Places to get good cheap secondhand laptops

I have an offline project coming up, which I'm going to need a laptop for. Its building a prototype for a client group, and the problem I've got is finding a box to build it on.

It will need 256MB ram minimum, but otherwise as low as possible.
Wifi and Webcam that either don't exist or can be removed, as the machine would (must) never go online.
OS - doesn't matter, I'll update it anyway

And most of all it must be cheap, since I'm expecting to trash and possibly completely brick at least one, and once this is done with, the machine will probably be destroyed or stuck in storage at the client. (Yes, Finance clients are paranoid. They're also doing a prototype with Bitcoins hence why I don't get to keep the laptop.).

I could use my old Packard, but I'd rather keep that.

So does anyone know a place to get good cheap secondhand laptops online?

 

I'm not recommending one because I live in a different country. I just want to share something about used computers. When our desktop's power supply broke down, my husband brought it to Gilmore, that is a place where computer repair shops and stores abound. Beside the repair shop was a used laptop store which my husband inspected since he already had a plan to buy a laptop. Most of the used laptops on display looked new except for the specs which have small memory and limited storage. When he inquired on the warranty, the most they give is 3 months because those laptops normally do not last long as confided by the attendant. So there.

 

You might find the name of this site funny, but they actually have what you're looking for at about $30 to $40 a piece per laptop if you're looking for laptops. They tend to use that site to mirror their ebay auctions and buy-it-now's directly.

They sell both old (and perfectly working laptops for that price, and then systems for parts (systems that are broken but have good parts that can be used to rebuild or repair other systems on the cheap) for about $10 each.

If you're looking for old desktops, the best places to go are local electronics recycling centers (they pick up old desktops and other systems from businesses and people who don't have room for them anymore and then try to sell or recycle them). Another faster method is to just look on Craigslist. There's still a lot of people trying to sell really old desktops (and some laptops) on there all the time.

 

Thanks, that looks ideal. There's a regular kit fair for ex-company computers near us, but the next one is not for a few weeks, and I need to get started before then.

Have you had any problems with PCs from there, or do they come scrubbed of data? Just asking after I bought a used laptop and found a 'hidden' drive with 200Gb of data and family photos on it. (Whoever reconditioned it had just hidden the link to the drive from the OS rather than wipe the drive. When I checked the BIOS, there it was.) Fortunately I could trace the owner and return it.

 

Anytime. Usually they're pretty good about cleaning the drives. I haven't had any sensitive data on drives from there when I ordered a couple systems before, but it would depend on who is doing it for them.

There's usually quality control, but everyone goes about it differently. So while each of the ones I obtained were DoD Short-cleaned and ready to go, your mileage may vary based upon who they have doing it at that time. They have more than one person that prepares them. I'd be interested to know if they took care of it or not either way if you decide to pick one up from them just to see if they always do or not.

I've had to save system data for people before after buying systems at pawn shops like that in the past. They're notorious for not cleaning off any of the customer data for recertification even though they say they have. You can usually find stuff there that they really should have cleaned up before reselling it.

 

Here's a tip I read on the internet: when buying computers, laptops, PS4s, you get the idea; when thinking of getting a used one online, wait for the time of the year when students usually get their report cards. Around that time, parents usually sell their kids' items if they didn't do very well in class, and most of them are in high quality, since they weren't planning on selling it before. They obviously took care of them. Kinda shady to take advantage of that fact, but it will get you great quality items for a very cheap price, from a mom who is really mad at their kid.