I generally now only buy units which are advertised as 'not working/for parts only' [unless i manage to score others that are working very cheap too]. Mostly, they are soft-bricked and very easy to revive but occasionally i get hit with a problem one and i've had a few dead ones that have had to go into the parts drawer for breaking down. I have a StreetPilot 2720 giving me grief at the moment, i think it's got a damaged flash involving regions 10 and 49 which share space and hold the detail maps gmapsupp.img and gmapprom.img respectively. I can't erase or overwrite the existing maps and it won't boot past 'loading maps' with a red bar so i may have to swallow my pride and ask for help as i'm running out of things to try.

I've sold a lot of units at cost or given them away to friends and family after fixing them, or sold them to deserving types well below market value. I've unbricked and repaired many units [usually smashed screens/digitizers] for friends [and also friends of friends of friends - the word spreads]. I've never charged for anything other than parts at cost, never taken any money for labour but occasionally score a bottle of plonk under protest.

A while back i bought a bulk lot of 25 traffic receivers on eFlea for AU$114 delivered, advertised as condition unknown. 3 are cactus and i haven't had time to look at them yet but the other 22 work fine so that still works out a bit over 5 bux each for 22.