Repairing and Buying Used Electronics

We all love the shiniest newest thing. Especially electronics. But could refurbished electronics be as cute? Like “vintage” is cute?

There is nothing like a brand new, super fast computer. I know because I’ve been plugging away on a 2014 Macbook that practically smokes after an hour of work and interrupts me with a “memory full” message every 30 seconds.

But I knew she had more life in her. I wanted to make it work so I took her to a Boulder Mac repair shop with the intention of adding more memory. However the battery was old and dying and a USB port had collapsed so by the time I paid for that, it was almost as much as buying a faster, newer new-to-me but previously owned computer that the store was selling. So I bought that one. Cheaper than a brand new one, but not brand new. And it’s all I needed. I’m not doing astrophysics over here.

I wanted to dig in and repair instead of buying something else, but it didn’t really make sense. In the end I felt good about the middle ground: buying used, but what I needed.

It’s hard to change the mindset because it is so well marketed, that you can’t survive or thrive without the latest, newest thing. But if you don’t need that, try refurbished electronics or previously owned. I love my refurbished Kindle that I got from Backmarket and my brother’s hand-me-down phone (because he’s more techy than me and is a few iPhone versions ahead).

So don’t underestimate the power of older but new-to-you technology.
It’s good for your wallet and the planet.

THE QUICK TIPS

• See if you can repair or upgrade the tech you already have. Can you add memory or fix something cosmetic?
• Consider your priorities and weigh your options: price, purpose and usage, longevity, software updates, software support and total obsolescence. What’s going to make the most sense for you?
• Ask yourself: How will you continue to use this? Can you make it work for your with updates or not?
• Can you get something new-to-you from someone else who is done with theirs?
• Can you pass it on? Can you sell it? Or can you give your older item to someone younger, someone older, or a community resource like a school or a recreation center? What may no longer be optimal for you may be perfect for someone else’s needs.
• Recycle old technology responsibly — this is super important! Check with your city or county public works, most offer recycling. Apple and repair stores also take back old electronics for recycling.

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