The short version
- Typical range: £15 – £60
- Biggest single factor: condition — see the table below
- Category: Electronics
- Cost to sell on WishThrift: nothing, at any price
What a used external hard drive is worth by condition
Condition does more to the price than anything else. These figures are worked from the top of the range for external hard drives, so treat them as a starting point and adjust for the specifics of yours.
| Condition | Typical price | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £60 | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £51 | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £39 | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £27 | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £15 | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
These are the five grades WishThrift listings use, and sellers set the grade themselves — see what each condition grade means. Figures are shown in pounds as a reference point. On WishThrift prices display in your own currency, and sellers set their own asking price.
What raises the value of a external hard drive
- Larger capacities and faster interfaces
- Low power-on hours with clean health status
- SSD-based drives over mechanical
- Original cable, often proprietary
What lowers it
- Reallocated sectors or warnings in the drive health
- Clicking or grinding mechanical drives
- Small capacities, worth almost nothing
- Missing proprietary cables
How to work out what yours is worth
- Run a drive health check and report the status
- Note the power-on hours if available
- Securely erase the drive before selling
Once you have those three answers you can place your own external hard drive on the table above with reasonable confidence. If it sits between two rows, price it toward the lower one — items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully.
Ready to sell it? Listing on WishThrift is free, there is no commission, and you keep the full amount you agree with the buyer — see how selling works or create a free account.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check a used hard drive?
Run a health check and report the status and power-on hours. Any reallocated sectors mean the drive is failing.
Must I wipe it before selling?
Yes, and properly. Deleted files are recoverable, so use a secure erase rather than just dragging files to the bin.
Are mechanical drives worth selling?
For small sums. Buyers increasingly want SSDs, and a mechanical drive with high hours is a hard sell.
More value guides: electronics guides · all value guides · browse live electronics listings.