Things You Should Never Buy Used

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I'd have to completely disagree with the part about buying laptops. You should really ONLY be buying used laptops. I recently purchased a used laptop off of ebay for $85 (including shipping) - after very minor repairs and additions I now have a laptop with: 320GB hard drive booting into multiple operating systems including 64-bit Windows 7, 64-bit Windows 8, Ubuntu 11, Mac OS X Leopard, etc. I also added parts - 4GB of RAM, a Gigabit ethernet card, etc. The total cost after everything was set up was about $250. A brand new laptop with the same specs would cost me anywhere from $500 to $700 (if I purchase HP or Acer).
While you could argue that there is somewhat of a learning curve involved - having a local repair shop make the changes to your computer would still keep the cost down significantly. Monitor broken? You can get a replacement on ebay for $8.
The only issues of concern would be the cleaning of the computer - which will take only a few minutes, and whether parts of the laptop are severely damaged (e.g., liquid/chemical spills). If you purchase through a reputable vendor like ebay or amazon, you'll be able to return the item with no problem (or strip it and sell it part by part to earn back the $100 or so you spent on purchasing it).

Sam of NE 3:04PM June 12, 2012

Used cameras and lenses are perfectly good purchases provided you know how to evaluate them, can arrange a trial period of a few days in order to do the simple testing, and know the current market average for the item. I have several used digital SLR lenses with excellent quality optics. Manufacturer-refurbished lenses and cameras can be an excellent option, as these are tested by the manufacturers before sale - not all copies of NEW lenses or cameras are tested before sale.

Nancy of MO 10:48AM May 23, 2012

You forgot toilets and refrigerators. Old toilets can use 3-7 gallons per flush. A new toilet uses 1.6 gallons or less. Old refrigerators use lots more electricity than new Energy Star models. The price of a new fridge can sometimes pay for itself in a year with lower energy use.

Sophie of NH 11:34AM April 18, 2012

The writer either has more money than sense or they needed some fluff to boost there click count. Geez. I have only purchased 2 NEW laptops... EVER... and I use computers every day. Most of the appliances I have are used. My tv is used. Most of the electronics and clothing I have are used. Not only have I helped the environment by not having most of this stuff end up in a landfill or worse yet dumped on the side of the road somewhere, but I have calculated my savings over a 10 year time span to be well over 30,000 dollars. THAT is a LOT of money. The caveat though with electronics is try to find items that are name brand to begin with. A Laptop sold by Dell will generally last longer and be easier to get repaired than a used laptop made by Billyjoejimbob Computers from Pigeon Toed, Wyoming.

Leonard Church of OH 4:11AM December 17, 2010

I guess the writer of this article has never heard of Square Trade (www.squaretrade.com) where you can buy warranties for used electronics. I've already had my used PS3 replaced (for the full value that I paid for it) through them, and I've got my Macbook and Xbox 360 covered under them as well.
As for the rest of the items in this dumb article...this was all common sense and worthless. I feel stupid for having participated in the ad revenue for this website.

JZA ONE of FL 10:48AM December 16, 2010

This was an article about nothing and a waste of space. I live in Kansas. Can't think when I'd buy a wet suit. The rest was just common knowledge. Waste of space.

AnnieinKC of KS 6:53PM November 23, 2010

A savvy shopper knows a good bargain -- and he knows how to determine the junk from the good stuff. I recently bought an $1,800 Kirby vacuum system for $8. With a little scrubbing and a good sanetizing the vacuum is as good as new. The $900 TV I watch I purchased for $75; 3 years ago. If you do your homework and know your stuff, used can be a good find on anything you are shopping for.

Thrifty Guy of FL 7:08AM September 05, 2010

In the USA, federal copyright laws allow you to transfer your entire copy of software or any other copyrighted materials (and not keep a copy) to anyone you choose. Any attempt to limit your freedom of contract by restricting this right could be a violation of anti-trust (anti-competition) laws if not also evidence of copyright mis-use by the software company. In other words, they may just be trying to scare you into buying a new copy by attempting to limit your statutory right to transfer your copy.

hoosker DO of NH 10:18AM September 02, 2010

I am guessing you have never been to www.fredmiranda.com, the buy/ sell forums on the site boast the fastest sale times for used camera equipment. Hot equipment will sell out within minutes of posting. That is quite a statement for naysayers.

Eric of MD 11:19PM August 25, 2010

Well summer is winding down here in the North East and the "Garbage Sales" (as my dad calls them) are also coming to an end...but boy what a haul!!! especially for teenage sons who grow an inch a month it seems!!! because I live in a rich school district and I'm on the single parent budget...I find high quality, brand new and barely worn clothing for a fraction of the prices!!! Also since the mortgage meltdown and the number of abandoned homes in the area our local community center and thrift stores are bursting at the seems with items that are high quality, high priced ticket items for less the 10% of the retail value...if you have it to burn and waste then we who don't mind a great bargain will be there to snatch them up!!!

Deb of MI 10:59AM August 20, 2010