Computers don’t really interest me. I know what I need, but I’m also fine if someone shows me how X, Y, or Z feature might help me. That being said, I just got a new 12-inch MacBook 512 GB. My old computer is a 17-inch MacBook Pro (from 2011) with 750 GB. A friend of mine (who is into computers suggested that I sell my old one). Where would I sell it? Who would want it? Is there some sort of a Craig’s List thing for used computers? I"m clueless. Should I sell it or no?
Many people can’t afford a new macbook pro and would be happy with an older one.
Also, some professionals may require older macs which run specialized software which can’t run on the latest versions of Mac OSX and Apple has designed their machines to not allow installation of Mac OSX versions more than a few generations old.
I know of some graphic design professionals who still run 2006 era Macs because they can’t afford to plunk down tens of thousands of dollars to replace their PowerPC based applications and the last version of MacOSX which can run PPC applications was Snow Leopard which was released in 2009.
Craigslist or ebay would be two good places. Keep in mind that CLers tend to be bargain hunters so be prepared for that.
Also, while it’s great you listed the models and hard drive capabilities, you need to be more specific in which exact model you have and how much RAM is included in your machine. Everymac.com is a good place to find the info you need.
Good luck.
There are places that buy old Mac’s, old iPhones. You can google. I know Gazelle will. Apple also has a sister organization that gives you the Apple store credit instead of cash. You tell them what you have as well as you can. If you accept their price, they will send you a box to ship. You get a check when they received it. I always sold my old Macs and phones. Otherwise, they accumulate around the house until you take it to a proper collection site. Pain. I routinely got $3-400 for my old mac. That brings down my new mac price by $3-400. I upgrade my computer usually every 3 years. it’s a win-win, you don’t fill up the landfill, it gets recycled/reused, you get money.
I had an old Mac that apple wouldn’t give me money for. I had them wipe it completely clean. There was a very nice attendant at my garage. I knew he had few young kids, so I gave it to him. Ever since then, I’ve had the best service at the garage. 
He told me how much his kids loved the Mac.
You can get on Apple, type in your computer model and condition to get an estimate of how much it is worth.
Agree about being careful to completely wipe it before giving it away or selling it. My s’s used to do computer repair work when they were in HS and the stuff they saw on people’s machines… people need to think more carefully about that.
remove the hard drive before you sell.
Not only will this make the macbook pro harder to sell*, it’s not necessary so long as you opt to wipe out the hard drive using the following tips:
http://www.macworld.com/article/2906499/mac-911-how-to-erase-your-macs-hard-drive-the-right-way.html
- Most people in the market for used computers...including macs aren't inclined to be technically adept enough to open their machine up to install hard drives themselves or to pay someone to do it for them.
When you buy a new computer from Apple, they will transfer your data from the old computer and wipe-clean your old computer. They may even sell it for you.
Even if Apple’s willing to sell it for OP, they’re likely to take such a big chunk of the proceeds that it’s not really worth doing. And this could vary by area.
The ones in my area won’t do so as their main focus is on selling current machines or ones they refurbished themselves* where they can maximize their profit margins and in an area where they’re very popular and there’s plenty willing to buy new, it’s not worth it for them to help former customers sell used products.
- They tend to not be more than a few years old so a macbook from 2011...not a good candidate for this category.
Check Gazelle. They buy Apple computers.