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Where should you sell your parts?
A marketplace, a buyback service, or RebootSemi. The honest answer depends on what you’re selling and what your time is worth — here is every difference that matters, on one page.
| Consideration | Marketplace (eBay, Facebook, forums) | Typical buyback service | RebootSemi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | Roughly 13% final-value fee on eBay plus payment processing; local marketplaces charge on shipped sales | Usually none | None — no commission, no processing fee, no shipping deduction |
| Shipping | You pay, or you price it into a lower sale | Prepaid label is standard; some also send a mailer | Free prepaid label, or a free anti-static mailer with the label inside |
| Price certainty | Whatever the auction or the lowballers decide, minus fees | A quoted price, but the lock period is often short or unstated | The price on screen, locked for 10 days from acceptance |
| Time to cash | Days to list, days to sell, days for the payout to clear | Typically days, once the item arrives | Within 24 hours of inspection, Monday–Friday; typically under a week end to end |
| Payout methods | Platform payout to a bank, on the platform's schedule | Usually several | Zelle, PayPal, or a mailed check |
| Who you deal with | Strangers — no-shows, scam attempts, 'item not as described' claims | One buyer | One buyer, one fixed price, every step confirmed by email |
| If condition is disputed | Returns and chargebacks, decided by the platform, often weeks later | A revised offer; return terms vary | A revised offer with the inspection notes, per item; decline and the part comes back free |
| Broken parts | Sellable 'for parts', at the mercy of the buyer | Some buy them, some don't | Bought at the broken tier — you see that price before you ship |
| Sellers outside the U.S. | Yes, with international shipping and its fees | Some accept international sellers | Yes |
Marketplace fees are typical published rates for computer components and change over time; the buyback column describes the category, not any one company. Check the current terms of any service before you ship.
The math
What a higher headline price costs
A worked example for a card that sells for $400 on a marketplace.
Marketplace
- Sold price
- $400
- Platform fee (~13%)
- −$52
- Shipping and box
- −$20
- Your time: photos, listing, messages, drop-off
- 1–2 hrs
- Days to money in hand
- 7–14
- You keep
- about $328
Plus the chance of a return, a chargeback, or a buyer who never shows.
RebootSemi
- Offer
- the price on screen
- Fees
- $0
- Shipping
- $0
- Your time
- 10 minutes
- Days to money in hand
- typically 2–4
- You keep
- 100% of the offer
If the offer on screen is within about 15% of the marketplace price, you come out ahead — with none of the risk.
Help center
Choosing Where to Sell
The headline price on a marketplace is often higher; the money you keep frequently is not. Take a realistic sold price, subtract the platform fee and payment processing, subtract shipping and packaging, then weigh the days it takes and the chance of a return or a chargeback. For a card worth a few hundred dollars, a fee-free fixed offer paid within a day is usually the better trade. For a rare or collectible part, a marketplace can still win.
Four things: whether the offer is locked and for how long; whether they buy broken parts and at what price; what happens when their inspection disagrees with your grade, and whether a return is free; and how they pay and how fast. RebootSemi publishes all four — a 10-day lock, a broken tier shown before you ship, free returns on any revised offer, and Zelle, PayPal or check within 24 hours of inspection.
Because it loses value every month and almost never gets used. The largest single drop in a card's trade-in value is the launch of its successor, and every generation has followed that pattern. If it is out of the machine, it is worth more today than it will be next year.
With a reputable one, safer than a marketplace: there is no stranger, no meeting, no chargeback. Look for insured shipping, a revised-offer policy you can decline, free returns when you do, and confirmation emails at each step. RebootSemi insures every label it issues, holds your item while you decide on any revised offer, and returns it free if you decline.
See the number for your part
Ten seconds to an offer, locked for 10 days, nothing to lose by looking.