Each year, thousands of businesses worldwide use millions of computers. And the computer industry being what it is, each quarter, millions of computers become outdated because of the developments in chip and storage technology. While some of the bigger businesses, which have trends like depreciation built into their accounting practices, can throw away their computers in order to replace them or get new ones, other businesses, especially small and medium businesses, can scarcely afford to do so. So, the way in which they tackle the outdated computers is through what has come to be known as a computer auction.

Now the question in your mind is why would anyone auction an outdated computer? The answer is pretty simple. The computer itself might be outdated, but there could still be several usable parts in it. The memory could be useful just as some of the components like the motherboard and the keyboard could be re purposed and used again. In some cases, almost the entire computer could be used just as it is without having to upgrade much. Smaller, individual companies are likely to do this. Corporations cant be bothered with the nitty gritties.

To come back to the point, computer auctions are the ideal place to pick up cheap yet effective computers. I have personally been to several computer auctions. And guess what? Often, with just a little bit of searching, I have been able to find a rare gem that served me just fine! Take for instance the TV tuner card that I found at one of the computer auctions I attended. Not many people there seemed to have an idea what it was. So the people bidding on it included me and one old lady who was probably bored. Needless to mention, I won the auction and got myself a nearly new, and very sparingly used TV tuner card. Ever since, I have been a steady participant at all computer auctions.

My preoccupation with computer auctions has gotten to be so bad that I spend nearly all my free time attending them. Each Sunday I scour the newspapers looking for nearby computer auctions. And once I have made a list of all the nearby ones, I get into my car and drive off. Participation is free but the payment terms are nearly always cash. So make sure that you carry a fair amount of ready cash to the computer auctions. Having said that, I would not recommend buying the latest gadgets and gizmos there. Remember, computer auctions are meant to serve as easy disposable points for those who no longer have a need for a piece of equipment. And a brand new release is not likely to find itself there, unless it is for a very good (or very bad) reason!