirty bucks! Laughed out loud. For that price, I’d rather keep it as a nightlight. Instant skip.
Step Three: Hunting Local Options
Googled “electronics recycling near me“. Found:
- Best Buy: Just drop it off. Zero dollars offered. At least it’s simple.
- Small local shop: Said they’d “maybe” give me $5 store credit. Felt like insult money.
- City recycling event: Happening next month – too long to wait with this brick staring at me.
Got impatient. Wanted this thing gone by sunset.
Step Four: The “Wait, I Forgot About eBay!” Moment
Remembered an old eBay account collecting dust like the Mac. Listed it “as is” with brutally honest photos showing every scratch and dent. Wrote in the description: “Works but barely – treat it like a museum piece.” Set auction starting price at $1, shipping calculated automatically.
Checked back 12 hours later – already at $25 with three bidders going back and-forth like it was some treasure. Packed it up in a crumpled Amazon box stuffed with grocery store plastic bags for padding. Didn’t bother cleaning it. Let the new owner deal with that.
The Final Tally
Ended up selling for $63 plus shipping. After eBay’s cut and shipping costs? Walked away with $42. More than Apple or locals offered, and way faster than holding onto it another month. Surprise outcome for a laptop I almost tossed into Best Buy’s recycling bin. Lesson learned: Always try eBay first before accepting pocket change. Even ancient tech finds weirdly eager buyers.
