Mac Pro trade-in value plummets after M2 announcements

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware
Apple accepts the 2019 Mac Pro in trade-in for any new Mac, but the fraction users can now get of their original purchase price won't buy an M2 Pro Mac mini.




If a buyer spent $53,000 -- without display -- on a full-configured Mac Pro in 2019, well, they presumably needed it. They presumably had the budget too, and they have also now had a couple of years in which to enjoy it.

Even though Apple has delayed replacing it with an M2 Apple Silicon processor, though, there's no question that one is coming. Consequently new users are best off waiting -- but surprisingly, existing users are probably best off keeping their machines.

That's because the trade-in value that Apple will give for a 2019 Mac Pro is minuscule, according to Twitter user David ImeI.

Just tried pricing out our $52,199 Mac Pro's at the office for trade in, which you can still buy from Apple, $52,199.

What else has dropped 50x in value in 3 years.. besides crypto? pic.twitter.com/pRESBQBoT4

-- David ImeI (@DurvidImel)


Apple isn't the only firm to offer trade-in prices, and of course a Mac Pro user could try making a private sale. But if there are no general figures yet for sales and alternative trade-in firms, that drop in value from Apple is precipitous.

Possibly it feels more so because of the line "trade it in for a gift card." You can get Apple gift cards for up to $2,000.

But it's the image of replacing fifty grand of hardware with a single, emailed redemption code that hurts.

Imel looked into his potential trade-in value as Apple released the new Mac mini. His quoted $970 would buy a base model M2 Mac mini, but he'd still be over $300 short on the price of the M2 Pro model.

Of course, Imel works for Marques Brownlee -- YouTube's MKBHD. The Mac Pros have already paid for themselves several times over, which is the entire point of "Pro"-grade hardware actually used by professionals.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    I’ve been waiting for the new Apple Silicon Mac Pro to drop to see how it affects the used market price of the 2019 Intel Mac Pros. I’m interested in a workstation that can handle at least 1.5TB in main memory and have been looking at the Z8 which can handle up to 3TB but even though the engineering software I would be using runs on Windows it would be nice to also be able to run macOS.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 19
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Does anyone ever purchase a computer expecting a return on investment? Maybe he should complain about losing $20k driving a high-end car off the dealer lot too 🙄
    watto_cobrabaconstangracerhomie3
  • Reply 3 of 19
    This can't be real. In 2021, I traded in my 2017 iMac 27" (not a Pro iMac) for an M1 iMac and received $1200 in trade-in value from Apple. No way does a $52,000 Mac Pro workstation depreciate to $970 trade-in in three years. NO. WAY. Let's remember that simply putting wheels on the Mac Pro is a $700 option. 
    watto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 4 of 19
    FYI: Apple's web site clearly says that the maximum trade-in value for the "computer" category is $1250. Should be obvious that a $50K system isn't the intended target for this kind of program. 
    aderutterdewmeauxiowatto_cobraarthurbabaconstangracerhomie3FileMakerFeller
  • Reply 5 of 19
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    This entire article is totally whacked. If anyone was offering up used 2019 Mac Pros configured at the price levels implied in this article there would be lines of resellers around the block to snap them up. The Pros in the 50K original price range are still magnificent machines for software development for any platform you desire. These "old" machines would be a dream platform for running multiple Windows 10/11 VMs. 

    I would also assume that the vast majority of people who buy machines of the caliber of $50K Mac Pros use them for generating revenue that greatly exceeds the cost of the Mac - plus they depreciate the Mac over whatever the depreciation schedule is for this type of business purchase, probably in the 5 year range depending on gov't incentives. Unless you're giving your kids brand new Ferraris for their 16th birthday, and there are plenty of people who do, these are business tools that get purchased for precisely calculated economic reasons.
    watto_cobrabaconstangracerhomie3tenthousandthingsFileMakerFellerfastasleep
  • Reply 6 of 19
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    dewme said:
    these are business tools that get purchased for precisely calculated economic reasons.
    Exactly. That's what I meant with my return on investment comment: the return on investment comes from the work the machine is used for, not the machine itself, which depreciates very very quickly. And as someone else pointed out, Apple's trade in value most certainly isn't the same as the market resale value.
    mattinozwatto_cobrabaconstangFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 7 of 19
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    Trade in is based on value of material that can be recovered given Apple doesn't sell used hardware. 
    So yeah open market would surely value it higher as a working product. 
    watto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 8 of 19
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Typical Apple-haters and whiners.  How much is that Cray supercomputer worth now?  Nothing.  Computers are tools, not an investment instrument.  You will ALWAYS lose money on it.

    Those that purchased those new Mac Pros had very specific needs and it's not like they are all of a sudden inoperable.  Continue using them until they hinder your productivity.  If anything, those MacPro users should be rejoicing that that same power can no be had with next-gen technology for a fraction of the price.

    If this were any other company, no one would blink an eye.  But of course, since it's Apple... gotta hate.

    In what scenario would people not criticize Apple for making new machines far faster (and cheaper) than years-old models?
    watto_cobraracerhomie3FileMakerFeller
  • Reply 9 of 19
    mattinoz said:
    Trade in is based on value of material that can be recovered given Apple doesn't sell used hardware. 
    So yeah open market would surely value it higher as a working product. 
    https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/mac-pro
    arthurbabaconstang
  • Reply 10 of 19
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    So I'm guessing my 2013 Mac Pro Trash can isn't worth much? LOL.  I keep it for sentimental reasons next to my other old Macs.  I'd use it for a Windows MySQL sever as it runs Windows great, but even that makes it run hotter than my i9, RTX 3080 ti gaming rig.
  • Reply 11 of 19
    FYI: Apple's web site clearly says that the maximum trade-in value for the "computer" category is $1250. Should be obvious that a $50K system isn't the intended target for this kind of program. 
    As @mikethemartian suggested, the true value of the Mac Pro can be found not in what Apple will pay you as a trade in, but what Apple sell 'refurbished' units as:
    https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/mac-pro

    That page lists "Refurbished Mac Pro 2.5GHz 28-core Intel Xeon W, Two Radeon Pro Vega II Duo, Apple Afterburner" for 
    $39,239.00 and includes:

    2.5GHz 28‑core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.4GHz
    1.5TB (12x128GB) of DDR4 ECC memory
    Two Radeon Pro Vega II Duo with 2x32GB of HBM2 memory each
    8TB SSD1 storage
    Rack mounting rails (ships in separate box)
    Apple Afterburner

    racerhomie3FileMakerFeller
  • Reply 12 of 19
    Even in South Asia & Africa the few Mac Pros(2009-2013) that were in operation are being replaced by Mac Studio , and quite plainly that’s nothing short of amazing. You can get more processing power & power efficiency from a $2000 Mac Studio compared to a 2019 Mac Pro(2019). But for those enthusiasts who want internal expansion the Mac Pro is still a great choice.
  • Reply 13 of 19
    People with a Mac Pro also would not get an M2 Pro Mac Mini.
    dewme
  • Reply 14 of 19
    How on earth do you get to a headline “ Mac Pro trade-in value plummets after M2 announcements” without knowing what the trade-in value was a day/week/month ago?

    Their only datapoint for the price trend is a twitter joke.  I expected better from this site.
    dewmemichelb76
  • Reply 15 of 19
    I'll give any owner of a $52k Mac Pro $1000 for it. Hey, it beats Apple's offer, right?

    Actually, I had a Commodore Amiga 3000 sitting in a closet for 20 years. Finally sold it for $2000 on eBay, not much less than the price I paid. Nice when some computers become collector's items.
  • Reply 16 of 19
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Even in South Asia & Africa the few Mac Pros(2009-2013) that were in operation are being replaced by Mac Studio , and quite plainly that’s nothing short of amazing. You can get more processing power & power efficiency from a $2000 Mac Studio compared to a 2019 Mac Pro(2019). But for those enthusiasts who want internal expansion the Mac Pro is still a great choice.
    A Mac Studio is still in my plans as a photo processing station. Even the base model should make an excellent system for it. 
  • Reply 17 of 19
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    mattinoz said:
    Trade in is based on value of material that can be recovered given Apple doesn't sell used hardware. 
    So yeah open market would surely value it higher as a working product. 
    Apple itself doesn't buy the used products, they work with a third party trade-in partner, Phobio:
    https://www.theverge.com/22368541/apple-trade-in-phobio-macbook-white-spots

    mattinoz said:
    Trade in is based on value of material that can be recovered given Apple doesn't sell used hardware. 
    So yeah open market would surely value it higher as a working product. 
    https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/mac-pro
    The trade-in program is not where their refurbished stock comes from.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 18 of 19
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    Rhythmage said:
    Having a mac pro was the best investment i made. But a series of unfortunate events lead to me having to bring it back to apple to recycle. I probably won’t ever be able to afford another mac pro again. But it was fun while it lasted. I love using Logic. Oh well. Maybe one day right lol 
    I don't think that's what "investment" means.
    williamlondon
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