Why are used LCD monitors so expensive?

[elmwood]

I’m still using a beast of a CRT monitor (21" 1600x1200 Intergraph) with my main PC. Although it works just fine, I’ve been wanting to get something a bit less beefy. I’ve been looking through Craigslist ads, and found that people are selling used LCD monitors for about the same price as new monitors, if not just $5 or $10 less than an equivalent on Newegg. Same thing on message boards with classified ad sections; prices for used LCD monitors are often even more expensive than new monitors. My question: why don’t the prices of used LCD monitors depreciate, as with most other used products?

[astro]

New LCD PC monitors have been having huge price drops lately. Overpriced used LCD monitors are beng sold (and a few bought) by people who simply don’t know any better.

[mhendo]

@elmwood

My question: why don’t the prices of used LCD monitors depreciate, as with most other used products?

Well, it’s not really clear that they don’t. While people might be listing their LCD monitors at those prices, do you know whether they’re actually selling?

Also, it’s not just LCD monitors where this happens. The rapidly declining prices of new electronic equipment (or, in many cases, higher performance for the same price) run up against people’s desire not to lose a whole bunch of money on an item they paid top dollar for. For this reason, you’ll often find used electronic equipment going for prices that are very close to what you would pay for new (and often better) stuff. People just find it hard to believe (or, perhaps, just hard to accept) that the doodad they paid over $500 for last year can now be purchased new for $350.

I ran into this myself about 8 months ago when i answered an ad for a used digital camera. I mentioned the story in this post:

@me

Early this year, i was considering getting a decent second-hand digital SLR camera. An ad for such a camera appeared in the classified section of my university’s online newspaper. It gave a price, but was not clear about exactly what equipment was included (how many lenses? batteries? memory cards? etc.).

I sent an email to the seller, asking what was included in the package, and she sent me back a list of items. I replied, thanking her for her time, and letting her know that i wasn’t interested, because i could buy exactly the same equipment, brand new, with full warranty, from one of America’s most trusted camera dealers (B&H in New York) for about $100 less than the price she was asking for her one-year-old used equipment.

Look, i know that electronic equipment doesn’t hold its value, and that the price of new stuff drops quickly, especially at the top of the technology curve. But the fact that you paid $1400 a year ago does not mean i’m going to give you $1000 now when the same thing can be purchased brand new for $899. If you find some moron willing to pay that sort of money, then good luck to you; but it won’t be me.

[Harmonious_Discord]

I know some guy that bought crap computers equipment and used it for a month or so until he got another crap system for almost nothing. He sold his previous system to idiots for a couple hundred dollar, when it was something that wasn’t worth the price of free. Usually these victims were older people. I hate this slimy bastard for this and similar reasons.

[Apocalypso]

It’s not just monitors. I’ve seen people selling old computer systems in the classifieds for prices no one in their right mind would pay. 4-5 year old computer systems for $7-800, etc. Some people just don’t have a realistic idea of what this stuff is worth ($50 tops). They paid $2000 for it 5 years ago, it still works pretty well and they’re throwing in a bunch of software, so it seems reasonable to ask for $700. Never mind that you can build a new system for that price, if they were that computer literate, they wouldn’t have dropped 2 grand or $1500 on a Dell in the first place.