Author Topic: What second hand products are generally undervalued?  (Read 14995 times)

Alchemisst

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What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« on: March 16, 2019, 09:47:45 AM »
What products do you think people generally sell for less than what they are worth when they are used? I have found the main things to be laptops and phones, probably because so many people get theirs on a plan/ upgrade every year so never consider buying a used one? For phones I can buy a high quality 1-2 year old phone for $100-$200 when a decent mid range one would be 500ish and for laptops I bought a lenovo x220 for under $200 which is a great laptop that probably still beats a lot of new laptops performance wise.

L8_apex

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2019, 10:28:43 AM »
Furniture, particularly anything that's in a style considered "old-fashioned".

Hula Hoop

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2019, 11:23:54 AM »
Kids' clothes

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2019, 08:02:41 PM »
A thing is only worth what someone will pay. There are other factors in selling second hand - like selling stuff quickly. Sure, I could hang onto something for months on end and get more for it, but I prefer to sell it quickly. I also consider it good practice to leave enough in the deal for the other guy. A good deal is one where everybody wins.

Mississippi Mudstache

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2019, 09:30:44 PM »
Furniture, particularly anything that's in a style considered "old-fashioned".

Definitely this. The only furniture I buy new is upholstered. Appliances, too. I've bought a new appliance exactly once in my life - for a rental house that needed a stove on short notice. My latest haul was a fancy-pants Samsung refrigerator for $100 that retails for $2000+.

Bloop Bloop

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2019, 12:47:48 AM »
Furniture - a lot of demo furniture is very cheap, but it still has 90% of its lifespan to run.

Electronics - I'm usually happy to buy refurbished. It's basically good as new at a 15% discount. I can't understand why anyone wouldn't buy refurbished, other than the low supply.

Cars - other than low-production cars, they tend to depreciate like a rock after 3 years (when the warranty runs out). The interesting thing is that here in Australia we have an Australian Consumer Law which provides a lot of protection for consumers even on top of manufacturer warranties, but no one seems to realise this and as a result you can buy a 3 year old car for a big saving because people assume that if the engine explodes the manufacturer isn't at all responsible for fixing it.

Seadog

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2019, 06:32:00 AM »
What products do you think people generally sell for less than what they are worth when they are used? I have found the main things to be laptops and phones, probably because so many people get theirs on a plan/ upgrade every year so never consider buying a used one? For phones I can buy a high quality 1-2 year old phone for $100-$200 when a decent mid range one would be 500ish and for laptops I bought a lenovo x220 for under $200 which is a great laptop that probably still beats a lot of new laptops performance wise.

Ah, a subject near and dear to my heart.

I have two schools of thought: First, something is undervalued due to a very steep depreciation curve, which truly isn't warranted. This is the "A car loses 30% when you drive it off the lot" phenomenon. Things like hiking boots with 90% of life left can often be found for 10% of new price, high end clothing (anything cashmere, made in Italy, a few premium brands like Burberry, Zegna, etc - ones I literally never heard of until I saw high quality materials but didn't know the name so I researched). Although you can get these things at 70-90% off new, that's probably a fair price. These are generally things I buy for personal use.

The second is undervalued, due to being obscure, and even though used, will sell for much more on a market once the right buyer comes along - but get grouped along with the other low end stuff there. These are things like tools, optics, knives, bikes and books. Far more work and knowledge required here, as it requires knowing intricacies like the difference in worth between various editions of specific books, identifying high vs low end models of derailures on bikes, and having the wherewithal to spot that needle in the haystack of 5,000. These are things I will buy, even with out an immediate specific need (although at least a potential future use), and can generally be confident that even if I don't use it, I likely won't lose money. This is where as Warren Buffett likes to talk about 'multiple margins of safety' come in.

Electronics are very finicky I find. For whatever reason like the blades of tools, they seem to degrade over the years, even though I don't do anything different than I did 20 years ago with them, and computers have supposedly gotten faster. Web browsing, book flights, movies and email. Yet I have a computer from 2002 running XP that takes 15 minutes just to start up even after several hard reinstalls.

Fishindude

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2019, 08:04:40 AM »
Definitely furniture and clothing.   Toys such as boats, campers, ATVs, motorcycles, etc. can all be purchased nearly new for a fraction of new price.  Some dude gets tired of making payments and will sell it cheap just to get out from under it.    I've gotten some sweet deals on used tools at the pawn shop too.

innkeeper77

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2019, 09:24:03 AM »
Electronics are very finicky I find. For whatever reason like the blades of tools, they seem to degrade over the years, even though I don't do anything different than I did 20 years ago with them, and computers have supposedly gotten faster. Web browsing, book flights, movies and email. Yet I have a computer from 2002 running XP that takes 15 minutes just to start up even after several hard reinstalls.

Older / cheaper computer use physical magnetic spinning hard drives- that is the largest source of degradation. The drives get more and more damaged, and the controllers working around the damage make the whole machine slower and slower.

Until very recently, my laptop was one I had used for close to a decade. The thing had become almost unbearably slow, but simply changing the hard drive out for a new solid state drive made it significantly better than new.

(I assume your XP machine isn't connected to the internet, because old hardware on the internet with newer software and security updates is a whole different can of worms. XP with no security updates is even worse...)
« Last Edit: April 17, 2019, 10:38:49 PM by innkeeper77 »

Wrenchturner

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2019, 10:44:00 PM »
High end brass instruments.

Travis

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2019, 10:51:14 PM »
Damn near anything sold at a Goodwill.

Dicey

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2019, 12:23:20 AM »
Damn near anything sold at a Goodwill.
Oh, God no. My Goodwill is ridiculously overpriced. It's very close to my house, and super easy to get to, but I just don't bother anymore. Yech.

Imma

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2019, 05:11:59 AM »
Sewing machines, when sold after the owner's death. You can sometimes pick up old name brand machines for free or almost free because they have no idea sewing machines are expensive and keep their value. A refurbished 30 year old Bernina still sells for €250+.

Travis

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2019, 05:30:53 PM »
Damn near anything sold at a Goodwill.
Oh, God no. My Goodwill is ridiculously overpriced. It's very close to my house, and super easy to get to, but I just don't bother anymore. Yech.

If I was so inclined, I could make 50% profit flipping the furniture and electronics sold in the Goodwill two blocks from my house.  It feels like they don't know the value of what they're selling on a consistent basis.

BicycleB

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2019, 05:51:02 PM »
Damn near anything sold at a Goodwill.
Oh, God no. My Goodwill is ridiculously overpriced. It's very close to my house, and super easy to get to, but I just don't bother anymore. Yech.

If I was so inclined, I could make 50% profit flipping the furniture and electronics sold in the Goodwill two blocks from my house.  It feels like they don't know the value of what they're selling on a consistent basis.

Maybe different Goodwill stores have different pricing practices. The ones I've seen are like Dicey's. Enjoy the one you have!

IanVS

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #15 on: March 29, 2019, 04:02:05 PM »
I've found that used car tires with plenty of tread left are generally priced much much lower than new ones, because people are scared of them. Even though all cars drive on some degree of "used" tires.

BTDretire

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #16 on: April 15, 2019, 07:10:07 PM »
Damn near anything sold at a Goodwill.
Oh, God no. My Goodwill is ridiculously overpriced. It's very close to my house, and super easy to get to, but I just don't bother anymore. Yech.

 I agree, or a better shopper, my wife agrees. We have one 150 ft from us and drive 1-1/2 miles to a Salvation Army store for better deals.

Buffaloski Boris

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #17 on: April 15, 2019, 07:30:01 PM »
Used coffee mugs. I smash ‘em, and replace from the thrift shop for less than $1.

ender

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #18 on: April 15, 2019, 08:33:17 PM »
Used coffee mugs. I smash ‘em, and replace from the thrift shop for less than $1.

Have you tried not smashing them?

;-)

englishteacheralex

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #19 on: April 15, 2019, 10:28:32 PM »
Our Goodwill sucks. EXCEPT for Halloween costumes.

Which brings me to second whoever said kids' clothes upthread. I've probably spent about $100 on clothes for my kids over the past four years, and that includes their shoes. Used kids' clothes are plentiful and cheap/free.

roomtempmayo

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #20 on: April 17, 2019, 05:06:55 PM »
Furniture, particularly anything that's in a style considered "old-fashioned".

I'm curious where people are finding great deals on used, old fashioned, furniture.  Dining room tables are a dime a dozen, but living room seating seems way more scarce.  I've been looking for a good deal on a wood-framed sofa (the sort with an exposed wood frame and replaceable cushions) for over a year and I haven't turned anything up.

Vintage furniture shops around here are going to northern Europe to buy up old stock and shipping it back to the US for restoration.  A restored sofa like I describe above goes for $2500-$3500.  Meanwhile, new equivalent construction from a top American maker goes for $5000-6000+. 

Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.  If there's a secret place where beautiful old solid wood sofas are dumped for peanuts, I'd love to know about it.

GuitarStv

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #21 on: April 17, 2019, 06:24:11 PM »
I've found that used car tires with plenty of tread left are generally priced much much lower than new ones, because people are scared of them. Even though all cars drive on some degree of "used" tires.

Be careful with this one.  The rubber in car tires expires, after which it's unsafe to drive them even if there's full tread left.

IanVS

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #22 on: April 17, 2019, 06:41:09 PM »
Good call out. Here's some info on determining the age of tires: https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11. I've seen that 6 years is about the limit you want.

Dave1442397

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #23 on: April 18, 2019, 11:19:28 AM »
Furniture, particularly anything that's in a style considered "old-fashioned".

I'm curious where people are finding great deals on used, old fashioned, furniture.  Dining room tables are a dime a dozen, but living room seating seems way more scarce.  I've been looking for a good deal on a wood-framed sofa (the sort with an exposed wood frame and replaceable cushions) for over a year and I haven't turned anything up.

Vintage furniture shops around here are going to northern Europe to buy up old stock and shipping it back to the US for restoration.  A restored sofa like I describe above goes for $2500-$3500.  Meanwhile, new equivalent construction from a top American maker goes for $5000-6000+. 

Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.  If there's a secret place where beautiful old solid wood sofas are dumped for peanuts, I'd love to know about it.

Just keep an eye on craigslist. I got a high-end leather couch for $250, and it probably cost over $5,000 new. I would browse the listings once a week or so, keeping an eye out for something good.

The more expensive suburbs around me always have some good stuff on craigslist.


DadJokes

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #24 on: April 18, 2019, 01:24:20 PM »
Anything for children. They grow out of clothes and toys so fast that they barely get used, and people resell them for pennies on the dollar.

nereo

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #25 on: April 18, 2019, 01:38:17 PM »
Here's what second hand products I've found waaaay undervalued
  • large appliances - particularly refrigerators, washing machines and stoves.  Microwaves too.
  • hiking apparel
  • mid-level road bikes - the kind that are a step down from what 'serious' cyclists want to race with
  • just-below-audiophile floor speakers
  • glassware & dishes
  • clothing for babies and small children
  • sofas
  • upright pianos
  • filing cabinets
  • older all-wooden furniture
  • Rabbits, ducks, chicken, aquarium fish...
  • books, CDs & DVDs

Many of the above items I've found in great condition for free or for >80% off the new equivalent price.

Imma

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #26 on: April 21, 2019, 11:03:28 AM »
Furniture, particularly anything that's in a style considered "old-fashioned".

I'm curious where people are finding great deals on used, old fashioned, furniture.  Dining room tables are a dime a dozen, but living room seating seems way more scarce.  I've been looking for a good deal on a wood-framed sofa (the sort with an exposed wood frame and replaceable cushions) for over a year and I haven't turned anything up.

Vintage furniture shops around here are going to northern Europe to buy up old stock and shipping it back to the US for restoration.  A restored sofa like I describe above goes for $2500-$3500.  Meanwhile, new equivalent construction from a top American maker goes for $5000-6000+. 

Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.  If there's a secret place where beautiful old solid wood sofas are dumped for peanuts, I'd love to know about it.

The dumpster. Seriously, when my grandparents died that's where they ended up because no thrift store was willing to accept them because they were that oldfashioned.

Hula Hoop

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #27 on: April 21, 2019, 11:59:43 AM »
When my inlaws passed away, my husband's three siblings and their young adult children (who all live in the same village as the inlaws) refused almost all of their old furniture because it was "old fashioned".  One relative took the TV and another took a bed and a table - but that was it. 

One of the relatives said "that furniture is old fashioned - I'd much rather go to IKEA and get modern furniture."  So we rented a van and brought it all to the city where we live.  It's nice old 1950-60s solid wood furniture.  Timeless, classic designs - nothing baroque or over the top.  I think they're all crazy and missed out.  But I'm glad that the inlaws furniture didn't end up in the trash.

Cranky

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #28 on: April 24, 2019, 11:34:42 AM »
Furniture, particularly anything that's in a style considered "old-fashioned".

I'm curious where people are finding great deals on used, old fashioned, furniture.  Dining room tables are a dime a dozen, but living room seating seems way more scarce.  I've been looking for a good deal on a wood-framed sofa (the sort with an exposed wood frame and replaceable cushions) for over a year and I haven't turned anything up.

Vintage furniture shops around here are going to northern Europe to buy up old stock and shipping it back to the US for restoration.  A restored sofa like I describe above goes for $2500-$3500.  Meanwhile, new equivalent construction from a top American maker goes for $5000-6000+. 

Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.  If there's a secret place where beautiful old solid wood sofas are dumped for peanuts, I'd love to know about it.

The ReStore up the street from me has stuff like that regularly, for around $100. I see the old This End Up furniture there all the time, and that stuff is indestructible. 

My area has lost half its population so people clean out the parents’/grandparents ‘ house and drop everything off at the thrift store.

There’s also some great furniture at the thrift stores in the Tampa area, also I’m sure because people have to clean out the parents’ house.

Adam Zapple

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #29 on: May 17, 2019, 04:46:01 PM »
Furniture, particularly anything that's in a style considered "old-fashioned".

I'm curious where people are finding great deals on used, old fashioned, furniture.  Dining room tables are a dime a dozen, but living room seating seems way more scarce.  I've been looking for a good deal on a wood-framed sofa (the sort with an exposed wood frame and replaceable cushions) for over a year and I haven't turned anything up.

Vintage furniture shops around here are going to northern Europe to buy up old stock and shipping it back to the US for restoration.  A restored sofa like I describe above goes for $2500-$3500.  Meanwhile, new equivalent construction from a top American maker goes for $5000-6000+. 

Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.  If there's a secret place where beautiful old solid wood sofas are dumped for peanuts, I'd love to know about it.

The dumpster. Seriously, when my grandparents died that's where they ended up because no thrift store was willing to accept them because they were that oldfashioned.

My grandparents were old fashioned too but I would never throw them in a dumpster!!! :)

Usable kids skis and boots are often very cheap.  I got 4 sets of each for $40 bucks.

OurFirstFire

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #30 on: May 17, 2019, 08:16:08 PM »
Business laptops.  Big companies have service contracts with Dell that creates huge yearly turnover of high spec machines.  You can get a 1-2 year old Latitude 7000 series for 1/4 of the original cost on eBay. 

Imma

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #31 on: May 20, 2019, 12:49:24 AM »
Furniture, particularly anything that's in a style considered "old-fashioned".

I'm curious where people are finding great deals on used, old fashioned, furniture.  Dining room tables are a dime a dozen, but living room seating seems way more scarce.  I've been looking for a good deal on a wood-framed sofa (the sort with an exposed wood frame and replaceable cushions) for over a year and I haven't turned anything up.

Vintage furniture shops around here are going to northern Europe to buy up old stock and shipping it back to the US for restoration.  A restored sofa like I describe above goes for $2500-$3500.  Meanwhile, new equivalent construction from a top American maker goes for $5000-6000+. 

Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.  If there's a secret place where beautiful old solid wood sofas are dumped for peanuts, I'd love to know about it.

The dumpster. Seriously, when my grandparents died that's where they ended up because no thrift store was willing to accept them because they were that oldfashioned.

My grandparents were old fashioned too but I would never throw them in a dumpster!!! :)



I hated throwing it away too but we didn't really have any other choice. By the time people die of old age, usually their kids and grandkids have fully furnished homes of their own. So unless someone is without furniture for some reason or willing to ditch their own stuff in favour of grandma's furniture, you're probably going to have a hard time finding someone willing to take it. We tried giving to thrift stores and giving it away through my country's alternative to Craigslist and no one was interested. So yes, at some point it all ended up in the dumpster. The other option could have been storage but we will all agree on MMM that's a waste of money.

One thing why many items weren't taken by children/grandchildren other than a preference for a more modern style is that the older generation lived in the same house their entire life. It wasn't a problem that some items were difficult to move because that only happened once every 50 years. In the younger generations people live in apartments and some move almost every year. No one wanted the nice looking coffee table that was so heavy it required two strong people to move it.

Johnez

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #32 on: May 20, 2019, 10:18:07 PM »
Damn near anything sold at a Goodwill.
Oh, God no. My Goodwill is ridiculously overpriced. It's very close to my house, and super easy to get to, but I just don't bother anymore. Yech.

I regularly see this. Secret musta got out on our side of the country...

Honestly with sites like eBay, Craigslist, and now the OfferUp app it's getting harder to find good deals on lightly used things. Fortunately it's easier to get rid of unnecessary things.

Alchemisst

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Re: What second hand products are generally undervalued?
« Reply #33 on: May 23, 2019, 07:44:59 AM »
Business laptops.  Big companies have service contracts with Dell that creates huge yearly turnover of high spec machines.  You can get a 1-2 year old Latitude 7000 series for 1/4 of the original cost on eBay.

Lenovo as well. I have bought a couple of thinkpad x220's which are great laptops for around 150-200 each.