Can you build PCs from electronics recyling to sell?

[Horrible N00B]

I want to know if I could go to local recyclings, ask to take PCs, take some, and then build new ones by mix and match.
I want to simply make functioning PCs that I can sell on eBay to make a couple bucks.
I wonder this because I want to make some money after school by selling PCs, and after a couple months be able to buy a high end gaming laptop.

 

[samjc3]

If they would give you the boxes, you may well be able to source enough working components to put together functioning boxes. However, the sort of electronics people recycle are usually old and beat as Heck, so I wouldn't expect to make very much, especially considering shipping towers isn't cheap, and you'd probably want to do complete packages, keyboard, mouse, monitor, cables. I imagine you'd be looking at $40 to $60 in shipping costs to ship ancient pentium based dell boxes and the like. Overall, the profit margin would be tiny, if not negative.

Plus this all assumes an electronic recycling place would give away things, which I doubt, since they make money by recycling that stuff, and people are loathe to give away profits.

 

[vskid3]

Sam is right. The computers most people give/throw away are garbage either because they're super old or broken. However, it doesn't hurt to ask. If you do get any, I would try selling them locally rather than shipping, especially desktops.

 

[XCVG]

I don't think there are any legal or technical reasons why you couldn't, but the results would be largely crap.

 

[thatguythere]

Perhaps instead of going to a recycling centre, you should post something like on craigslist or something similar and say you will go to peoples houses and pick up their old computers for them for free. Then maybe you can ask those people why they are getting rid of the computer (perhaps because its old or because its broken or whater)

 

[samjc3]

Perhaps instead of going to a recycling centre, you should post something like on craigslist or something similar and say you will go to peoples houses and pick up their old computers for them for free. Then maybe you can ask those people why they are getting rid of the computer (perhaps because its old or because its broken or whater)

Somehow, I doubt you'd get anything better by doing this than you would at a recycling center - it just comes down to the type of stuff people are willing to give away for free. Not to mention going to people's houses - especially the sort of people that are lazy enough that they get some guy from craigslist to come take their computer for them - just seems sketchy, especially since I get the feeling the OP isn't particularly old.