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Microsoft Computer Keyboards Resale Value

A used Microsoft computer keyboard is typically worth £10 to £63 (approximately $13 to $84), against £10 to £60 for computer keyboards generally. Microsoft hardware resale is almost entirely Surface, and Surface has one specific problem that decides the price: the batteries swell, and on a glued-down chassis that is the end of the machine rather than a repair.

Microsoft computer keyboards: price by condition

ConditionTypical
New with Tags£63 (~$84)
Like New£54 (~$71)
Good£41 (~$55)
Fair£28 (~$38)
For Parts£16 (~$21)

Seller-declared grades, sterling with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). What each grade means.

What holds its value across Microsoft

  • Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models with current processors, which still receive updates and are usable as everyday machines
  • Higher specifications with more memory, since the memory is soldered and cannot be upgraded later by the buyer
  • Machines with the original charger, which uses a proprietary connector and is expensive to replace
  • The Surface Studio and the peripherals around it, which were made in small numbers and hold a niche following

What pulls Microsoft resale value down

  • Swollen batteries, which lift the screen or the trackpad away from the chassis — this is a known Surface failure and effectively ends the machine
  • Cracked screens, which on a bonded display cost close to the value of a used unit to replace
  • The original Surface RT and other models that never ran standard desktop software, which have essentially no practical value now
  • Missing or third-party chargers, which are a frequent source of returns because the connector is specific to the range

Identifying and dating yours

  1. The serial is under the kickstand on a Surface Pro and on the base of a Surface Laptop, and it identifies the exact model and generation
  2. Lay the device on a flat surface and photograph it edge-on — any rocking or a gap at the screen edge is the first sign of a swelling battery
  3. State the processor generation, the memory and the storage in the title, since these are not upgradeable and are what buyers filter on

What lifts any computer keyboard, whatever the label

Mechanical keyboards are collected and hold value; membrane keyboards are near-worthless, and the difference is obvious to buyers.

  • Mechanical switches, particularly sought-after types
  • Recognised enthusiast and gaming brands
  • Full key sets with no missing caps
  • Original cable, often detachable

And what pulls one down

  • Membrane keyboards, worth very little
  • Missing or worn keycaps
  • Sticky or unresponsive keys
  • Yellowed plastic on older boards

Working out what yours is worth

  1. Test every key registers
  2. Note the switch type if mechanical
  3. Confirm the cable is present

What to state in the listing

  • Brand, model, layout and size — full, tenkeyless or compact
  • Switch type if mechanical, and whether it is hot-swappable
  • Wired or wireless, and whether the cable or dongle is included
  • That every key has been tested, plus any worn or shiny keycap

Brand, layout and switch type: “Keychron K2 Mechanical Keyboard, Brown Switches, UK Layout”. Switch type is the main search for mechanicals. Layout matters more than people expect — a US layout keyboard frustrates a UK buyer daily.

Preparing and photographing it

  1. Identify the switch type if it is mechanical, which is what enthusiasts search for.
  2. Test every key with an online key tester and photograph the result, since dead keys are the common fault.
  3. Clean between the keys properly, and note the layout and whether it is wired or wireless.
  1. The keyboard from above, whole, clean
  2. A key tester screen showing all keys registering
  3. A close-up of the switches with a keycap removed, if mechanical
  4. The underside model label and cable or dongle, plus any worn keycap

When it sells best, and handing it over

Steady year round with a lift in September and January. Mechanical keyboards from known brands sell within days; membrane keyboards are worth very little.

Light and easy to post. Pack the keycaps protected and include the cable or dongle, without which a wireless board may be unusable.

What buyers ask

Is a Surface with a swollen battery worth selling?

Only for parts, and it must be described that way. The battery pushes the display out of the chassis and replacement is rarely economic on a bonded unit.

Why does Surface memory matter so much second hand?

It is soldered to the board, so a buyer cannot add more later. A higher-memory model is worth appreciably more and should be stated in the listing title.

How much is a Microsoft computer keyboard worth?

Roughly £10 to £63 depending on condition, against £10 to £60 for computer keyboards generally. The identification points above are what move a listing to the top of that range.

What the fees would take elsewhere

At the mid-range £36 for a Microsoft computer keyboard, against what the commission marketplaces would deduct:

PlatformFeeYou keep
Poshmark−£7£29
eBay−£5£31
Mercari−£4£32
Etsy−£2£34
WishThrift−£0£36

Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026, percentages only — the per-order and processing charges those platforms add are excluded, so the real gap is wider.

Listing is free and there is no commission — read how to sell a computer keyboard for the title, handover and timing, or the general computer keyboard value guide if yours is not a Microsoft.

See also: all Microsoft value guides · value guides by brand · buying a computer keyboard · Electronics · condition grades.