Department 56 Secondary Market

Cash for clunkers: Old tech equipment boosts the bottom line

-->
Like most big companies, GlaxoSmithKline had systems in place to help keep track of its computers, servers and other IT equipment.

Even so, equipment would still fall through the cracks -- employees would leave, and managers would forget to call the desktop services group to pick up their computers. Or workers would need extra machines for special projects but then fail to turn them in when the projects were complete. Or people would ask to hold on to old computers after an upgrade to clear off data, and the unit would fall off the roster.
Cash for tech clunkers

Multiply those instances over several years, and you wind up with a big pile of unused tech gear.

That's what Armin Jahromi, service development manager for GSK's IT desktop services group, discovered a few years ago when he decided to take a hard look around the company's physical plant. "There was a lot of IT equipment lying around -- laptops, desktops, monitors, all types of equipment," he recalls.

But where other managers might have envisioned big disposal bills, Jahromi saw another possibility: potential revenue. He rolled up his sleeves and went to work, partnering with PlanITROI, a Denville, N.J.-based asset value recovery company, to recoup cash from end-of-life IT gear.

Over a two-year housecleaning period that involved more than a half-dozen sites housing 20,000-plus workers, GSK's IT department took in an impressive $1.8 million -- that is, 60% of the total amount earned, with the remainder going to PlanITROI.
Refurbish and resell

Many companies struggle with finding the best way to get rid of outdated computers, servers and the like. The days of tossing units out with trash bound for the landfill are long gone, thanks to increasingly stringent recycling laws.

Companies can certainly get a recycling vendor to haul away tech trash, but fees vary widely, and the hassle can be considerable, in part because it's not always easy to determine whether these companies are getting rid of the e-waste in a responsible way.

Now, some organizations are trying an alternative: refurbishing and reselling their old equipment, either on their own or through a third party, to bring money back into the company coffers.

And as the GSK case shows, this can be more than pocket change.

HERITAGE village Dept 56 RIVERSIDE ROW SHOPS RETIRED

Davefromvi Store HERITAGE village Dept 56 RIVERSIDE ROW SHOPS RETIRED Be sure to check out my other auctions... Lots of BUILDINGS and accesories being offered this week... ALL WITH FREE SHIPPING Bids start at 1 cent, NO RESERVE, NO SHIPPING COSTS ADDED You are bidding on the Department 56 Riverside Row Shops #56.58888 (Bank, Barber Shop, Stationery Store), part of the Original Snow Village Christmas in the City Collection. This piece is in used but great shape and comes with the original styrofoam packaging, outer sleeve and cord. This piece was introduced in 1997 and retired in 1999. The 2010 Village D-tails Greenbook 2nd Edition (Guide Book - Reference Source and Secondary Market Guide) says on page 320 that the Secondary Market Value has been as high as $90. Perfect condition... MINT SHAPE, no chips or glueing! Has original box and packaging material Note on boxes... I used and displayed my Dept 56 villages every year. there is wear on the boxes. I have been honest about the condition of the actual pieces. But, the boxes are not in perfect condition.

Department 56 Villages 2000

Greenbook Guide to Department 56 Villages, 2005 Edition, The Definitive Reference Source and Secondary Market Guide to Department 56 Villages

Collector's value guide, Department 56 villages, secondary market price guide & collector handbook

Department 56 Snowbabies, Collector Handbook and Secondary Market Price Guide

Greenbook Guide to Department 56 Villages, 1997-1998

GREENBOOK TRUMARKET VALUES Secondary Market prices are reported to us by ... Within each year, the Listings are in Department 56® Item Number order. ...