Marked-up Mac minis flood eBay amid shortages driven by AI
Base M4 Mac minis sold out, now selling for $200+ markup on eBay.
Apple's M4 Mac mini has become a hot commodity on eBay due to widespread shortages, driven by its popularity as an on-device AI workstation. The base model, priced at $599 with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage, is sold out on Apple's retail website, with no delivery or pickup options. Higher storage configurations (512GB and up) won't ship until June. This is the first time the base model has faced such scarcity, leading to a thriving secondary market where prices are significantly inflated.
On eBay, new open-box M4 Mac minis with the base configuration are selling for $715-$795, while refurbished units reach $979—over $300 above retail. Lightly used models go for around $700, a $100 markup. The demand stems from the Mac mini's efficiency, quiet operation, and reliability for 24/7 AI tasks, including running models like OpenClaw and ZeroClaw. The shortage coincides with an industry-wide memory crunch and an upcoming Mac mini refresh, per Bloomberg. This perfect storm has also increased demand for the Mac Studio, which is now sold out in several configurations, while MacBook Pro and MacBook Neo remain available.
- Base M4 Mac mini ($599, 16GB/256GB) sold out on Apple's site; higher configs ship in June.
- eBay prices hit $715-$795 for open-box, $979 refurbished, up to $300+ markup.
- Shortage driven by AI model demand, memory crunch, and upcoming refresh; Mac Studio also affected.
Why It Matters
AI enthusiasts face inflated hardware costs as Apple's supply struggles to meet local AI computing demand.