Fans of Apple iPods are reeling in disappointment from the cancellation of their favorite music player. It was discontinued earlier in 2022. Even a group on reddit called “r/iPodClassic” has formed to share photos and other nostalgic memories daily. And that classic crew of nearly 7K members is just an extension of the main iPod gang with 60,000 followers in the subreddit: r/iPod.
One member has been somewhat ecstatic from the discontinuation however, finding himself with a new treasure trove from the nostalgia fever. Augusta-Georgia collector Bill Siveter has made a healthy fortune, selling off his iPods to people looking to hoard the last of Apple’s famed mp3 player.
How Much Money Is Enough
Unopened, 1st generation Apple Ipod music players from 2001 are in the highest demand. The original Ipod model is currently listed on eBay for over $23,000 US-Dollars. This is astoundingly higher than the original retail price of $300 (USD). Each original Ipod owner who resales at this rate with success, generates an ROI of more than 75x over initial investment.
The King collector, Bill Siveter, had multiple first generation iPod players. Though he’s not sharing an itemized list of what he once owned, he’s admitted to having had at least eleven 1st-generation Ipods among his collection of over 75 players.
Of Bill’s Ipod collection at least 50% has been sold as of today. His earnings are estimated to have been close to half-a-million dollars. And while Siveter’s story amazes many, some collectors doubt it.
“I’m seeing pretty standard prices when I look [on eBay],” wrote one iPod collector on a subreddit topic about Bill’s story.
Vacation All Summer
Nonetheless, Siveter’s worry free this summer. He’s got things to do and memories to make. The Augusta resident is using a portion of his new found treasure to travel the world in good company.
“I sold all of my first generation iPods & a few others for enough that my wife and I can travel all this summer and more,” said the Big Willie of ipods in one report.
Gone for the summer, the Siveter couple plans to visit several countries across the world. Their bucket list will be completed in 2022, as long as airplanes are flying.
Bill stated to a journalist for iLounge that a part of his iPod earnings will be used to enjoy adventures in South America, Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, and Africa.
Amazing where a few rare iPods from one’s childhood can take a man.
The Rarest Ipods Ever
Within Siveter’s collection of over 75 Apple Ipods, he’s owned nearly every model released since 2002. This includes different colorways and 9 of the professed Top 10 Limited Edition iPods ever released.
“I never opened my Madonna, Beatles, Bob Marley, Hendrix, Tony Hawk, nor No Doubt models. I always thought they would be a collector’s item, luckily” said Siveter to the Baltimore Post Examiner in a short interview about his collection.
In another part of the short interview, he continued “And I had two of the 10 GB 1st generations, London Olympics ipod, and the polished steel Shuffle.”
If not familiar, these iPods Siveter mentions are among some of the rarest any Apple technology collector could fathom.
Apple released very few of the 10GB 1st generations, immediately realizing people would need more space on their iPods. Some estimate this was on store shelves for less than 1-quarter in 2002.
The polished steel shuffle was another limited release, which at the time just seemed to be a test for what style of casing. Apple was possibly trying to see what cases users would like for future iPods. Today, it’s a wet dream for a collector of Apple tech.
The London Olympics ipod was released in or just before 2012 for the retail price of £99.99. There’s thought to be only a few hundred in existence globally today. Apple created on 2,012 of this iPod model, making it dedicated to the World games event of that year.
And beyond these precious Apple releases, Bill still has other iPods. But for now he has his sights on a new investment, a new kind of technology. He may keep the rest of his collection for a while.
Crypto Fever
““Money left after travel, I’ll put that money into cryptocurrencies,” says Siveter of where he plans to spend another portion of his iPod-derived treasure trove.
He continued, “I believe with prices being so far down it’s a time to try my luck.”
Indeed, prices are down on cryptos. Top crypto-coins Bitcoin and Ethereum have fallen by more than 50% in the last 12 months, from their all-time highs in the period.
A risky move, it could pay off with a 500% return on investment if the S&P and crypto markets return to the earlier highs.
Either way, Bill Siveter is surely happy with just the ROI from his childhood iPod collection. Nothing more is needed at this point to make the Augusta-Georgia native a lot richer than he was before. And with the additional travel plans soon to come, the experiences he’s already set to have with his wife will be more valuable than any cryptocoin can ever be.
