You probably have one. It’s sitting in a junk drawer, tangled in white 30-pin cables that have turned that weird shade of yellowish-gray. Maybe it’s a chunky Classic or a tiny Shuffle that looks like a pack of gum. Most people assume they’re electronic waste, something to be dropped off at a Best Buy recycling bin.
But honestly? You might be sitting on a few hundred bucks—or a literal five-figure lottery ticket.
The market for vintage Apple tech is weird right now. In 2026, we’ve moved past simple "used gear" into the territory of high-end collectibles and "dumbphone" nostalgia. People are tired of their iPhones buzzing every three seconds. They want a device that just plays music. This "analog-adjacent" trend has driven prices for certain models through the roof.
Are iPods worth anything today?
The short answer is yes, but the gap between "trash" and "treasure" is massive.
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If you have a beat-up 4th Gen iPod Touch with a cracked screen and a battery that lasts eleven minutes, you're looking at maybe $15 to $20. It's basically a paperweight. On the flip side, a factory-sealed 1st Generation iPod (the one with the physical scroll wheel from 2001) is currently the holy grail. One of these sold at auction recently for $29,000.
Most of us aren't holding a museum piece, though. We’re holding "daily drivers."
The Classic premium
The iPod Classic (specifically the 5th, 6th, and 7th generations) is where the real money is for average users. These are the models with the hard drives and the iconic click wheels. Collectors and audiophiles love these because they are incredibly easy to "mod." You can rip out the old, spinning hard drive and replace it with a 1TB SD card.
A standard iPod Classic 7th Generation (160GB) in good working condition usually fetches between $150 and $250 on eBay or Swappa. If it’s refurbished with a new battery and an SSD upgrade, that price can easily jump to $400+.
The Nano and Shuffle situation
These are a bit more hit-or-miss.
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- iPod Nano: The 1st and 2nd gens are prone to "the black spot" (the battery swelling and crushing the screen). If yours works and doesn't have a screen bruise, you might get $40 to $70. The 7th Gen Nano (the tiny one with the touch screen) is surprisingly valuable, often hitting $100+ because it’s the most modern "small" music player Apple ever made.
- iPod Shuffle: Generally the least valuable. Most sell for $15 to $30. However, the 1st Gen "gum stick" Shuffle is starting to gain some retro-cool points, occasionally hitting $50 if it has the original lanyard.
Why the 5th Gen "Video" is secretly the best
Ask any "iPod person" (yes, they exist) and they’ll tell you the 5th Generation iPod Classic—often called the iPod Video—is the one to keep.
Why? It’s all about the DAC.
The 5th Gen uses a Wolfson Microelectronics audio chip. Audiophiles swear this chip produces a "warmer," more "musical" sound than the later Cirrus Logic chips Apple switched to. Because of this specific technical detail, 5th Gen models often sell for more than the 6th Gen "Classic" models that replaced them.
If you find a "thick" 80GB 5.5 Generation (an enhanced version with a search feature and a brighter screen), you’re looking at a very easy $100 to $150 sale, even if the battery is junk. People want that motherboard.
Condition is everything (But not how you think)
Usually, "good condition" means no scratches. In the iPod world, it’s all about the hard drive health and the LCD.
Those old mechanical hard drives are fragile. If you drop a Classic while the disk is spinning, it’s game over. You can actually check the health by holding the Center and Menu buttons to restart, then holding Center and Previous to enter "Diagnostic Mode."
A drive with high "Reallocs" or "Pending Sectors" is a dying drive. It’ll cut the value of your device in half.
The "Sealed" Trap
Be careful if you're looking to buy a "New in Box" iPod to flip. The market is flooded with "re-sealed" units from overseas. These are used iPods put into fake boxes with new plastic wrap. A genuine, factory-sealed 1st Gen is rare. If the plastic wrap looks a bit loose or the label printing is slightly fuzzy, it’s probably a fake.
Real world value breakdown (2026 Prices)
Here is a rough look at what's actually moving on the market right now:
- iPod 1st/2nd Gen (Scroll/Touch Wheel): $200 - $600 (Used/Working); $10,000+ (Sealed).
- iPod Mini: $30 - $80. These are huge with the "modding" community because you can put a Compact Flash-to-SD adapter in them very cheaply.
- iPod Touch 7th Gen: $130 - $280. Since Apple discontinued these in 2022, they’ve held their value well as the "last iPod ever made."
- Special Editions: The U2 Edition (Black with a Red click wheel) is always worth a 20% premium. The "Harry Potter" engraved 4th Gen is another weirdly high-value outlier if you can find a fan.
Where should you actually sell it?
Don't go to a pawn shop. They’ll offer you $10 for a Classic that’s worth $200 because they see it as "obsolete tech."
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eBay is where you’ll get the highest price, but you have to deal with the risk of returns and fees. If you want a quick, guaranteed payout, sites like BankMyCell or Swappa are better. They track the market closely.
If your iPod is broken, don't throw it away. "For Parts" iPod Classics still sell for $40 to $60 all day long on eBay because people need the screens, click wheels, and front plates for repairs.
How to prep your iPod for sale
Before you list it, do these three things to ensure you don't get a "not as described" claim:
- Check the "Hold" switch: These break often. If it's stuck, mention it.
- Test the headphone jack: Plug in a pair of wired buds and wiggle the connector. If the sound cuts out in one ear, the jack needs replacing.
- Sync it: Ensure it still talks to a computer. If it won't connect to iTunes (or Finder on modern Macs), it’s likely a dead logic board or a bad port.
Basically, go find that drawer. Dig out the white plastic. Give it a quick wipe with some isopropyl alcohol. You might find that your "old junk" is actually paying for your next flight or a new pair of AirPods.
Actionable Next Step: Locate your old iPod and check the model number on the back (it starts with an 'A'). Cross-reference that "A number" on a site like EveryMac to find its exact generation, then check "Sold" listings on eBay to see what people are actually paying this week.