In a June 2026 IT auction at Ross’s in Welshpool, two Dell Latitude 3480 laptops closed at $185 and $175. Both were described as untested, with 16 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive. The $185 laptop included a charger. The $175 laptop didn’t. A $10 gap between bids is a good reason to read the last line of a lot description. Ross’s archived Perth IT catalogue, lots 30 and 31
Read the sale terms before comparing laptops
For this particular sale, Ross’s specified a 16.5% buyer’s premium, GST-inclusive pricing, a scheduled inspection, and collection at 453 Orrong Road, Welshpool, WA. The collection deadline was 4 pm on 3 July. Those were the terms for the June sale. Open the current catalogue for its location, premium, GST treatment and pickup window before entering a bid. Current Ross’s online auctions
| What the two lots cost | Lot 30 | Lot 31 |
|---|---|---|
| Published closing bid | $185 | $175 |
| Bid plus the sale’s premium, rounded | $215.53 | $203.88 |
| Illustrative cost to supply the missing charger | $0 | $32 |
| Cost with a charger, before collection or testing | $215.53 | $235.88 |
The closing bids are real. The $32 charger is an assumption you should replace with the cost of the correct model, wattage and connector. Neither closing bid establishes that the unit booted or what it later fetched at resale.
Work out what you could honestly advertise
Start with a single lot number. Check the model on the case, what’s included and whether the description reports a test. If inspection is available, ask what you can test there. A laptop that reaches a login screen still leaves questions about its battery, ports, keyboard and whether a previous organisation needs to release it from device management. Record what you actually verified. If ownership or a management lock can’t be resolved with the seller, leave that unit out of a working-stock bid.
For something you can’t power on, look up sold prices for the same model in untested or parts condition. Check the storage, memory and charger in those listings. Using the best price for a refurbished, working laptop gives you no allowance for a fault. Research Australian eBay sold listings
Write your limit beside the lot number
Suppose your own sold-price research supports $150 for an untested unit in its observed condition. You allow $35 for collection, selling costs and time, and want $25 left after that work. That leaves $90 for the whole auction invoice. Under the June premium, $90 ÷ 1.165 gives a maximum hammer bid of $77.25, rounded down to the cent. If the bidding increments take you above that, let it go.
Write down the sale date, lot number, charger status and maximum before bidding. If you collect several similar machines, label each one with its lot number at pickup. It is much easier to account for a dead battery when you can tell which invoice line bought it.