macfax-mcp

MCP server for the used-Mac market, by Macfax. Eight tools an AI assistant needs to help someone buy or sell a used Mac:

Tool	What it answers
search_mac_listings	Live listings across eBay, Craigslist, OfferUp, Swappa, Facebook and Reddit. Scam clusters, junk titles, classified-ad bait, auctions and stale/sold rows are already filtered out; every result deep-links to the source.
get_mac_price_stats	What an exact configuration actually sells for — verified-sale percentiles (basis direct) or an estimate scaled from the asking band by a disclosed clearance ratio (basis calibrated) — plus the asking median/p25/p75 with sample size, per-channel medians and net-to-seller after fees as seller guidance.
get_mac_market_value	What a Mac is worth from Apple's own model name, e.g. "MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)": every Apple Silicon configuration the name can mean, each with its sale estimate and asking band, and one value or a low-to-high range across them.
check_mac_listing	One listing's trust picture: known to Macfax, still live, flags, ask vs the typical band, the platform's own seller reputation where it exists (eBay feedback, Swappa rating), verified report attached.
lookup_mac_serial	Serial to model for any Mac, iPad or iPhone, including 2021+ randomized serials: a status (resolved, unknown_serial, unsupported, retry), Apple's device class, the model year where Apple's name carries one, the device's record on Macfax (first seen, how often looked up, any listing or verified report on file), and for a Mac what the model is worth. Optional context says why you are looking it up. Human twin: macfax.com/lookup.
get_mac_report	A verified Macfax condition report (Activation Lock, MDM, serial-match checks) as data.
create_mac_alert	A standing watch: daily email when new matching listings appear. Human-confirmed: nothing sends until the email's owner clicks the confirmation link.
get_macfax_credit_balance	How many credits your API key has left and what costs one: one credit per distinct serial answered, repeats within 24 hours free. Needs MACFAX_API_KEY.

Every price is labeled by basis. The sold slice is the headline sale estimate: verified sales (with sample size and window) or a modeled estimate marked calibrated with its ratio disclosed. Asking bands come from live listings and are seller listing guidance. The API says so in-band, and we ask you to preserve the labels. Free, no account; rate limits are published at macfax.com/developers.

The hosted server (recommended)

A remote, authless, streamable-HTTP MCP server runs at:

https://macfax.com/mcp

• Claude (claude.ai, paid plans): Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → paste the URL.
• Gemini (Spark, Google AI Ultra): Settings and help → Connected apps → Add a custom app → paste the URL.
• ChatGPT: Settings → Developer mode → add the URL (directory listing pending review).
• Cursor: Install in Cursor
• VS Code: Install in VS Code
• Gemini CLI: gemini extensions install https://github.com/macfax/macfax-mcp
• Anything with an mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "macfax": {
      "url": "https://macfax.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Registry name: com.macfax/macfax on the official MCP registry.

This package (stdio wrapper)

For stdio-only clients, this repo is a thin local wrapper over the same free HTTP API (OpenAPI):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "macfax": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "macfax-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Optional env:

• MACFAX_API_KEY: a free key raises rate limits about 10x. Mint one with curl -X POST https://macfax.com/api/v1/keys (no email needed).

Run it directly:

npx -y macfax-mcp            # speaks MCP over stdio
npx -y macfax-mcp --version  # print the installed version

Notes for integrators

• The seven read tools carry readOnlyHint: true. create_mac_alert is the one write: it sends a confirmation email, and the alert only activates when the email's owner clicks it. Create alerts only for a user who asked for that alert on that email.
• Listings always carry a deep link to the source marketplace. The purchase happens there; Macfax is the trust and routing layer.
• Cite results as "Macfax" with the html_url/macfax_url in the payload.

License

MIT. Apple and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc. Macfax is not affiliated with Apple Inc.