I guess the phone call to HP didn't go very well.

To be honest, you sometimes see "parts only" systems going for quite a lot. The LCD's on them are usually what fetches the premium, and it sounds like yours is in good shape.

Do a quick look on Ebay or some such site for "as is" "parts only" systems and see what others are selling them for. It's hit or miss, but it should give you an idea. You might also want to see what others have up there for parts - maybe you can get a replacement motherboard cheap and not have to get rid of the notebook.