Auction Power Guide

my laptop is an Inspiron B130, 2yrs old, 512 MB, 60GB memory, its fast

the only problem with it, it occasionally crashes with PFN_list_corrupt errors, so the operating system isn’t running perfect. the computer is in excellent condition like new.

how much would my computer sell on Ebay, or other used computer dealers?
15 in display, dell

Best thing to do is to use the computer statistics in an ebay search for Closed or Completed Auctions. You have to log in to ebay first, then go to the advanced search page to get this option. Don’t focus on the brand so much as the statistics.

Consider the following:
If it’s 2 years old, does it still have warranty support? Yes, means more money.

If you’re selling it, then for security reasons, consider buying a new hard drive for it and selling it without anything installed – but with the CD’s that came with it. Note that it’s illegal to sell the CD’s separately from the machine they came with. And if you sell the computer with a Certificate of Authenticity sticker on it, then you have to give the new owner the CD’s or something it writing that says "I lost it" so they can get the CD’s from the manufacturer or microsoft. Otherwise, remove the CoA and destroy it. But you lose a lot of value that way.

Is there anything on it that doesn’t work, but YOU don’t care? Like the touchpad on a laptop, the hotkeys on the keyboard, or the sound? The new owner might care, and you should tell them up front, even if you don’t care about it. Try to get them working if you’re selling it with everything installed.

What software will you give them, and do you still have the installers or CD’s they came from? Make a list and put it on the ebay sales page – or take screenshots of the All Programs menu, and post that. The more info you give a buyer the more they will be willing to pay for it on ebay.

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Not knowing any real details about it, I’d say it’s in the range of $300. That assumes the new owner will fix whatever problems it has for about $150 after they buy it. So make your reserve 275, and your buy it now 400. Good luck!

Haggling over price is a cultural thing. More common in some foreign countries, no one expects to pay the asked for price.  That’s always just a starting point.  Poke around on the Internet and look for articles on “price haggling” and “bargaining.”  One article we saw noted that in certain countries the first thing the seller does when they see you are a foreigner is ask you where you’re from, what nationality.

This tells them how far they can go in getting the most out of you in terms of price. They know the globe by national nature, which nationalities are hesitant to haggle over prices and which aren’t. Supposedly, Germans are the easiest marks and will pay the first asked for price most often, and the second easiest touches are Americans.

It’s just not part of our culture. We are used to shopping in stores where things have price tags on them. Never would we go up to the counter in Macy’s with a men’s shirt marked at $ 39.99 and say to the lady behind the counter, “I’ll give you fifteen bucks for it.”

They’d look at you like you were daft, a loon. Yes, bargaining is in style in more informal settings, such as garage and lawn sales in the United States, but by and large, Americans tend to shop around looking for bargains, comparing prices, not bargaining with individual sellers to make their own.

The Internet is changing that, with popular auction sites like E-bay and the concept of “Best Offer.” What is Best Offer?”

Well, at noted Dell computer laptop leader www.merkamericaco.com, “Best Offer” is just what it sounds like. If you see the “Make Offer” button below the “Buy it Now” price in the listing, it means that Merk America will accept Best Offers from buyers. What that means is that you can negotiate the price with www.merkamericaco.com, for example, if the price says one thing and you just sigh and wish it were lower? MAKE it lower! No shame or harm in asking. That’s what Best Offer is all about. Cyber-Haggling! You negotiate the price with Merk America and rather than go hunting around on the Internet for a lower price? Make a reasonable offer that you can afford and are willing to pay right on the spot and it gives you the chance to see whether or not the folks at www.merkamericaco.com are willing to move the item out of their inventory quicker rather than let it sit waiting for someone to come along and pay the full marked price. Merk America can either accept, decline, or even make you a counter-offer. It’s like being in a foreign market haggling over a souvenir item on vacation. It can be fun, save you the time of looking elsewhere and of course, save you money in the long run.

Caution, though, you should be serious about your “Best Offers,” and you should only use this feature when you are serious about and really want the item but just feel you should or might be able to get it at a lower price. No vendor likes sitting inventory. A sale is a sale and a moved piece of inventory is quickly replaced with another item for sale. It’s the way to make money. Keeps the inventory moving. That’s why www.merkamericaco.com embraces the “Best Offer” concept wholeheartedly. Also, if your offer is accepted by the seller, you’re obligated to pay for the item, so be a tough bargainer and negotiator, but don’t just play games.

Perpetual Designs
http://www.articlesbase.com/laptops-articles/best-offer-for-serious-money-savers-only-746568.html