That $25 monitor arm from a surplus store was a risky gamble that paid off

I found a used monitor arm at a government surplus place near Portland for just 25 bucks. The brand was Ergotron, which usually goes for over 100 new, so I figured even if it was beat up I could make it work. After cleaning off 10 years of dust and tightening a few screws, it holds my 27 inch monitor perfectly and freed up so much desk space. Has anyone else had luck scouring surplus or thrift stores for desk parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

terryb1114d ago

That's a great find and it makes you think about how much money people throw away on new stuff when perfectly good things are sitting in surplus warehouses. My wife and I have noticed the same thing with furniture around town. It seems like a lot of folks just buy the cheapest thing online without thinking about if it'll last more than a year. Meanwhile, there's solid metal desks and chairs from the 90s at secondhand stores that will outlive us all. It's a shame that good quality items get tossed just because they're a little dusty or scratched up. A little elbow grease and patience can save you a bundle and give you something built to last.

coleman.seth14d ago

I scored a nearly identical deal at a state surplus auction in Ohio about two years ago. Picked up three Ergotron LX arms for 40 bucks total. Two just needed a good wipe down and some grease on the tilt mechanism. The third was missing the mounting plate but I found a replacement on eBay for 12 dollars. That first arm I set up completely changed how I work. My neck stopped hurting after I switched from the stock monitor stand. Now I check the surplus listings every few weeks, it's way better than paying retail for good gear.

rose_grant7814d ago

Oh come on, is it really that deep? @coleman.seth got a good deal on a monitor arm, you don't have to write a whole essay about society wasting money.