Hynds|Studio

During my expedition in hunting for parts for my multi-touch table, I’ve found it to be very frustrating in finding LCD panels for use in my project.  However, there are several ways I’ll share in getting very cheap LCD panels.

1. Retail store display models. This method is based mostly on luck, but it works.  I work in retail and I’ve seen it happen a lot.  A customer comes into the store looking to buy a cheap monitor, more then likely already on sale or clearance.  As Murphy’s law would have it, the store is out of stock.  Being that it’s a pretty popular item, the online store is out of stock as well.  This is the prime opportunity to ask for the display model.  An urgent, timely need will help the persuasion, but don’t stop there.  Most stores will even allow for a 5%-10% discount.  Don’t be afraid to ask.  It happens a lot more then you may think.  Even the clearance price of the display itself could be rewarding, so keep your eye open at local retail stores.

2. eBay. This is a risky option.  I’ve always been pretty hesitant about bidding on eBay since I’ve been scammed numerous times in the past, but it’s a viable option.  If you’re decently experienced with eBay, you could probably save quite a bit of money here.  However, there are huge risks to consider.  More then likely you’ll be unable to find a new monitor at a cheap price (unless Lucky would be your middle name).  The best thing to search for “used LCD” or “LCD repair”, or anything related.  You’ll start to find broken monitors that you might be able to easily fix (see Fixing LCD’s below).  The biggest risk is more then just a backlight being broken.  This could not only increase the cost of repair, but even prove to be unfixable.

3. Yard Sales. Someone else’s junk could become your treasure.  Friends, relatives, neighbors, and tons of people in your town hold yard/garage sales, some of which seem to be a year round event.  Without a doubt, this becomes an awesome opportunity to catch a cheap purchase.  The best part about them is the price is never set in stone.  The seller will more then likely set a price above it’s market value to hopefully make some easy cash (wouldn’t you?).  But you’ve done your homework so you know that used 19″ LCD isn’t worth $150.  Point out it’s dings and scratches and you’ll have the seller working towards a settling price in no time.

4. Non-profit Organizations. Goodwill is a great place to find some awesome deals.  I’ve been trolling through the auctions and there is one thing I found common, especially in a lot of the better quality products (i.e. 32″ LCD TV’s for $6.00 starting bids).  A lot of the shipping is listed as “Pickup only”.  So unless you’re fairly close to the listed offices, you may be doing a lot of driving to pick up your prized earnings.  Goodwill also maintains walk-in retail stores.  Have a visit and see what you can find.

5. Fix a Broken LCD. Monitors and TV’s find their way to junkyard’s all around the globe.  90% of the time, it’s a very simple and cheap fix.  LCDs rely on a backlight for illumination.  If a monitor is “dim” but the indicator LED’s work, more then likely it’s broken backlight.  There are other parts of an LCD monitor that can be easily and cheaply fixed, with how-to guides and directions spread all over the internet (i.e. www.instructables.com).

If you have any other ideas, comments, and/or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.