When times get tough you can sometimes look around you find find items that you can do without for a few weeks to get a quick cash loan.
Often times one such item might be your laptop.
Not all pawn shops accept laptops but it is worth a quick call to find out.
Pawnbrokers are use to get calls inquiring about what they accept and you will never be a bother.
In fact, they often appreciate getting these kinds of calls because it can end up saving them and the customers a lot of time.
When you do call, make sure you cover all of your bases and ask questions like:
How New Does it Have To Be?
Can It Be A PC Or MAC?
Does It Need To Have Any Specific Operating System?
Once you figure out if your laptop applies, there are some basic things that you should do to get yours ready.
How To Pawn Your Laptop Safely
If you have the choice to and you don’t mind losing some of the information on your hard drive, consider ‘recovering’ or reformatting your operating system.
that will take all of your stored information and remove it from the laptop. That means things like:
Banking Usernames and Passwords
Private Pictures & Videos
Or Any Other Personal Information You Don’t Want Shared
It’s a good idea to do this just in case you don’t come back for it for some unforeseen reason so that the next person that buys it won’t have access to your personal information.
How Much Can I Pawn My Laptop For?
That will really depend on the hardware inside your laptop and the condition it is in.
If you laptop is in good condition and it has a modern, powerful processor (like an i7) you might get as much as $300.
If you laptop is an exotic brand that is highly desirable (such as Alienware) you might get as much as $600.
Also, if you have a MacBook Pro or other high end Apple laptop as much as $400 may be possible.
But if you have an average laptop, something you might commonly see at Best Buy or Walmart, than you can typically expect to get between $50 and $200 depending on what you have exactly and the pawn shop you are working with.
How To Clean Your Laptop Before You Pawn It
You will want to do the normal things such as wiped it down with a damp cloths (not wet!) and try to remove any dark marks from the outside of the case.
You will also want to remove any finger prints or smudges from the screen and mouse touch pad if possible.
Gently brush any debris or food crumbs out of the keyword and finally make sure that all of the keys are there and that they work without sticking.
If you have spilled soda or some other sticky beverage on your keyboard in the past the pawn shop may not take it, so really pay attention to how well the keys move and clean them as best you can if there are any problems.
The Nerd’s Experience
Typically speaking, the biggest problem I see if that people just don’t clean their laptops properly.
When you take a valuable electronic item like a laptop into a pawn shop you will want to make sure that it is absolutely as clean as possible. You want to eliminate any concern the pawnbroker may have that you didn’t take care of it as well as you should have.
Also keep in mind that technology moves quickly. What may be the top of the line today can be 2nd rung hardware as soon as tomorrow. It’s just the nature of this type of item so don’t be surprised to here offers closer to $100-$150 on most average laptops.
Last but not least – make sure that you charge your laptop before you take it in and bring the AC Adapter with you.
You will want to have it charged so that the pawnbroker knows the battery is in good working order. They may turn down your laptop if it is not charged properly.
Forgetting the AC Adapter is a big no-no and will almost always guarantee that they will not make a loan against your laptop. It’s a critical piece and shouldn’t be ignored.
That About Does It…
If you have any other questions or comments feel free to leave them in the comment field below and I’ll be happy to answer them as soon as possible.
As always, thanks for coming by!
The Head Nerd
Mandy Dormain started working for Pawn Nerd in 2020. Mandy grew up in a small town in northern Tennessee. But moved to New York for university. Before joining Pawn Nerd, Mandy briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers politics and economy stories.
