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Original iPod hits eBay at insane $20,000 list price

Published May 9th, 2019 7:06PM EDT
Original iPod
Image: thanat sasipatanapa

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When Apple unveiled the original iPod back in 2001, the reactions weren’t universally positive. Indeed, some fan reactions on a MacRumors message board at the time have since taken on a life of their own.

As an illustrative example, one outraged Apple fan wrote the following nearly 18 years ago: “I still can’t believe this! All this hype for something so ridiculous! Who cares about an MP3 player? I want something new! I want them to think differently! Why oh why would they do this?! It’s so wrong! It’s so stupid!”

Of course, the iPod would go onto become monumentally successful for Apple. In addition to padding Apple’s bank account with billions of dollars, the iPod helped upend the music industry and, years later, would serve as the springboard for the iPhone. The iPhone may be a more revolutionary and impactful device, but it simply wouldn’t exist had the iPod not paved the way years ahead of time.

While some iconic products can still be found for cheap — with Apple’s original Bondi Blue iMac being one such example — others are wildly expensive. The original iPod falls into the latter category.

Hopping on over to eBay, someone is selling a completely unused and factory sealed original iPod for $19,995. And in a testament to how ancient the device is, the iPod in question features a mechanical scroll wheel and a paltry 5GB of storage. To be fair, though, 5GB of storage back then was more than enough for a world where the only media content people cared about was music.

Is forking over $20,000 for an original iPod completely unnecessary, if not downright insane? Of course. Then again, never underestimate the power of nostalgia.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.