20051106

Used, But Not Forgotten


When you get that hot new iPod Nano, what to do with the older iPod. While some are content to toss it, other enterprising individuals are selling their used iPods. Some are even "sweetening the deal" by including their music on the device (which I think is illeagal). Anyway, this evolving market is keeping older iPods doing their thing, and out of forgotten drawers.
Piper Jaffray analysts say about 30 percent of the iPod purchasers are now repeat buyers who are either replacing an existing, earlier-generation iPod or adding to their range of styles (such as an iPod Shuffle and a video iPod).

If the average lifespan of an iPod is about 1.5 years, what happens to the older models?

Analysts say most users hand down their iPods to friends or family once they purchase a new one. Some simply throw them away.

Increasingly, however, consumers are capitalizing on the growing iPod phenomenon by selling their used iPods for cash or as a trade-in toward a new device.

And it is not just for bargain hunters, either. With the popular iPod Mini being discontinued, many fans have turned to the refurbished market to track down a favorite color in what is becoming a cult-nostalgia item.

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