Where to source dead/nonfunctional 15" T60s?

[H-Atkinson]

Ive got boards and panels to build another batch of T601ps w/ LED flexviews, but unfortunately cant seem to find any dead 15" T60s on eBay as I normally have been able to. They usually are listed all over as "NOT WORKING" or "FOR PARTS," but Im not seeing any 15" T60s up there now. They used to go for less than 50 USD in that condition, and working ones are all 100+. Thats a high price for something thats going to be dismantled anyways, and a waste of a working (possibly numbers matching) T60.

Does anyone else have a good place to find them? My only real care is that the chassis inst bent and there are not cracks in the plastic (minor scratches are fine, and I have a method to recondition the lids). Keyboard condition doesn't matter to me, as I will be using NOS NMB boards.

Its obviously less of a hassle to source a machine to rebuild than it is sourcing each part individually (and shipping from china can add up).

Ill ask this on r/thinkpad as well.
Thanks.

[tfflivemb2]

Are you looking for any Dead 15" T60's, or an actual continual source?

I have a 2623-D3U that i bought from a former coworker, which was SUPPOSEDLY working. However, once i had a chance to test it, it doesn't boot at all, even after removing devices one at a time. I don't feel like digging back in and swapping system boards.

[H-Atkinson]

Hoping to find a semi-continual source, as Ive got a lot of T61p 4:3 boards at the moment.

Ideally I would want ones with worse screens, as it would be a waste to swap an LED flexview in place of a CCFL one if it works.

[wujstefan]

Well I can see them locally in Poland - no longer than a year ago they were very easy to source, cheap and great shaped.

Now for a dead unit one must pay the likes of $50-70, and the shape is not throwing me on my knees.

[zoltan87]

I think it's safe to say that the prices are steadily increasing for these machines now. I bought my first T60 about 2,5 years ago in the UK for £35 if I remember correctly. It was in great shape with a genuine PSU, and it had an SXGA+ Flexview screen too (I am pretty sure the seller had no idea about the screen in it). And I remember seeing similar units in the £30-£50 range, non functional or BIOS locked models went for £20 sometimes, and some of them were in amazing shape.

But that must have been the time when prices bottomed out for these laptops. There have been quite a few Youtube videos in the last 2 years about how to upgrade them etc, and those things always push up prices (just have a look at the 2503 Advanced Dock prices, it's insanity, they were going for ~£30 not that long ago). But the other reason is availability, there just isn't as many units on sale at a given time now. Also these are one of the last 4:3 aspect ratio mainstream laptops, something that more and more people appreciate.

[Peak2Peak]

Up to approx 5 years ago here in the UK you could pick up some pretty good deals on the T60 series especially via dedicated IT auction disposal warehouses trying to clear their shelves of legacy equipment - many being recovered leased items with some being brand new boxed! - stock that was not sold generally ended up being sold off to dedicated recyclers etc

As Zoltan87 pointed out - here in the UK - with stock drying up leading to scarcer availability and still an interest in the 4:3 form factor worldwide - prices have certainly increased

[H-Atkinson]

At the moment, 100 USD seems to be the lowest 15" machines go for on eBay. Most of my local recycles and tech roundup places have **20 series machines, and clearing out the *6* stocks long ago.

Ill likely just go through eBay, and keep an eye on craigslist and local ads when Im buying.

[wujstefan]

Below $50 here in Poland. I see the stock is running out, however...

[Saucey]

On eBay it seems the better deals are ones where the seller doesn't know much about them.
While I was working at an electronic recycler, it's just easier palletizing them to a bulk buyer, than to list them & deal with fees or returns.
For the profit margins, time is better spent on listing pricier items, and saving them up, just takes up more space.


Sometimes bagging a cheap flexview T60 takes a modified eBay search, like
IBM ThinkPad -i3 -i7 -i5 -SSD -T400 -X1 (IBM, Classic, Old, broken) etc etc
Searching through them will take awhile, but I find the fun in that.

Its how I found a 701C at a 'big' discount.

[H-Atkinson]

This is how I sourced my W510/20/30s for a long time (bought them cheap, refurbed, and sold) but the supply dried out. Not seeing many T60s listed like that, most likely because people are either buying them up, or they get thrown out due to age and a presumption of no value. I pulled my X61s out of a bin behind my office last year, and it worked for ~8 more months before the southbridge cooked itself/BGA broke.

[RealBlackStuff]

When I was still building Frankies, people either sent me their machines, or I searched eBay for T60/p with password, broken screen and/or missing keyboard.