Question Possible to buy salvaged cpus in large quantity?

[hephaistos]

Good day. I have a feeling this might be taken down, as it is not the usual type of post you would see here am posting here cuz this is the forum I know, so if this type of question should be posted elsewhere please enlighten me.

I know, I know this is not the traditional way of gathering info and contacts for business but hell I'll give it a try. Here it goes

So, I would like to ask all the computer merchants here on tomshardware (if there are any), about some sources from where I can buy large number of cpus, naturally to resell them. I am talking about recently produced intel processors not older than 5 years, because I would plan on reselling them in eastern europe, hungary to be exact. I picture it the following: A smaller office is moving buildings so they swipe out their current workstations and get new ones. Those workstations are going where? is my question. I'm pretty sure those pc's are going to be sold for dirt cheap to the first buyer, cuz no one needs them right? And I am talking rich western countries like the UK, germany austria etc. So those stuff will be torn apart for parts, which means someone is gonna have stacks of 4th 6th 7th gen cpus, workstation gpus, right? I'm pretty sure that for a reasonable price those can be bought and deported to somewhere like Rotterdam cuz shipping there is cheap. And those I could bring back to hungary sell for twice the price. Now if there is anyone, just a single nice soul reading who is kind hearted enough and able to just guide me to some sources, contacts (someone who does business like this), anybody, anything, who could help me in my merchant adventures... I would be extremely grateful .Maybe for a small sum? Idk, but yeah it would be a life changer to do something like this. Am awaiting answers. Cheers!

ps. dont take this down please, no hate please

 

[punkncat]

Yup, and so would every other would be supplier or computer shop. Not to sound crass, but they don't call business "the hustle" because it's easy.
Here in the US there are whole supply chains of businesses taking off lease computers, breaking them up, selling them off. Various buyers pick them and sell them to the next level of the chain. eBay, small refurbishers, all that.
It would seem to me that the most viable option would be to try and locate those wholesalers already in place, or perhaps whatever sales outlet is available to you and just start doing the legwork to SEE if any of those folks have the quantities of what you are looking for available at a price that makes sense. Even beyond that, who has the rest of the parts available as well.

I don't think you are going to find a one stop answer to a question like this, but wish you luck in your endeavor.

 

[Alabalcho]

There's a fundamental flaw in your thinking - the refurbishers DO NOT upgrade CPUs/GPUs. Most they do is to plant a cheap SSD, upgrade memory and put a Windows sticker.

 

[hephaistos]

Yup, and so would every other would be supplier or computer shop. Not to sound crass, but they don't call business "the hustle" because it's easy.
Here in the US there are whole supply chains of businesses taking off lease computers, breaking them up, selling them off. Various buyers pick them and sell them to the next level of the chain. eBay, small refurbishers, all that.
It would seem to me that the most viable option would be to try and locate those wholesalers already in place, or perhaps whatever sales outlet is available to you and just start doing the legwork to SEE if any of those folks have the quantities of what you are looking for available at a price that makes sense. Even beyond that, who has the rest of the parts available as well.

I don't think you are going to find a one stop answer to a question like this, but wish you luck in your endeavor.

So this is what I was talking about. I would like to be the buyer the thing is I just don't know how to even approach the whole scene. I don't know if this is even possible, without traveling to the location and solving it through a foreign contact..

 

[hephaistos]

There's a fundamental flaw in your thinking - the refurbishers DO NOT upgrade CPUs/GPUs. Most they do is to plant a cheap SSD, upgrade memory and put a Windows sticker.

Soo they just take the pc, and add some 64 gb ssd? I could also do that. But transporting pcs in whole would be very difficult indeed.

 

[USAFRet]

Your other problem is that you are late to the game.
Other people in your area have been doing this for 20+ years.
They have already established suppliers, shipment chain, distribution channels, etc, etc.

That is your competition.

 

[hephaistos]

Your other problem is that you are late to the game.
Other people in your area have been doing this for 20+ years.
They have already established suppliers, shipment chain, distribution channels, etc, etc.

That is your competition.

oof. but hungary is small, I don't want to be big. I don't even want to be legal. I can sell them on my local used hardware forum from home under the price other dudes sell it. Just need to get them... The hard part. And I'm already used to selling hardware, I'm not new to vendoring, I've been buying used gpus bargain a little, made a few hundred bucks in a few days or weeks. But now I want to expand. Also I need it for pocket money only, I don't need to make a living.

 

[punkncat]

From my own experience many of the big businesses that are your target are already under contract as a corporation to lease/purchase computers through a specific source. In a very specific case, the company is under a 5 year lease with equipment that is bought new spec'ed for certain situations...many of them are low to mid grade i3/i5 stuff. Some of it is better, good i5, i7, and some even with video cards etc. In between the five year rotation of replacement this particular location also replaces the SSD or specific drive(s) to the machine and upgrades RAM where possible.
At the end of the time they are under lease they have to go back to the supplier. Each one of the computers is not checked for what is left inside it, but specifically to a scan code on the chassis. By and large all of the low end machines will be there, sans drives which the company always keeps. Every single one of the well spec machines will be devoid of the good CPU, video card. Many of even the low end machines will be stripped of RAM, or as low as they can be.
Thing is that in most cases there isn't a check in place for WHOLE machines being returned, just the scan code on a chassis.
Much of those are then turned right around and sold in bulk by the pallet and you get what you get. A local computer shop I work with (unrelated) buys these to use as office refurbs. Most of that better equipment finds its way to various sites as technically grey(ish) market material.

I wouldn't say this is every companies policy on it. But it's prevalent here in the states, for sure.

 

[DSzymborski]

Soo they just take the pc, and add some 64 gb ssd? I could also do that. But transporting pcs in whole would be very difficult indeed.

And even the companies who own their own computers rather than lease them, when they're getting rid of their own computers aren't piecing them out like this. What companies want in this case is for the entire PCs to be taken away, not someone coming in and scavenging some of the most valuable parts and leaving them to have to call someone else for all the remaining computer "husks."

Essentially, you're asking about how to get into electronic salvage without doing most of the job of electronic salvage.

 

[hephaistos]

From my own experience many of the big businesses that are your target are already under contract as a corporation to lease/purchase computers through a specific source. In a very specific case, the company is under a 5 year lease with equipment that is bought new spec'ed for certain situations...many of them are low to mid grade i3/i5 stuff. Some of it is better, good i5, i7, and some even with video cards etc. In between the five year rotation of replacement this particular location also replaces the SSD or specific drive(s) to the machine and upgrades RAM where possible.
At the end of the time they are under lease they have to go back to the supplier. Each one of the computers is not checked for what is left inside it, but specifically to a scan code on the chassis. By and large all of the low end machines will be there, sans drives which the company always keeps. Every single one of the well spec machines will be devoid of the good CPU, video card. Many of even the low end machines will be stripped of RAM, or as low as they can be.
Thing is that in most cases there isn't a check in place for WHOLE machines being returned, just the scan code on a chassis.
Much of those are then turned right around and sold in bulk by the pallet and you get what you get. A local computer shop I work with (unrelated) buys these to use as office refurbs. Most of that better equipment finds its way to various sites as technically grey(ish) market material.

I wouldn't say this is every companies policy on it. But it's prevalent here in the states, for sure.

Do you by any chance know the price they get these stuff at? There must be an office somewhere which is open to negotiations, just need to find one, and a way to communicate with them. Hard part. Guess they won't start dealing with me if I just hit the secretary up from the number i found on google right? Or would they?

 

[hephaistos]

And even the companies who own their own computers rather than lease them, when they're getting rid of their own computers aren't piecing them out like this. What companies want in this case is for the entire PCs to be taken away, not someone coming in and scavenging some of the most valuable parts and leaving them to have to call someone else for all the remaining computer "husks."

Essentially, you're asking about how to get into electronic salvage without doing most of the job of electronic salvage.

Lol, I guessed I used the wrong word. Yeah I guess they wouldn't let me start gypsy-like start mining for gold, like scratch out the shiny part off a $500 i7 cpu then say adios, and sell it for $2 at the flee market lmao. I guess I need to buy whole pcs. However that needs to be done within my country. I tried hungarian forums, but they just told me to off nobody is gonna tell u so u can take our secret to eternal wealth xd. Thought I would find some more help here haha

 

[DSzymborski]

Do you by any chance know the price they get these stuff at? There must be an office somewhere which is open to negotiations, just need to find one, and a way to communicate with them. Hard part. Guess they won't start dealing with me if I just hit the secretary up from the number i found on google right? Or would they?

Calling offices and asking them is the job. You don't want to haul away the PCs, you're not doing the groundwork yourself, you don't have special knowledge of the field, and you don't know where to even go to find these things yourself. So what value are you adding to any party's transaction, that would cause anyone to use your service? If you can't answer this question, you don't have a business model.

 

[hephaistos]

Calling offices and asking them is the job. You don't want to haul away the PCs, you're not doing the groundwork yourself, you don't have special knowledge of the field, and you don't know where to even go to find these things yourself. So what value are you adding to any party's transaction, that would cause anyone to use your service? If you can't answer this question, you don't have a business model.

So you suggest I should make a few calls? Basically calling companies all day and hoping for luck is the work here? Is this how I should get started?

 

[punkncat]

I wonder something and please don't be upset by it being put this bluntly.

Do you have ANY manner of experience with computers as it pertains to service, sales, troubleshooting in a professional sense?

Do you have ANY manner of experience in logistics?

Did this idea come to you while hanging out and eating some cookies?

It's great to have an idea and I commend you for that. Many people in this world are happy to drift along with no vision at all. If you answered no to either of the first questions it likely gives you a starting block to go from. With initiative and drive, who knows what could happen?

 

[hephaistos]

Calling offices and asking them is the job. You don't want to haul away the PCs, you're not doing the groundwork yourself, you don't have special knowledge of the field, and you don't know where to even go to find these things yourself. So what value are you adding to any party's transaction, that would cause anyone to use your service? If you can't answer this question, you don't have a business model.

I dont know what you mean by the business model part? The company wants to get rid of the computers. My "business model", is paying a higher price than your average businessman who do this for a living, so the company would naturally sell it to me right? Then I would sell it on our used hardware forum for lower than the others. Naturally both parties would want my service more than others right? Also I could do this because I don't need to pay taxes yet, or rent, or food, or anything. (i think u can guess why) And I already have a bunch of positive reviews from my previous businesses, so I wouldn't be starting from 0.

 

[hephaistos]

I wonder something and please don't be upset by it being put this bluntly.

Do you have ANY manner of experience with computers as it pertains to service, sales, troubleshooting in a professional sense?

Do you have ANY manner of experience in logistics?

Did this idea come to you while hanging out and eating some cookies?

It's great to have an idea and I commend you for that. Many people in this world are happy to drift along with no vision at all. If you answered no to either of the first questions it likely gives you a starting block to go from. With initiative and drive, who knows what could happen?

I have a lot of experience with computers (this is why i am asking u guys and not car guys for example), and I already mentioned my hobby is selling gpus. (Been doing it for 2-3 months, made a considerable amount of pocket money with it), Logistics? I don't really know what you mean. Probably zero, because I haven't done this stuff in large quantity. I am good at identifying and diagnosing one, self taught (no i am not a stupid nerd who wants to be the next steve jobs), only problem is I can't repair damaged components, but selling a repaired mobo pc wouldn't be very ethical right? This idea has been in me for a couple of months. I want to be a merchant, and I want to start gathering experience at a young age, before 18. And pls excuse me for sounding childish, but I'm not the guy who will forget an idea after 2 mins.

 

[DSzymborski]

So you suggest I should make a few calls? Basically calling companies all day and hoping for luck is the work here? Is this how I should get started?

The way most businesses start is by someone having an idea, something they can offer better than the others, and then sell, sell, sell.

I'll ask again. As the middleman, what value are you adding to anyone who would use your service? If you can't answer this, you're not looking for a business, you're looking for a get-rich-quick scheme.

 

[hephaistos]

The way most businesses start is by someone having an idea, something they can offer better than the others, and then sell, sell, sell.

I'll ask again. As the middleman, what value are you adding to anyone who would use your service? If you can't answer this, you're not looking for a business, you're looking for a get-rich-quick scheme.

I answered this in my previous post. Buying for more, selling for less, this is the ONLY way I see this would work as a start. I am not looking to get rich. At least not in the next 20 years. Just experience. I'm not a rush it forget it type of person.

 

[DSzymborski]

I dont know what you mean by the business model part? The company wants to get rid of the computers. My "business model", is paying a higher price than your average businessman who do this for a living, so the company would naturally sell it to me right? Then I would sell it on our used hardware forum for lower than the others. Naturally both parties would want my service more than others right? Also I could do this because I don't need to pay taxes yet, or rent, or food, or anything. (i think u can guess why) And I already have a bunch of positive reviews from my previous businesses, so I wouldn't be starting from 0.

You're not offering to get rid of the computer. You're asking them to just send you the most valuable part of the computer so that you can flip it quick in eastern Europe and turn a quick buck and then they'll have to pay someone else to take the rest of the computer, now missing the most valuable part.

Buying for more, selling for less isn't some idea you came up with. These are already very competitive fields; this is not a new idea.

Again, your business model is to do salvage without doing most of the work of salvage.

Good luck to you.

 

[hephaistos]

You're not offering to get rid of the computer. You're asking them to just send you the most valuable part of the computer so that you can flip it quick in eastern Europe and turn a quick buck and then they'll have to pay someone else to take the rest of the computer, now missing the most valuable part.

Again, your business model is to do salvage without doing most of the work of salvage.

Haha, I figured that would be impossible and now I am over it, just some stupid kiddy idea. Now I know i need to gather pcs (no salvaging and gold mining), within my own country. The reason I posted is because I know it is possible I know it exists. I see hungarian guys selling on our used local hardware forum, (a rather small community), but like a few hundred mid-top range gaming custom built gaming computers. Also some people do the same with laptops (which for some reason goes for 3x more than pcs, eventho performance is trash, and you cant even fix it (offtopic)). But where do they get the laptops from? The high end pc parts in huge stocks? The laptops? You can't just build a laptop. My guess is they go out to the us or norway, or something, and buy it from the guys who will sell it for dirt, because otherwise there wouldn't be that much of a profit. At that rate you can't hide a 100 1000$ laptops in your suitcase and run off tax free. This means they get the laptops incredibly cheap. I just have no idea where from.

EDit: By the guys who sell it for dirt, I meant your average ignorant american who will buy a new one just cuz it has a new dragon on the lid of the laptop. And sell his previous one for nothing.

 

[USAFRet]

EDit: By the guys who sell it for dirt, I meant your average ignorant american who will buy a new one just cuz it has a new dragon on the lid of the laptop. And sell his previous one for nothing.

And then the problem is....how to get it from living room of "the ignorant american" in Boston to your central distro point location in...Budapest. And then on to your hands.
Shipping costs.

 

[hephaistos]

And then the problem is....how to get it from living room of "the ignorant american" in Boston to your central distro point location in...Budapest. And then on to your hands.
Shipping costs.

That's what I am talking about. There is no way I could manage that... yet. My question is how others do. For now I will try to get some pcs... To my central distro point location... Budapest. I will call a few companies tomorrow. Maybe I'll have luck. I'll update this thread tho. thanks for all the motivation lmao

 

[USAFRet]

That's what I am talking about. There is no way I could manage that... yet. My question is how others do. For now I will try to get some pcs... To my central distro point location... Budapest. I will call a few companies tomorrow. Maybe I'll have luck. I'll update this thread tho. thanks for all the motivation lmao

Therein lies the issue.
You're too focused on the PC-techie part, and not enough on the overall logistics.

To a businessman, the "PC" is merely a commodity to be bought cheap and sold high.

To you, it is changing the CPU, adding RAM, swapping the hard drive for an SSD....techie stuff.

 

[hephaistos]

Therein lies the issue.
You're too focused on the PC-techie part, and not enough on the overall logistics.

To a businessman, the "PC" is merely a commodity to be bought cheap and sold high.

To you, it is changing the CPU, adding RAM, swapping the hard drive for an SSD....techie stuff.

No not at all. I even mentioned above but nevermind. I imagine it buying them putting them in some room, just power them on one by one, if it displays it works, done. and the one that doesn't power on doesn't work, throw it away, should be so cheap. I could do the same with cars, if I had the knowledge and capital, and place. And yeah, you need some minimal knowledge to vendor with items. For example I used to vendor with scuba diving suits too, have nothing to do with pcs? Still it's vendoring nothing techie

 

[hephaistos]

Calling offices and asking them is the job. You don't want to haul away the PCs, you're not doing the groundwork yourself, you don't have special knowledge of the field, and you don't know where to even go to find these things yourself. So what value are you adding to any party's transaction, that would cause anyone to use your service? If you can't answer this question, you don't have a business model.

lmao. So there is a fortnite school in budapest as weird as it sounds. And I phoned them, they said they're wiping out their gaming pc's and monitors for a next gen next summer. That was easy. If I might be able to get a contract with them a few months before, I might have just done the job.