Used Electronics Worth Buying from ASU Students

Not All Used Electronics Are Equal

Buying used electronics from students is one of the best deals in the campus market — when you pick the right stuff. A two-year-old MacBook from a graduating senior is a fantastic buy. A four-year-old Android phone with a cracked screen and a swollen battery is a money pit.

Here's a category-by-category breakdown of what's worth buying and what to skip.

Laptops: Usually Worth It

Laptops are the best used electronics buy in the student market, with conditions.

Apple MacBooks: The M-series chips (M1, M2, M3, M4) are legitimately long-lasting. A 2023 MacBook Air M2 bought used for $750–$850 will serve you well for another 3–4 years. The key checks: battery cycle count (under 500 is good, check via System Information > Power), any dead pixels, keyboard feel, and all ports working.

Windows laptops: Quality varies enormously by brand. ThinkPads (T-series and X-series) are the gold standard for durability and are worth buying used. Dell XPS laptops are generally solid. Avoid budget brands like Acer Aspire, HP Pavilion, or Lenovo IdeaPad in the used market — they often show their age badly.

Price check: Use eBay "sold" listings filtered by your specific model to know the fair used price before you negotiate.

Monitors: Almost Always Worth It

Monitors depreciate slowly and last a long time. A 24" or 27" 1080p or 1440p monitor from a graduating CS or engineering student is a near-perfect used buy.

What to check: dead pixels (display a solid white image), color accuracy (look at a familiar image — you'll notice if something's off), and whether the stand and VESA mount are included.

Used 24" 1080p monitors sell for $50–$100. Used 27" 1440p models go for $120–$200. Both are significantly cheaper than new, and quality monitors from brands like Dell, LG, or Samsung will run for years.

Mechanical Keyboards: Yes, Buy Used

Mechanical keyboards hold up extremely well. The switches are rated for 50–100 million keystrokes, and most student-owned keyboards are nowhere close to that. A used Keychron K2 or K6 that retails for $90–$100 new often goes for $40–$60 in the student market and works perfectly.

Just make sure all keys are present and none are sticking. Type on every key for 30 seconds if you can.

Headphones: Proceed Carefully

Headphones can be a great buy or a terrible one. The risk: earpads degrade, drivers can get damaged, and hygiene is a real concern.

Worth buying used: Over-ear headphones from brands like Sony, Bose, or Sennheiser where replacement earpads are available and cheap ($10–$20 on Amazon). A used Sony WH-1000XM4 for $120–$150 versus $280 new is a great deal if the earpads are intact.

Skip used: In-ear headphones (earbuds) unless they're truly like-new. The hygiene issue is obvious, and drivers are more fragile.

Tablets and iPads: Situationally Good

iPads hold their value better than almost any other used electronics category. An iPad Pro from a year ago still sells for 70–75% of retail. Whether that's a "deal" depends on how much you need it.

For students, the iPad Air (9th gen or later) used in the $350–$450 range is the sweet spot. Avoid anything without a functioning Pencil port if you're in a visual arts major. Check for screen damage, Face ID function, and battery health (Settings > Battery > Battery Health).

Calculators: Always Buy Used

If you need a TI-84 Plus CE or similar graphing calculator, never buy one new. These go for $50–$100 new and are sold used by students for $25–$45 constantly. They're nearly indestructible and work the same used as new.

What to Skip Used

Gaming laptops older than 3 years: Thermal paste dries out, fans get loud, batteries degrade fast. The performance per dollar equation doesn't work in your favor.

Budget Android phones: Older Motorolas and Samsung A-series phones already had compromised specs new. Used, they're often sluggish and have significant battery wear.

Smart home devices: Amazon Echo, Google Nest, etc. These are tied to accounts and can have setup issues. Not worth the hassle for the marginal savings.

Cheap PC peripherals (mice, webcams): Generic brands fail and the savings over new are minimal. Just buy new.

The Used Electronics Inspection Protocol

For any used electronic purchase, always:

1. Test it before handing over money — this is non-negotiable
2. Check battery health on any device that has a battery
3. Verify it's not activation-locked (iPhones especially) — Settings > General > VPN & Device Management
4. Look up the serial number for laptops and phones to confirm it's not reported stolen — Apple's checkcoverage.apple.com works for iPhones and Macs
5. Ask for original packaging or receipts — not required, but a good sign

The ASU student market on platforms like ASU List and Facebook Marketplace has a lot of genuinely good deals from students who bought quality stuff and are now graduating or moving on. The key is knowing which categories to target.