If you have a copier to sell — whether it’s one machine or a full fleet — understanding how the used copier market works will help you get a fair price quickly and avoid common mistakes. This guide covers what affects resale value, who the right buyers are, how to erase your data before the machine leaves your building, and what to have ready when you reach out to a buyer.
What Affects the Resale Value of a Used Copier
Several factors determine what a used copier is worth in the market. Understanding them before you reach out to buyers means you won’t be caught off guard by an offer, and it helps you present your machine accurately.
Low Meter Count
A machine with fewer total impressions has more life remaining and commands a higher price. Under 300,000 is considered low for most commercial MFPs. Color meter counts matter separately — buyers will ask for both.
Major Brand
Ricoh, Canon, Konica Minolta, Xerox, Sharp, Kyocera, and Toshiba have active resale markets and strong buyer demand. Off-brand or consumer-grade machines are harder to sell at any price.
Working Condition
A machine that powers on, prints cleanly, and has no active error codes is worth significantly more than one with unresolved mechanical issues. Basic cleaning before sale makes a real difference.
Quantity
Selling a lot of machines at once is more attractive to wholesalers because it reduces logistics complexity. A mixed lot of 10 machines often commands better per-unit offers than selling one at a time.
High Meter Count
A machine with 1.2 million or more impressions will be priced accordingly. It’s not unsellable, but expect offers to reflect the remaining useful life. Be honest about the meter count — buyers will verify it.
End-of-Life Models
Older models where parts and toner are no longer being manufactured have lower resale value. Buyers absorb that risk into their offer. Check whether your model is still actively supported before setting price expectations.
Aftermarket Toner History
Sustained use of low-quality aftermarket toner can damage fusers, developer units, and drums. Buyers know this and factor it into offers. OEM toner throughout the machine’s life is a genuine value differentiator.
Market Timing
Copier values fluctuate with supply and demand in both domestic and international markets. A model in high demand in export markets may be worth more than one with similar specs that moves slowly. Wholesalers with export access typically offer more.
Who Buys Used Copiers — and Which Option Is Right for You
There are several types of buyers in the used copier market. Each has different advantages and trade-offs depending on your situation.
Buys directly from businesses, dealers, and institutions. Handles logistics, pays quickly, and purchases any volume — one machine or a hundred.
Pros
Fast, simple, no listing or negotiating with end users. Handles pickup. Pays within 24–48 hours of pickup for established sellers.
Cons
Wholesale pricing reflects what they need to resell at a margin. You won’t get retail price — but you won’t have to do any of the work either.
May offer trade-in value toward a new or replacement machine. Familiar with equipment and can assess condition quickly.
Pros
Can bundle the transaction with a new machine purchase. Local relationship. May offer service credit in addition to cash.
Cons
Trade-in offers are often lower than outright sale. Limited to their inventory needs. May not accept all brands or conditions.
Listing on eBay, Craigslist, or similar platforms to sell directly to the end user or small reseller.
Pros
Potentially higher gross price if you find the right buyer willing to pay retail-adjacent pricing.
Cons
Slow. Requires listing, photography, fielding inquiries, and arranging freight. Buyers often fall through. High risk of payment issues or returns.
EBU’s position in this market: We are a commercial wholesaler with export market access. Because we sell into both domestic and international markets, we can make competitive offers on equipment that domestic-only dealers would pass on or heavily discount. If you have multiple machines or a mixed lot, that’s where we add the most value.
Critical: Erase Your Data Before You Sell
Modern copiers store data. Don’t skip this step.
Most commercial MFPs manufactured in the last 15–20 years have a hard drive or flash storage that retains copies of everything the machine has scanned, printed, faxed, or copied. This includes confidential documents, financial records, HR files, and anything else that passed through the machine.
Before your copier leaves your building, you need to perform a hard drive wipe or data overwrite. This is not optional if you handle any sensitive information — it’s a legal and compliance issue in most industries. Failure to do so has resulted in documented data breaches when disposed copiers were found to contain recoverable files.
How to do it: Most major commercial brands include a built-in data overwrite or sanitization function accessible through the admin settings menu. Consult your machine’s admin manual or your IT department. If you are unsure, contact a service technician before the machine is picked up.
What to Have Ready When You Contact a Buyer
The more information you can provide upfront, the faster a buyer can give you an accurate offer. You don’t need all of this, but having it ready speeds up the process.
- Brand and model number (printed on the front or inside the front panel)
- Total meter count (accessible from the copier’s control panel under Reports or Counter)
- Color meter count if it’s a color machine
- Working condition — does it power on and print cleanly?
- Any known issues or error codes
- Quantity of machines if you have more than one
- Your location (city and state) for logistics planning
- Timeline — are you on a deadline to have the equipment removed?
How the Process Works When Selling to EBU
Contact Us
Send us the brand, model, meter count, quantity, and your location by email or phone. You don’t need all of that to get started — share what you have and we’ll ask for the rest.
Receive an Offer Within 6 Business Hours
We respond with a competitive offer based on current market demand, both domestic and for export. No waiting a week. If we need additional information, we’ll ask right away.
We Coordinate Pickup
EBU has warehouses nationwide. Once you accept the offer, we handle all freight and logistics coordination. You don’t need to arrange shipping or drop the equipment off anywhere.
Payment Within 24 Hours of Pickup
We pay within 24 hours of the equipment being picked up. No net-30 terms, no chasing invoices. Fast and predictable.
We Buy All Major Brands
EBU purchases equipment from all major commercial copier manufacturers. If you have a brand not listed below, contact us anyway — our export network gives us flexibility that domestic-only buyers don’t have.
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling Used Copiers
About Equipment Brokers Unlimited
EBU has been buying and selling pre-owned commercial copiers since 1982. Every machine in our Certified Pre-Owned program is inspected by factory-trained technicians and backed by a 100% money-back guarantee for up to 30 days. We operate three warehouses nationwide, ship on air ride trucks, and provide direct access to ownership and management within 1 hour post-sale. Our international export network lets us move equipment — and pay more for it — than domestic-only buyers can.
In business since 1982 · 3 warehouses nationwide · All major brands · 100% money-back guarantee · 1-hour post-sale response
Ready to Get a Quote?
Send us the details on your equipment and we’ll respond within 6 business hours. We buy all major brands, any quantity, nationwide.