Engraving & Trade-In Value

They have no mention of a discount for trading in

Apple Trade In - Apple

That said....if you do choose to use Apple’s third party partners for trade ins, document and take photos throughly. There are more than a few posts here from people claiming to have the recipient claim a different, usually damaged, condition of sent in devices as opposed to the condition the owner claims it was in.

I looked on Best Buy’s page for trade in and randomly picked a pro model and good condition and there was no option to say that it was engraved. So it may not be an issue, at least going by that. (Personally if you do trade it in, and you’re in the US, I’d recommend Best Buy or selling it yourself outright. I’ve used Best Buy twice for my devices, I take in the old one, get a gift card, buy the new one and take it home.

Or if you do trade in with APple, I recommend that you only take it into an apple store and do not mail it in.

Avoiding engraving gives you far more flexibility down the line. Very often, if your device is both serviceable and in good condition, you’ll get a much better value if you sell your iPad privately than adopting the trade-in path. It follows that personalised engraving makes the iPad much less attractive to potential purchasers.

Consider also that if you are using a good quality wrap-around case, as is usually recommended to protect your expensive iPad from damage and “mishaps”, any engraving is likely to be hidden from view.

It’s personal choice - but, if future monetary value is a consideration, my recommendation is to avoid engraving.

Mail ins can go to a third party vendor. And there have been posts here with people claiming they mailed in an ipad in good condition but were told that it was broken and of no value.

Now obviously no one here can verify that. There is no way to know whose story is accurate, but not just for that reason I prefer to personally take it into a location. That way I see it be handed over, and I also don’t have to go without my device for more than the few hours it takes me to back it up, wipe it then set up the new one.

Most trade ins are handled by a third party Apple partner company. They are in the business of selling used devices and, quite obviously, will want to make as much money as possible.So, according to the posts I have seen, their final offer is most likely lower than what was estimated initially. And, as mentioned, do take close up pics of its condition and insure it for the full value when mailing it. That way you will have proof just in case.

I just recently sold my MBP 2012 elsewhere - Apple offered $130 less than macmeanoffer.com. And, that company issued a check 24 hours after receiving it. I have dealt with them several times over the years.

As for engraving, I would not - it will be too personalized when trying to sell it.

First choice would be selling it yourself because you'd get the going retail price. Second choice is macmeanoffer or just google for any company buying used Macs/iDevices. Third choice is Apple. Just go to any of the sites and get their offer. If Apple is doing the trade in (rather than a partner company), you would be sure that you get what they estimate; when dealing with the third party company, you won't know until they contact you after receipt and give you a final offer.

I’ll just toss in here, I’ve never used macmeanoffer but most of these places have online estimators....so like I did before, go to Best Buy and punch in your model and condition and you get an idea of how much money you may get from it. The site Babowa mentioned may do the same....basically you may be able to shop these buyers and get an idea how much you’ll get from it.

The downside of Best Buy is that you will only get store credit (worked for me cause it’s one of the only places in town to buy an apple device from). But that can be something else to consider. How much you can get and is it store credit - committing you to potentially buying your new one from there - or cash.

Just take some time to shop and research then make the best decision for you

You're welcome - good luck!