# Who gets the old iPods? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294 "2010-09-01T18:54:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/1 "2010-09-01T18:54:20Z")
So Mr. Jobs has announced another generation of iPod, this time with a touch screen. I don’t need that, but the current generation with the built in FM radio would be attractive to me–if available at a lower price than they ask. The new generation are going to be the same price as the old ones, so, of course, the old ones will become worth less (two words) on release day. In the past I’ve never noticed a major retailer selling off Discontinued, Discounted iPods but it seems that someone must buy them and probably sell them for a lower price. Anyone know who that (those) would be? ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/2 "2010-09-01T19:36:14Z")
You could try [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). It looks like they have the [fifth-generation iPods](http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?plgroup=3&docId=1000423861) marked down a bit, but not by much – only around 10% to 14%. So you can save twenty bucks on a Nano or around thirty on a Classic. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/3 "2010-09-01T19:51:30Z")
Apple sells their one or two generation old stuff through the refurb and clearance section of their official store, with modest discounts (10-30%). I imagine that some of their “new” old stock is sold through there. If they plan wisely, though, they won’t have large inventories of the last-generation product sitting around when the new generation is released. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/4 "2010-09-01T19:55:14Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > If they plan wisely, though, they won’t have large inventories of the last-generation product sitting around when the new generation is released. Mostly this. Particularly with the computers, and to a lesser extent with iPods, Apple stops making the old ones quite a while before the new ones arrive. Rumor sites can often predict with great accuracy which models are about to be refreshed merely by noting what Apple dealers are calling ‘constrained’ supplies. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/5 "2010-09-01T20:28:53Z")
Wonder why it’s taken them so long to integrate an FM tuner into it. They only just started putting them in the Nano last year. Seems like such a simple thing to add, they could have done it with the 1st gen. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/6 "2010-09-01T20:39:27Z")
I imagine it goes to Goodwill to be donated, just like obsolete T-Shirts. So right now there are a bunch of people in Africa wearing early 90’s Buffalo Bills Superbowl champions t-shirts while listening to Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins on their obsolete iPods 😃 ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/7 "2010-09-01T21:03:12Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > > [@lazybratsche](#): > > > > If they plan wisely, though, they won’t have large inventories of the last-generation product sitting around when the new generation is released. > > Mostly this. Particularly with the computers, and to a lesser extent with iPods, Apple stops making the old ones quite a while before the new ones arrive. Rumor sites can often predict with great accuracy which models are about to be refreshed merely by noting what Apple dealers are calling ‘constrained’ supplies. I wonder if Apple will accept returns for credit with old items, just to prevent them being remaindered or price-cut. I have not seen much for discounted Apple merchandise. Since Apple is so anal about maintaining their list price, I would not be surprised if they made it easier for the few that still have left-over inventories even after starving the channel. Then what? Odds are they crush them rather than risk them going through some back door into the market at cheaper prices. ---
**Author:** ![TerpBE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@TerpBE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TerpBE)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/8 "2010-09-01T21:26:01Z")
My wife had a broken ipod that was about 5 years old. She went to the Apple store and traded it in (plus paid some money) for a functional model of the same type. I assume they’ll fix hers and sell it back to somebody else in her situation. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/9 "2010-09-01T21:31:21Z")
A lot of them go to [woot.com](http://woot.com) to die, er, get sold. ---
**Author:** ![QuercusMax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/8baadc/32.png) [@QuercusMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuercusMax)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/10 "2010-09-01T21:36:10Z")
Additionally, as part of their back-to-school specials, Apple has been giving away free iPods with each Mac they sell. They pretty much do this every year before the new iPods are released. They clear out their stock of old iPods, and sell more Macs because it’s such a good deal. ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/11 "2010-09-01T21:52:29Z")
> [@TerpBE](#): > > My wife had a broken ipod that was about 5 years old. She went to the Apple store and traded it in (plus paid some money) for a functional model of the same type. I assume they’ll fix hers and sell it back to somebody else in her situation. I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure it’s a recycling program (and not the “reuse” kind of recycling). It is a good deal, though. I was shocked at how much they gave me for a broken down old iPod last time I bought one. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/12 "2010-09-02T00:41:32Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > A lot of them go to [woot.com](http://woot.com) to die, er, get sold. Yep, a couple of weeks ago I got an 8GB refurb for $129 - new was $199, Apple refurb was $149. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/13 "2010-09-03T06:11:45Z")
Yip, the old ones are already purchased, and the best way to get one is to get one used/refurbished. There are always people who will buy the latest and try to get rid of an earler one. Just be careful–I was foolish my first year in college and bought an iPod from a friend, and, although he said he returned it to get it fixed before selling it, it still had a loose port. I was so gullible back then. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/14 "2010-09-03T08:44:07Z")
Hasn’t there been an iPod with a touch screen for a long time? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/15 "2010-09-03T12:36:49Z")
My workplace discounts them. The amount of the discount increases slowly as the stock ages, but we never have so many leftover previous generation iPods that they get to the huge discount stage. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/16 "2010-09-03T12:46:53Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Hasn’t there been an iPod with a touch screen for a long time? Yes, the Touch. The OP was talking about the Nano, which is now being equipped with a touch screen as well. I think they’re just over-engineering it at this point - people are going to want the volume/click wheel. I don’t doubt that people didn’t use the camera or microphone on the current generation, but they seem like nice additions. And they got rid of video playback. Jobs’ Shuffle intro talked about “people really wanted the buttons, so we brought them back”, and then reveals he stole those buttons from the Nano. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/17 "2010-09-03T19:08:58Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Wonder why it’s taken them so long to integrate an FM tuner into it. They only just started putting them in the Nano last year. Seems like such a simple thing to add, they could have done it with the 1st gen. Because with an FM tuner, people can listen to music from radio stations – **for free!** A horrible idea like that could cut into sales at your Itunes store. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/18 "2010-09-03T19:10:37Z")
Or, you know, because FM radio sounds like crap. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-gets-the-old-ipods/552294/19 "2010-09-04T03:23:34Z")
Just checked The Apple Store. They have last week’s Nanos for $99. For 8 Gigs. If you’d told me years ago I could get an iPod with FM and an HD video camera for less than a Benjy … (and it’s 16 times the size of our first iPod)! Though it’s not as good a deal as the iPod Nano I just got for $30 and a slice of pizza (met the Craigslist seller at an Italian restaurant). There’s an advantage to being content with last year’s tech.