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Sourcing Used Parts

Evan Gargiulo

• 5 min read
Sourcing Used Parts

I realize I talk a lot in this blog about getting things used to save money since this is an expensive endeavor at times. I also realize someone new to the space would have no idea how to do that. In this post, I want to give people an idea of where to go to find used, cheap parts that are still high quality.

eBay

eBay is such a go-to for so many people. eBay in general is very good, as long as you have a sharp eye. My advice for someone who can’t tell the difference between a good deal and a rip-off is to look at the seller rating. Anyone who has these qualities will generally be safe to buy from:

  • more than 1000 reviews
  • free returns
  • certified reseller/refurbisher
  • other items in the category you are purchasing in (like hard drives or motherboards or just computer parts in general)
  • fast responses to any email inquiries

When I see some of those things in that list, I know I am usually in a good place. If I am hesitant for any reason, I will email the seller and ask a question just to see how quickly I can get a response, how helpful it is, and how knowledgeable the answer is.

For anyone hesitant about getting ripped-off on eBay – don’t be. I have had issues both as a buyer and a seller with stuff and I will tell you eBay goes with the buyer 99% of the time. And when I say “goes with” I mean if you complain something is wrong with your item and the seller isn’t responding, eBay will give you your money back.

Server Part Deals

This eBay seller deserves a special place in this blog (99.9% positive feedback | 126K items sold | 5.2K followers). Many homelab enthusiasts go to this store for known quality and great prices. If you see something in this store that you want – don’t hesitate. Many homelabbers stalk this page waiting for something great to pop up and then they snatch it. Know that you are safe buying from this seller and whatever part you are buying has been tested and is working.

goHardDrive

Another eBay seller with great feedback and tons of affordable used inventory. Not as well known as Server Part Deals but don't overlook this seller. I find drives here can be a little more expensive but still very affordable.

r/homelabsales

This subreddit is an extremely active community is this space. It is generally a very safe place to buy. Occasionally there will be scammers here, but if you watch the comments on a post, you will know quickly if that is the case. I actually prefer to buy from here rather than eBay because I can sometimes find better deals and I know whatever I am buying is helping someone else in the community out. This is also a great place to find larger items which are hard to ship by filtering in your local area. I have been both a buyer and a seller on this subreddit and it is absolutely great. I have met many great homelab enthusiasts which make this hobby feel so much more welcoming.

Some tips on buying or selling in this space:

  • If you are shipping something or someone wants a lot of money to ship parts, use PirateShip. The account is free and it is absolutely the best way to ship anything I have ever found. Do not ever bring anything to UPS or FedEx – you will get ripped off!
  • Use Paypal to purchase anything. Never Venmo/CashApp/Zelle anyone! When using Paypal, ask for an official invoice. The seller may not want to do this since they will take ~3% hit in fees, but the benefit is, if you don’t receive what you order, Paypal will refund you the money if you file a complaint. I have had to do this and it works and is safe.
  • When speaking to sellers Private Message them. Its a huge pain as compared to Chat, but the benefit is, that convo is permanent and searchable by reddit moderators vs your chat which is private and cannot be referenced if there is a dispute. This is why most people will say “PM Only”.

Microcenter

This is subject to whether or not you are local to a Microcenter, which many people are not. If you are however, Microcenter sells open box items which have been returned at deep discount. These items are usually unused but returned for whatever reason. The parts are guaranteed 100% working by Microcenter and if they are not you get to return it within 30 days for a full refund – no questions asked. To view the local inventory, navigate to the site, then Products > Clearance > Open Box. I regularly watch this space because good deals go fast. Its not unusual to see an open box part go for 60-70% off list price, but they usually don’t last more than a day or two.

Local Stores

This is the rare jewel. I am extremely blessed to live within 30 minutes of a Microcenter as well as 2 miles of a used electronics store. If you have time one day, Google “used electronic store” or “electronic store” or something like that. If you can find one, you may never shop anywhere else again. The above picture is a real image from my local store. As you can see, its a disaster. But within these mountains of old equipment are some great finds. When I buy here I don’t have to worry about shipping or whether or not its working. Prices are just as good if not better than eBay and because its local I get to touch the products. Not everyone will have one of these, but if you can find one even within an hour of your location, it may be worth the trip.

Electronic Recyclers

There should definitely be an electronic recycling shop somewhere near you if you live near a city. I don’t mean BestBuy, but more like a mom-and-pop standalone service which does this professionally. The thing with these is its all about relationships. I used to bring a local recycler servers which were too old and heavy to ship which no one wanted. I could give them away for free on r/homelabsales but what I used to do was take them to my recycler to build rapport. Once in awhile, I would go in there with something small but ask if they had anything I was looking for like harddrives, motherboards, memory or things like that. I would usually walk away with free stuff. If it didn’t work, I would just bring it back; it was going to be recycled anyway. Rescues like this are rare but if you build a good relationship with your local shop, it could be the gift that keeps on giving.

Happy hunting everyone!