Very Rare Original iPod in Factory Sealed Box Hits eBay for $19,995

If you missed the opportunity to buy the original iPod nearly 18 years ago, now is your second chance — but it won't be cheap.

original ipod ebay
A very rare first-generation iPod factory sealed in its "unopened original box" in "unopened original shrink wrap" has surfaced in a new eBay listing with an asking price of $19,995, over 50 times more than the $399 it cost when it was first unveiled by the late Steve Jobs in October 2001.

Jobs famously pitched the original iPod as offering "1,000 songs in your pocket." The iconic device features a 5GB hard drive, a two-inch grayscale LCD screen, up to 10 hours of battery life, a FireWire port, and a scroll wheel for "simple, one-handed navigation." Its 0.75-inch thickness was slim at the time.


It's hard to say exactly how many factory-sealed original iPods are still in existence, but there are likely not many, and they rarely go on sale. When they do, they often fetch large sums, with the $19,995 price for this listing in line with an original iPod that reportedly sold for $20,000 on eBay back in 2014.

Offers are open on eBay.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eBay. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a payment, which helps us keep the site running.

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Top Rated Comments

jkirker Avatar
72 months ago
If you put the same $399 towards Amazon stock (~$8/share or 49 shares), it would be worth around $92,000 today.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BGPL Avatar
72 months ago
Not much of a reaction from the crowd. They had no idea that history was just changed... the iPod brought the iPhone, and the iPhone brought everything we have today, including social media.

One thing Steve was wrong about, is the Mac being the center of everything. He was Mac's biggest fan, and there's no one at Apple in that corner anymore, sadly. Personally, my Mac is the center of everything, but I'm in the minority.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Not-Sure Avatar
72 months ago
Damn... what people have in their minds? Wasting money on that.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imola.zhp Avatar
72 months ago
I have a S0 Apple watch tucked away, never opened. Hoping some moron will vastly overpay for it in 20-30 years.

Interested in how much this finally goes for and wondering what an Apple Watch would potentially fetch in about 25 years.
I hope a BUNCH.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vvs14 Avatar
72 months ago
And people said years ago products sealed in a box would be worthless
This one probably is. Just because some idiot listed it for $35000 does not mean that is its value. Lets see what it is actually sold for.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Valkyre Avatar
72 months ago
The funny news is that this is probably dead on arrival. All these years, sealed or not, its battery is surely dead...
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)