Mac mini scalpers are having a field day thanks to AI hobbyists

So Apple’s Mac mini is basically impossible to find right now, and if you check eBay, you’ll see why — or rather, who’s to blame.

Scalpers have scooped up the compact desktop and are flipping it for hundreds over retail. A base M2 model that should cost $599 is frequently listed at $800 or more. The higher-end M2 Pro versions? Good luck finding one under $1,500.

This isn’t the usual Apple launch frenzy. The demand spike has a specific driver: people running local AI models.

Here’s the thing — Apple’s M-series chips, especially the unified memory architecture, happen to be surprisingly good for running large language models locally. Tools like Ollama, LM Studio, and llama.cpp have made it dead simple to run models like Llama 3, Mistral, or even smaller quantized versions of GPT-class models right on your desk. No cloud costs, no API calls, no data leaving your machine.

And the Mac mini is the cheapest entry point into that world. A $599 machine that can run a 7B parameter model reasonably well? That’s a steal compared to building a comparable PC with a high-end GPU. I’ve seen people run 13B models on the M2 Pro mini with decent token generation speeds. It’s not going to replace your cloud inference pipeline, but for prototyping, experimentation, or running a local coding assistant, it works.

The problem is that everyone figured this out at the same time. Apple clearly didn’t anticipate this niche when they set production volumes. Combine that with the usual supply chain constraints and you get a perfect scalper storm.

What’s frustrating is that Apple’s own refurbished store is also barren. I checked this morning — zero Mac minis in stock. The used market on Swappa isn’t much better, with prices creeping toward eBay territory.

Is this a temporary blip or a sign of things to come? If Apple sees sustained demand from the AI crowd, they might adjust production. But right now, if you need a Mac mini for AI work, you’re either paying a premium or waiting — and waiting.

For what it’s worth, I don’t think the scalpers are going to make a killing long-term. The M4 Mac mini is rumored for later this year, and once supply catches up, prices will normalize. But if you’re in a hurry to run models locally today, well, get ready to open your wallet wider than you’d like.