A lot of people have a need for a used laptop.  For example, college students often have a real need for a cheap machine that they can use to do school work and connect to the net with, but obviously they do not have a ton of extra cash floating around to just go out and buy whatever laptop strikes their fancy at an electronics superstore.  They are a prime candidate for a used laptop purchase because they need something that is cheaper that can still serve their needs.  And of course you do not have to be in college to benefit from the lower price of a used computer.  Anyone can benefit if they find a good deal on a machine that suits their needs.

The first place that you should look for used laptops is on Craigslist.  This is a website where you will find free classified ads online with all sorts of stuff for sale in your area.  If you live in or near a large city then the marketplace will be quite large and you can probably find something that is close to what you need in a laptop machine.  If you live in a smaller area then you might not fair so well with Craigslist as there just might not be any laptops for sale in your area.  It might be worth driving quite a ways for you though to get a great deal on a killer machine.  Depending on the cost of gas though this might not be such a great idea; it all depends on your current situation. 

Because Craigslist runs free ads, this is usually going to be a bit cheaper than going with other paid options such as eBay or paid classifieds....IF you can find a deal.  The reason is because the paid listings and the eBay auctions all carry various fees and overhead that will nudge the price up a bit.  Craigslist has no such fees or overhead so the overall price you pay will theoritically be just a bit lower in most cases.

If you cannot find a deal on Craiglist for a used laptop then you might take a look at eBay.  This auction site is nice because you can narrow in on what you want and the marketplace is big enough that you can usually bid every single day on a machine that would fit your needs.  The key with buying a used laptop on eBay is not to get drawn into a bidding war.  In some cases people get sucked in to the emotional side of the auction and end up paying much more for something than they originally intended.  Here is how not to do that:

1) Do your homework first.  Don't do your research on laptops while you are bidding on them.  You need to know exactly what you want AND have a good idea of what the machine is actually worth before you ever start bidding on something.  This means figuring out what you want in a laptop and scoping out some prices over a short period of time so that you can get a pretty good idea of the real value.  For example, say you are eyeballing a certain IBM Thinkpad laptop.  If you do your homework and look at several completed auctions, you might find that they generally go for anywhere from $180 all the way up to about $399 depending on how they are configured (how much memory they have, condition of battery, etc.).  So in this case you have to decide what configuration you want and narrow down your price research to that exact specification.  Ballpark the true value of the machine you want.  Say it is about $325 delivered (remember that you always have to factor in the cost of shipping.  Sometimes it is free and sometimes it is quite high.  It really does not matter what the shipping cost because you are only going to concern yourself with the total cost.  I.E., how much the machine will cost to be delivered to your doorstep in total).  Ideally you want to knock about 10 percent off this virtual cost that you have figured out and use that as your target purchasing price.  So you might decide that you would really want to buy this laptop that you value at about $325 for no more than $300 even (including the shipping cost). 

2) Once you know how much you are willing to pay for a certain laptop, put that in as a maximum bid, and promise to yourself that you absolutely will not bid any more on that machine no matter what, even if you get outbid.  Most people will become emotional and try to put in one more bid after they get outbid and this results in a bidding war and is a bad decision.  Realize that the market is huge and laptops are sold every single day and hold firm on your decision.  It can be hard because you invest a lot of time and research into your purchase decision and then it gets snatched away by a higher bidder.  Stick firm to your prices and force yourself to be patient and you will get a terrific deal eventually.