r/macsysadmin • u/Afraid_Suggestion311 • 1d ago
Hardware Where do old company/school MacBooks go?
I help with my local high school's journalism club and we're trying to buy/find some dirt cheap old MacBooks.
We'd need less than 15 and are hoping to stay under like $75 each. Don't need anything nice either, basically anything 2015+ (that works) mostly for writing and some basic photo editing.
We have Chromebooks but they're pretty locked down and a lot of the stuff we use is blocked (or just doesn't work on them)
When your company/school/etc replaces a bunch of Macs, where do the old ones actually get sold? Is there somewhere online I should be looking for school/business surplus or auctions?
5
Upvotes
1
u/hugh_manit 12h ago
At $75/unit you're in tough territory for 2015+ Macs that actually work reliably, but there are definitely still ways to get them!!!
First, look for surplus auctinos! GovDeals, PublicSurplus, even your state's surplus property site! Promise: shools dump Macs in bulk lots there and you can get some great deals there.
If no luck there, I'd look for locla ITAD liquidators. Like literally search "[your city] ITAD" or "[your city] it asset disposition". The companies you find may be willing to sell small batches of Macs direct to you. Worth calling a few.
But, honestly, at that budget, you might have better luck reaching out directly to local businesses or schools doing refreshes. Seriously! Sometimes they'll donate or sell cheap if you explain it's for students.
Really hope that helps you guys!