Kids are going back. Some as early as August. Lists are out. The paper notebooks and pens? Fine. The real problem is the silicon.
Teachers expect Chromebooks, iPads, proper laptops. Most districts provide basics. They do not provide the high-performance machines many families need or want at home.
So parents go shopping. And then they see the price tags.
It’s brutal this year.
AI ate all the RAM.
The chip shortage hit hard. Memory is everywhere, phones to gaming consoles. It’s missing. Prices are up.
Even the secondhand market feels it.
Nearly half of adults looked at used gear last year. Why? Cheap. New stuff costs too much.
But refurbished isn’t immune to the squeeze.
The Refurb Hike
Apple raised prices on their Certified Refurbished store in June. Up six percent. Fifteen.
A MacBook Pro that cost $1,69 dropped to $1,43 in early summer? Now it’s nearly $1,70. The math is worse for you.
Microsoft and Samsung aren’t getting off easy. Xbox prices go up August first. Surface laptops cost more now.
This lasts until 2028. Maybe longer.
So yes, buying old might still beat buying new. But the gap is shrinking.
Where to Look
You want deals. Go where the risk lives.
Facebook Marketplace. OfferUp. You get cash deals, sometimes free accessories. You get nothing else.
No warranty. No returns. No one checked if the battery is shot. You buy it, it’s dead on arrival, you keep the bricks.
Certified spots are safer.
Back Market. Amazon Renewed. Best Buy Outlet. Apple’s own store. Dell. HP. They check the boxes. They offer returns.
Compare the warranties.
If you pay, use a credit card. Not a debit. Credit cards often have purchase protection for three to six months. The phone gets stolen? Damaged? You’re covered. Keep the receipts. Track the package.
Turn Old Tech into Cash
Don’t throw that old iPhone away.
Trade it in. Apple gives you store credit. Amazon gives you credit for their marketplace.
Sell it directly for cash. Swappa. ItsWorthMore. ecoATM kiosks in malls.
Condition matters. A screen crack kills your profit. Newer models sell faster. Compare offers across platforms. That cash offsets the refurbished cost.
The “New” Trap
Here is the tricky part.
Sometimes new is the same price as refurbished.
School deals exist. Student discounts are real.
Before you buy the used ThinkPad, check the new one with the student promo code applied.
Check the specs too.
Intel-based Macs don’t get software updates anymore. Is your child’s project compatible with last year’s OS?
If not, you bought a paperweight.
Think about the battery health on the used item. Think about the software road.
New isn’t always wrong.
Check the student deals first.
Maybe you end up paying more anyway.
The shortage doesn’t care about your budget. It just exists.
Do you think you’ll wait out the prices?
Probably not. You need the laptop now.
