Even though companies like Barnes & Noble are still trying to compete with Amazon in the ultra-low-cost tablet category, it almost feels physically impossible to beat a $50 Fire 7 with a quad-core processor and decent battery life or an $80 "all-new" Fire HD 8 that obviously sports a respectable 1280 x 800 screen.

The only way to get a functional slate for even less money is settling for refurbished versions of old Amazon Fire and Fire HD generations, which occasionally go on sale on websites like Woot at truly unbeatable prices. Case in point, the latest garage sale organized ...