Tips for Selling Your IPod

So, for whatever reason, you’ve decided to sell your iPod on eBay or somewhere else. Maybe you’re getting a new iPod or you just don’t use your current one enough. Whatever the reason, you can make back a significant part of your purchase price on most models by following a few simple tips.

Shine it up real nice. You can do this really well with some Brasso and some elbow grease; get a microfiber cloth, use a drop of Brasso and buff a fine shine into your iPod. This will eliminate the minor scratches and nicks that your iPod may have taken on from regular use, and it will make it photograph quite a bit better, which will drive up the selling price. Be sure to use some tape to cover any area where the Brasso might accidentally enter the iPod, especially all around the click wheel and button and the sides, which aren’t airtight (ask anyone who dropped an iPod in a bucket of water).

Learn about your iPod. Specifically, find out what “generation” of iPod it is and do a bit of research on what they’re selling for. The fastest way is to search on eBay and look at auctions that are ending soon.

Don’t worry about minor repairs. Getting your iPod repaired is a great idea if you want to keep it, but if you want to sell it, then don’t bother–the cost of the repair will likely be much more than the cost of the unit.

If it has serious issues, sell the parts separately. Big problems–a cracked front screen, bad hard drive, etc.–lower the value of the whole iPod enough that you’ll do much better by taking a look at any of the iPod opening guides on the Internet and popping the thing open. Carefully disassemble the various parts and sell them on eBay. You’ll make much more than you would selling the whole broken unit.

Sell fast. Nothing depreciates in value quite like an iPod–sell it as quickly as you can, as soon as you know that you want to get rid of it. After all, Apple might come out with a new iPod at any time, and they’re not shy about making their old models obsolete. Don’t risk a sudden plummet of $25-50, sell your iPod immediately.

Don’t take the iPod to an Apple store. You’ll make more on an auction website, preferably the big boy, eBay.

When you sell your iPod on eBay, read some of the other iPod auctions. Pay attention to what the other sellers are doing to promote and maximize the sales price of their iPod auction and do what they do. Specifically, you’ll make more selling on a Sunday night, using descriptions of the product written by the manufacturer, providing a well lit picture, and being up front about why you’re selling the iPod. Don’t set a reserve price, either. It’s one of the hottest iPods on eBay, and if you do everything else right it’s pretty doubtful that it’ll go for much less than it’s worth.

Did you sell your iPod? Post any tips you’ve got in the comments below.