This Thursday I’ll be helping move a confocal Leica microscope that a research lab acquired for $5000. How could anyone sell something so cheap? It’s very old and it takes up a lot of precious lab space.
But it brings up a valuable lesson. If you are living in or near a city with a vibrant technology related start-up scene, then companies may be selling their equipment at a heavy discount from time to time for a myriad of reasons. This goes for cities that host several universities as well.
Getting this equipment requires some real extroversion, not always my own personal strong suit. If your the sort of person who can put yourself out there to get the equipment you need for a price you can manage, than Gingko Bioworks has put together some tips for how you should be thinking when approaching this endeavor.