Why obsolete ironclads still offered useful deterrence

Who would buy obsolete warships if a major navy sold them instead of scrapping them?

Smaller status-conscious navies would buy them cheaply, because even outdated armor could force an enemy to commit disproportionately powerful ships.

Potential buyers included China, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Greece, and the Ottoman Empire. These states wanted naval status and usable capability without paying new-build prices. Even an old ironclad complicated an opponent's planning because an ordinary cruiser might not defeat it with certainty. Forcing a rival to commit a much more expensive modern battleship gives the obsolete purchase a real deterrent and force-allocation value.