Is It Worth Selling a 2019 or Older MacBook? (Honest Answer)

You've got an old MacBook in a drawer. It's slow, the battery lasts 45 minutes, and you haven't touched it since you got your M-series Mac. Is it even worth selling? The short answer: yes — and the longer you wait, the less you'll get.

What Old MacBooks Are Actually Worth

These are real buyback prices from SellMacBook.com as of March 2026:

2019 MacBook Pro 16" (i7/i9): $230-242. The 16-inch was Apple's last great Intel laptop. The i9 with 1TB tops out at $242. Still a solid payout for a 7-year-old machine.

2018 MacBook Pro 15" (i9): $219-239. Touch Bar models with the i9 processor hold value because creative professionals still use them.

2017 MacBook Pro 13": $180-237. The Touch Bar models command more than the non-Touch Bar, and the i7 beats the i5.

2015-2016 MacBook Pro: $100-180. The 2015 15-inch is a cult classic (last model with MagSafe and good keyboard) and still fetches $150+.

MacBook Air 2017-2019: $80-150. Intel Airs are approaching the floor but still worth more than nothing.

The Math: Why Selling Now Beats Waiting

Old MacBooks lose about $3-5 per month in value. That's $36-60 per year. A 2019 MacBook Pro worth $240 today will be worth roughly $180 by this time next year. Every month you wait is money evaporating.

Worse, Apple drops macOS support for old models periodically. When your MacBook loses macOS support, its value drops sharply because buyers worry about security updates and app compatibility. The 2017 models are already on borrowed time.

But My MacBook Is Broken — Is It Still Worth Anything?

Yes. Broken MacBooks have parts value. The screen, logic board, keyboard, and housing are all individually valuable. Here's the rough math:

A working 2018 MacBook Pro worth $239 might be worth $80-120 even with a cracked screen, bad battery, or water damage. A completely dead MacBook (won't turn on at all) is still worth $50-80 for parts.

The only MacBooks worth literally nothing are those with severe physical damage (bent frame, shattered into pieces) or those reported stolen (blacklisted serial number).

What About Repairing It First?

Sometimes. If your old MacBook has a $50 problem (bad battery, slow hard drive) and the repair adds $100+ to the resale value, it's worth fixing. But for screen replacements ($200+) or logic board issues ($300+), the repair cost usually exceeds the value gain on older models.

If you're in Reno, LaptopTraderExpress.com offers free diagnostics to help you decide — repair it or sell it as-is.

How to Sell Your Old MacBook

Three steps:

1. Search your model at SellMacBook.com and select its condition. You'll see your instant quote.

2. We email a free prepaid UPS shipping label. Box it, drop at UPS.

3. We inspect it and send payment same day. PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, CashApp, or check.

Bottom line: If your MacBook turns on, it's worth selling. If it doesn't turn on, it's still probably worth $50-100. The only bad decision is letting it sit in a drawer while its value drops every month.