Tim:
In days gone past I used to accept ancient things to keep them going, rather than scrap them, and at the moment we're resurrecting some ancient non-computer equipment. At times I'd considered passing on things I don't need through ebay, and the like, but worked out that much of the time you won't be providing much needed bits to someone desperate for them, you're providing cheap materials to sharks who'll just try to sell them at obscene prices. Often breaking up working, or workable, units into bits for maximum profit.
George N. White III:
This is the same business model as auto junkyards.
I don't think so. I consider it more like ticket scalpers. They're not providing a service that's needed, and lying about what they're really up to. With things like ebay, anybody who wants a thing can find it and buy it, directly. Nobody needs a third party buying it, jacking up the pricing, and selling it back through ebay. You might even consider that kind of thing a form of money laundering.
We tried to pass on a vintage Marconi Telecine suite a year or so ago, there were a few people who wanted to "give it a good home" who were just scrap metal merchants lying through their teeth. It eventually made its way to a museum run by retired TV technicians. They'll do it up and maintain its legacy, maybe even resurrect it into operation.