Technology For Cheap - Or Free!
| Published 9/24/04

Graphic by: Jenny Conner

All us geeks love tinkering with technological gadgets, taking them apart, putting them back together and figuring out how they work. Problem is that the average college student doesn't have the resources (i.e. piles of cash) to buy new electronics all the time. There are lots of ways to get technology for less. In fact, you might be surprised at how little you'll have to pay.

Pawn shops are a great source for electronics. Most pawn shops are overrun with stereo components, VCRs, DVD players, video games and consoles, televisions, computer monitors, laptop parts and other miscellaneous gizmos. Most of the inventory is labeled with prices much higher than what the owner of the store plans to sell it for. While I was purchasing a computer in a pawn shop in Blacksburg, a student came in and sold a brand new XM radio controller. The electronics and computers for sale in pawn shops are cheaper than they would in a retail store and most are still new.

While it may take some searching, Goodwill and other thrift stores are sometimes good for cheap electronics, especially used computers. However, not everything in the store may be in perfect working order. Plug things into the power strips built into the shelves before you buy them. If nothing happens, don't bother. If it does work, however, you're probably getting a fantastic deal. Computers at Goodwill fall within a $5.00 to $40.00 range. Of course, these aren't brand new machines. Goodwill computers are great sources for spare parts.

Finally, a visit to your local public school headquarters could end up in a car full of free (yes, free!) electronics. School systems are continually updating their technology. While they do donate some of the computers and video equipment to churches and other community groups, school systems are usually happy to get some unused stuff off their hands. It's not all "museum piece" slide projectors and Macintosh Classics, either. The $44.00 USB Mac mouse I use every day came from the "throw it in the dumpster" pile at Roanoke County Schools HQ, still sealed in the box.

eBay and similar sites are also good places to find computers and electronics, but you have to be cautious - a lot of things that seem like deals are actually scams. The shipping cost is also a large cost that you may not notice at first. A 20gb iPod might look like a steal on eBay for $40.00, but beware the shipping cost of $95.

Again, technology gadgets at places like these are not always going to be top of the line, brand new products. However, if you're just looking for a few things to play with, these are good places to start.

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