James Castillo8 As Alex Harris32 once remarked:
Look, I suppose if some complete novice wanders into a shop, they might settle for a basic model, but anyone with even a modicum of technical literacy is going to shell out a few extra bucks to secure a GTS instead of a mere GT. It’s just common sense, really. $33 The performance gap between the 8800 and the 8600 is quite substantial; the former offers a level of power that makes the latter look like a relic from a different era. Honestly, I suspect most people would be willing to pay a premium just to experience that kind of headroom. $33 I’ve dropped the price. If you’re actually looking to make a serious purchase—and if you’re someone who treats sales with a bit of professional integrity—you’ll understand where I'm coming from. I speak from firsthand experience here; I haven't just bought or sold a single GPU in my time. In the last three months alone, I've cycled through five different cards because I'm constantly tinkering with my PC build. Given how much volatility there is, anyone looking at these 8600 models would be smart to consider... $67 If they actually managed to secure them, I suspect those 8800 series cards would fetch a decent premium—maybe around $300, though I wouldn't be surprised if they climbed closer to $350 quite easily.
I suppose I find myself in agreement with you on this particular point.
The harsh reality remains that many consumers simply lack the necessary insight when they make a purchase, often bleeding extra cash on products that aren't actually worth the premium. I remember back in my early days working in retail, seeing people walk out with overpriced hardware thinking they were getting a steal, only to realize later they’d been overcharged for mediocre specs. It happens far too often.
To illustrate my point, I’m thinking back to an ATI Radeon HD4870 I had in my possession; it was only about a year old at the time, yet I managed to offload it just two months ago for... $283...whereas back when there were actually quite a few of them. $200.
Furthermore, if you take a look over at the hardware marketplace subforum, I noticed someone already moved an 8800GTS for... $167 It happened just a few days ago.
If you possess the instinct for commerce, the money will inevitably follow. If you lack that intuition—or if you simply couldn't care less about the margins—you won't see a dime. That is the cold, hard reality of mastering the art of flipping items on platforms like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
It is perfectly clear to me that the card isn't worth that much in a vacuum, but that isn't really the point here. We aren't discussing its objective market value; we are discussing what someone is actually willing to pay for it right now. I would bet my last dollar that you can find a buyer at that price. $83 I suppose one might be able to secure an 8600GT with 512MB of VRAM—assuming, of course, that he actually specified the capacity, which I suspect he did not. 😉
I suggest we bring this discussion to a close before we start packing up our things; after all, this isn't really a matter of speculation, but rather something else entirely. 👍
darkowl72 As Alex Harris32 noted:
I suppose I am permitted to share my collection of cards here... 😬
Have mercy on me, colleague; I simply have to bring this debate to a close. 😁
Delete those posts later if they end up being an eyesore. 😉