Your iPod Just Exploded In Value - Here's Why
Apple wasn't mincing words when it said that the spirit of the iPod would live on, following the company's decision to entirely discontinue its iPod lineup on May 10, 2022. Unironically, iPods are seemingly poised to become the new Walkman, and the recent archiving of Apple's prodigious music player is already beginning to reflect in some sale prices of new and pre-owned iPods on the web.
DailyMail reported today that iPods have evidently shot up in value across the Internet, even selling for thousands on sites like eBay. A quick scan across the eBay iPod listings as of 3:15 PM Eastern Time shows a wide range of iPods for sale, and there's even one first-gen iPod Classic up for sale for $23,000, but it doesn't seem like a major boom for iPod collectors has kicked off just yet. Though such a boom is appearing likelier as others catch up with the news.
Once again, as of 3:15 PM Eastern Time, you can still affordably purchase new, used, and refurbished iPods up and down Apple's entire iPod product line. Even the first-gen iPod is still widely available around the $300-700 price range. However, prices are visibly climbing across the board, and it does seem like search volume for "eBay iPod" is heating up on Google Trends.
Why everyone cares about the iPod
Nostalgia is the prime driver of the iPod's sudden price increase. Over the course of the past two decades, the iPod has been overshadowed by Apple's other devices. For instance, if you already own an iPhone (or an Android phone,) you really don't need an iPod to carry your music files around in, unless you want to keep a separate device that allows you to listen to music without being distracted by other apps. But even then, the iPod sits awkwardly in Apple's product lineup.
Arguably, the last nail in the iPod's coffin was the Apple Watch Series 5, all the way back in 2019, as it was the first Apple Watch to contain 32 GB of storage space. The reasoning is that 32 gigabytes is easily more than enough space to fill up an entire Apple Watch with potentially thousands of songs, killing the need to carry around an extra smart device in your pocket, especially if you already have a beefy smartphone paired with a subscription to Apple Music+ or Spotify.
The iPod may lack utility in 2022, but it still holds a place in history. It represents a significant stopgap in the development of modern technology, and some have even written eulogies to the iPod's array of built-in games. Regardless, it seems like the memory of the iPod holds a warm place in many an Apple fan's heart. Through it, Apple did, after all, change the music industry forever.