iPod Buying Guide

2009-02-19T03:01:00.000-08:00

Apple iPod has gone from a simple music player to a multimedia must-have, and you'll find thousands of options on eBay to fit your lifestyle and budget.

Pick Your Perfect iPod

Pick Your Perfect iPod iPods comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Find one that's right for you. iPod: Full-size iPods have a large hard drive (30GB or 80GB), a photo slide show feature, and the ability to play video, games, and music. It’s a good choice for serious audiophiles, fans of mobile video, and people who aren't worried about size or who want a lot of bang for their buck. iPod nano: iPod nano offers a color screen, 4GB or 8GB of storage, and a portable, pocket-sized profile. It uses flash memory (no hard-drive components that might jiggle and break during high-intensity activity), making it a good choice for athletes and exercise enthusiasts. iPod nano is also favored by music lovers, commuters, and students. iPod shuffle: Fitness-lovers, athletes, commuters, the budget conscious, and minimalists love the miniscule iPod shuffle. It clips onto clothing, has a long battery life, holds about 240 songs, and sports 1GB of flash memory storage. iPhone: The widescreen iPhone cell phone includes a touchscreen iPod and 3.5-inch widescreen to enjoy music, videos, movies, and more. Before you can listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks or watch movies and TV shows, you need to transfer content from your desktop computer or laptop to your iPod. iPods come with Apple iTunes software to help you organize tracks and transfer music. The latest version of iTunes is always available as a free download at Apple's Web site, too. iTunes is integrated with Apple's online iTunes Store, where you can download most songs for 99 cents and albums for $9.99 and up. To help prevent music piracy, songs purchased from the iTunes Store are provided in AAC format, which restricts how many computers and digital devices can share the same digital music file. It also limits how many times you can burn the song. There shouldn’t be an issue as long as you only share songs on iPods you own and use.
Back to top

Consider a Retired iPod

Consider a Retired iPod Over the years, iPods of every style, size, color, and storage capacity have hit the market. Explore the possibilities on eBay and you might find a deal you can't resist. iPod video: You can find full-sized Video iPods with 30GB, 60GB, and 80GB storage capacities. The 2006 models play both videos and games. iPod shuffle: Released in 2005, the tiny white iPod shuffle comes in 512MB or 1GB capacities. iPod photo: Apple upgraded its music player in 2004 with a photo slide show feature. iPod photo comes with a 20GB or 40GB hard drive, color screen, and scroll-wheel function control. iPod mini: The 4GB iPod mini, introduced in 2004, uses a hard drive for storage and is available in a multitude of colors. In 2005, the limited-edition second-generation iPod mini came out with a longer battery life and a brighter array of colors. Third-generation iPod: In 2003, Apple released third-generation iPods with touch-sensitive buttons, a slim iPod-specific connector (rather than a FireWire port) with USB support, and 30GB or 40GB of storage. Second-generation iPod: The second-generation iPod was the first to have a touch-sensitive click wheel as well as the first to be compatible with both PCs and Macs. 10GB and 20GB models are available. First-generation iPod: The original first-generation iPods were released in November 2001. They have 5GB storage, only play music, have a FireWire port at the top, and a standard click wheel design.
Back to top

Find iPods on eBay

Find iPods on eBay Once you know what type of iPod you’re looking for, go to the Consumer Electronics portal, click the Apple iPod link beneath Apple iPod, MP3 Players, and start finding the item you want on eBay. Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for iPod, iPod mini, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, and more. MP3 Players Finder: Use the drop-down menus on the MP3 Players Finder to quickly narrow down item listings by storage capacity, color, and condition. Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find an iPod shuffle, type "iPod shuffle" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords. If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.
Back to top

Buy iPods With Confidence

Before bidding on an iPod, make sure you know exactly what you’re trying to purchase, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.
If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.
Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.
Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?
What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?
Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $2,000.
eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.

iPod Buying Guide

iPod Buying Guide

Pick Your Perfect iPod

Consider a Retired iPod

Find iPods on eBay

Buy iPods With Confidence

Pick Your Perfect iPod

Pick Your Perfect iPod

Consider a Retired iPod

Consider a Retired iPod

Find iPods on eBay

Find iPods on eBay

Buy iPods With Confidence

Buy iPods With Confidence

Know your purchase

Know your seller

Buyer protection