Deal with the data first, whatever you decide
This comes before the choice, because it applies to all of them. Deleting files and formatting the drive do not remove the data — they remove the pointer to it and leave the contents in place.
If you sell it to us, every drive we buy is securely erased at no charge and you can ask for a printed certificate. If you are giving it away or keeping it, do it yourself properly before it leaves your hands.
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Sell the parts that are worth something
Usually one or two components carry the value.
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Keep it working, somewhere else
Wipe it first and set it up fresh.
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Recycle it, free
Same location, whether or not we buy anything.
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The shelf
The one option that is definitely wrong.
Option one — sell the parts that are worth something
In most old machines the value is concentrated in one or two components rather than spread across the whole thing. The graphics card is usually the most valuable single item, often by a wide margin, followed by the processor.
Not sure what is in it? Start here, or call and describe it. It takes about two minutes to find out whether the machine is worth a trip.
Option two — keep it working, somewhere else
A machine that still boots is useful to somebody. A first computer for a child, a spare for the garage, a media box under a television — none of that needs current hardware.
If you go this way, wipe it first and set it up fresh. Handing over a machine with your old accounts still signed in is the mistake worth avoiding here.
Option three — recycle it, free
If it is too old to be worth buying, we still recycle computer gear free at the same location, at no charge, including items we would not buy. You do not have to sell us anything to use it.
That is deliberate. The alternative for most of this equipment is another three years on a shelf, and electronics do not belong in household waste.
Bring the lot in one trip — the machine, the cables, the parts you pulled out years ago and kept.
Option four — the shelf. The one to avoid
Hardware depreciates whether or not it is plugged in, and a graphics card that is worth something today is worth less every year it waits. The data stays on it the entire time.
Whichever of the first three you pick, picking one beats not picking. That is genuinely the whole argument.
If you bring it to us
We are at 11503 Jones Maltsberger Rd, north of the airport, south of Wurzbach Parkway. Park at the front, straight down the hallway, Suite 1138 — the last door on the right.
Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00 PM to 5:30 PM, no appointment. Bring a valid photo ID, 18 or over. Directions and hours →
Common questions
Do you charge for recycling?
No. Free, including for items we would not buy, on the same visit.
Do I have to sell you something to recycle here?
No. Bring it in either way.
What about monitors, printers and old cables?
Monitors we buy, quoted by email, usually within 1–2 hours. Printers we do not buy at all. All of it can be recycled here regardless.
Will you take the data off it if I am not selling it?
That sits outside the normal buyback flow, so call (210) 710-2020 and ask rather than driving over on the assumption.