Apple announced this week that it is discontinuing the iPod – one of its most successful products that has revolutionized the way we listen to music.
Apple launched the first iPod Classic in 2001 at $399, shocking fans who were used to portable CD players and cheaper Walkmans.
Fast-forward nearly 21 years to the present day, and old iPods can now be worth a staggering amount of money.
Amid news of its discontinuation, iPods listings on eBay skyrocketed, with many sellers asking for huge sums of money for their old devices.
Speaking to MailOnline, James Andrews, senior personal financial editor at money.co.uk said: “With iPods out of the way, you might be asking if it’s time to tap into some of your old technology.
“The first thing to say is don’t get too excited by the list price on eBay. While a few models sell in the thousands, the vast majority sell for much less.
But this does not mean that you cannot charge a reasonable amount. Do research and check recent prices for models like yours to see what you’re most likely to get.
In general, the best prices go to the iPod Classic models, which are in excellent condition and with all required displays included. If you’re lucky enough to have an unopened iPod U2 Special Edition from 2004 in the back of the locker, it could make you thousands.
From the original iPod Classic to the brightly colored iPod Mini, here’s the value your old Apple gadgets can be worth.
Amid news of its discontinuation, iPod listings have skyrocketed on eBay, with many sellers asking for huge sums of money for their old devices.
iPod classic
The first iPod Classic was launched in October 2001 and is priced at $399, with six more generations on sale through 2008.
If you have a first-generation iPod Classic in the back of a drawer, you can enjoy it.
Yesterday, the iPod Classic 5GB 1st Gen sold on eBay for $1,599 with $114.60 extra shipping — a 330 percent increase over the original price!
New generations are also popular on eBay, with a seventh generation iPod Classic selling in April for $1,388, and another in February for $1,045.
An aspiring seller listed the first generation iPod Classic on eBay in 2019 for $1,995 (£15,367), although it remains unclear how much of the item was actually fetched.
ipod mini
The iPod Mini, launched in 2004, was slightly smaller than the iPod Classic and came in a range of bright colors.
At $249, it’s a little lower than its predecessor, making it a popular choice among Apple fans.
Unfortunately, the iPod Mini isn’t worth a lot of money just yet, if the items sold on eBay are anything to do with it.
On May 3, the second generation iPod Mini sold on eBay for $324.99, while the first generation only sold for $290 in March.
ipod shuffle
Apple released the first screenless iPod in 2005, in the form of the iPod Shuffle, which started at just $99.
Like the iPod Mini, it seems that the value of the iPod Shuffle has not increased significantly.
The first generation iPod Shuffle fetched just $129.99 on eBay in February, while the second generation sold for a modest $199.99 in March.
Apple released the first screenless iPod in 2005, in the form of the iPod Shuffle, which started at just $99
ipod nano
Also launched in 2005, the iPod Nano, priced at $149, was a huge update to the Shuffle, thanks to its color screen of album art.
The value of this device has more than doubled, according to recent eBay auctions.
In March, the second generation iPod Nanos retailed for $399.99 and $382.47.
Also launched in 2005, the iPod Nano, priced at $149, was a huge update to the Shuffle, thanks to its color screen of album art.
ipod touch
While many of us take touch devices for granted now, the iPod Touch was revolutionary when it was launched in 2007.
The $299 device can surf the web when connected to Wi-Fi, and has 8GB of storage for songs, photos, and apps.
If you have an iPod Touch at home, you’ll be glad to hear that it seems to have gone up in value.
In March, the fourth-generation iPod Touch sold for $6524.07—a massive 2,081 percent increase over the original price—while the sixth-generation device sold in April for $3,470.
If you have an iPod Touch at home, you’ll be glad to hear that it has gone up in value
Why did Apple discontinue the iPod?
An Apple spokesperson said the iPod has redefined how we discover and listen to music, and its spirit “lives” in other devices.
“Music has always been part of what we do at Apple,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.
Introducing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way the iPod has influenced more than just the music industry—it’s also redefined how we discover, listen, and share music.
Today, the spirit of the iPod is still alive. We’ve integrated an amazing music experience into all of our products, from iPhone to Apple Watch to HomePod mini and across Mac, iPad and Apple TV.
And Apple Music delivers industry-leading audio quality with spatial audio support — there’s no better way to enjoy, discover, and experience music.
Trillion dollar rise for apple trees
The company’s journey to the top of the tech industry was a rocky one, having watched Jobs (pictured in 1976) leave the company in the mid-1980s after his favorite project, the first Macintosh computer, struggled and tried to oust then-CEO John Scully. Wozniak is pictured on the left
1976Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne created the company on April 1, 1976, when they began selling computer sets to hobbyists, each of which was built by Wozniak.
The first product was the Apple I.
1977Apple launched the Apple II in June, which was the first computer made for the mass market.
1981: became the Chairman of the Board posts.
1984: The Macintosh was introduced during a Super Bowl ad break and was officially unveiled later during the launch event. It was discontinued a year later and Jobs left the company.
1987: Apple released the Macintosh II, the first color Mac.
1997Apple has announced that it will acquire NeXT in a $400 million deal that includes Jobs’ return to Apple as interim CEO. He officially took on the role in 2000.
2001: Apple introduced iTunes, OS X, and the first generation iPod.
The first iPod MP3 music player was released on October 23, 2001, at an event in Cupertino and was able to hold up to 1,000 songs.
Steve Jobs unveiled his new Macintosh to Apple Computer Corporation on February 6, 1984 in California.
Then Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, with an iPhone
2007: Apple unveils the iPhone.
2010: The first iPad has been revealed.
2011: Jobs resigned in 2011 due to illness, and handed over the CEO position to Tim Cook. Job died in October of pancreatic cancer.
2014: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch. It also unveiled its first larger iPhones – the 6 and 6 Plus.
2015: After purchasing Beats from Dr Dre, Apple launched Apple Music to compete with Spotify and other music streaming services.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks at an Apple event at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.
2016Apple has gone back to its roots and announced the 4-inch iPhone SE. Meanwhile, the company is locked in a legal battle with the FBI, with the agency demanding access to the locked phone used by Syed Farooq, who died in a shootout after carrying out a deadly attack in December in San Bernardino, California with his wife. The court order was dropped on March 28 after the FBI said a third party was able to unlock the device.
2017Apple introduces the iPhone X, which removes the Home button to make way for a futuristic edge-to-edge screen design and a new FaceID system that uses advanced sensors and lasers to unlock phones with the owner’s face only.
2018For the first time for the company, Apple is introducing new features in its latest operating system, iOS 12, that encourage users to manage and spend less time on their devices. The move resulted from a strongly worded letter from shareholders urging the company to address the growing problem of smartphone addiction among children and teens.
2019In January, Apple reported its first decline in revenue and profit in a decade. CEO Tim Cook partly blamed sharp declines in revenue from China.
2020In March, Apple closed all brick-and-mortar stores outside of China in response to the coronavirus.