Vita-Mix blenders don’t show up at garage sales on a regular basis, but they do appear often enough that you should be aware of what they are so that you can take advantage of it when the opportunity presents it self to buy one.

Vita-Mix has been manufacturing blenders for home use since 1937 and for commercial use since 1986. Any of the various models they have manufactured over the years are worth considering when you come across them, but we will look only at the household models here because they are the ones most likely to show up at garage sales.

These are the models you are most likely to find.

The Vita-Mix Mark 20 was manufactured during the 1950s and early 1960s. Most buyers of the Mark 20 on eBay are probably collectors rather than someone looking for a Vita-Mix they can use on a daily basis in the home.

When considering the purchase of a Mark 20 be sure you test the blender to insure it works. Vita-Mix still has parts available for many models on their web site but this isn’t one of them. Nearly all of these I’ve seen have at least some rust at the top of the base around the drive shaft mechanism, so be sure to check for rust there. If it has light rusting, it can be removed, but if it is heavily rusted, it is probably a good idea to pass on it, unless it is so cheap you feel you can make a few dollars selling just the barrel and the top.

The Mark 20 can bring anywhere from $20 to $80 on eBay depending upon it’s cosmetic appearance. With that in mind, I wouldn’t recommend paying more that $5 or so for one of these.

The Vita-Mix Sidewinder, also known as the Model 2200, was available during the 1960s. Another model that is probably more sought after by collectors, there are also some people buying the Sidewinder for daily use in the home.

Similar to the Mark 20, I don’t believe Vita-Mix has parts available for the Sidewinder, so it is important to make sure everything is present and in good working condition when considering purchasing one of theses.

The Sidewinder can sell for between $30 and $100 on eBay, with the majority of sales ending somewhere between $50 and $80. Most of the higher priced sales have at least some accessories, such as recipe book, tamper, etc., included.

I would recommend you pay no more than $10 or $15 for a complete working example, and no more than $5 if you plan to part it out and sell it that way.

The Vita-Mix 3600 series made it’s appearance in the early 1970s and was available into the early 1980s. It ushers in the more popular models that are still sought out for regular daily use in the home.

The Vita-Mix 3600 came in two different models - The 3600 and the 3600 Plus. I don’t know the differences between the two models, but I believe it was mainly that the 3600 Plus had a more powerful motor. For our purposes, the difference isn’t all that important as long as you remember that the 3600 Plus will usually bring $30 to $40 more on eBay.

One of the more commonly found Vita-Mix models, the price range for the 3600 series is pretty big. Examples may sell for anywhere from about $60 up to $200 or a little higher. Most change hands for prices somewhere between $80 and $150.

The lower price examples are usually for sales of just the blender itself without any accessories. A 3600 series by itself will probably sell for somewhere between $60 and $120 with the ending figure often decided by the condition of the blender and the quality of your description and photographs.

Nearly all higher priced examples have tampers, original owner’s manual, the original recipe book, a ‘how to …’ video, and maybe a spare blade included.

If you can buy a non-working or parts-missing 3600 series for $5 or so, it may be worth your while because used bases (motors) regularly sell for $30 to $35 and the barrels will often bring $20 to $30. If you come across a cheap example that is missing it’s cover, it will likely be also worth buying because beginning with this model, parts are available from Vita-Mix. Just realize you won’t get as much as you would for a complete blender.

The Vita-Mix 4000 series was introduced in the 1980s. With a few small differences, pretty much everything said above about the 3600 series applies to the 4000 series also.

The 4000 series is made up of a regular and a Super model and the 4200 sub-series. Similar to the 3600 series, price expectations do exist between the different models, but these differences aren’t significant enough to come into play in most instances.

Most 4000 series blenders will bring between $100 and $225 on eBay with price differences based somewhat on model variations, but mostly on the presence and number of accessories being sold with the blender.

Beginning with the 3600 series, and possibly earlier, Vita-Mix has published a series of recipe books that were packaged with all new blenders. Occasionally these recipe books are found by themselves at book sales, garage sales, and thrift stores. If you come across one by itself, don’t hesitate to buy it. They all sell well on eBay by themselves for prices ranging from $15 to $30.

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