An original iPod sold for $29,000 in 2023 and the old Apple devices sitting in your drawer could be worth a serious fortune

It’s been 50 years since Apple was founded, and it has since gone on to become one of the most successful companies of all time, thanks to innovations like the iPod and iPhone.

When it was brand-new, the company had just one product: the Apple I, and if you happened to have one of those original computers today, it could sell for a small fortune. 

One went to auction last year, where it was snapped up for $375,000. 

But you don’t need to go half a century back to find some valuable Apple products, because original iPhones, iPods, and iPads can all fetch a pretty penny in 2026.

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Remember the iPod? Well, it’s become a collectors item

When Apple launched the first iPod back in 2001, it was a groundbreaking bit of tech that completely changed the industry.

If you wanted to listen to music on the go, you no longer needed to carry around a personal CD player and a stack of discs; instead, you could grab your lightweight iPod and choose from hundreds of songs. 

Apple sold around 300 million iPods before eventually discontinuing the device in 2022. 

In 2023, an original sealed iPod sold for a record-breaking $29,000. 

But you don’t need it to be as-new and sealed to make a bit of cash. 

Typically, you’d be looking at over $1,000 for an iPod that has its original box, while one in excellent condition without its box can sell for around $500. 

Even later models, like the iPod Mini, can sell for more than $200, while you could get around $160 for a 1st generation iPod Shuffle with its original box. 

Limited edition models, like the 4th-generation iPod U2 special, can sell for more than $1,500.

An original iPhone sold for almost $200,000 at auction

Much like the iPod, the Apple iPhone was considered a truly revolutionary piece of technology when it was released in 2007. 

Since then, the company has released a new range of devices every year – most recently the iPhone 17 family. 

In 2023, an unopened 4GB first-generation iPhone sold for $190,372 at auction, around 400 times its original price. 

Similar iPhones have sold for between $50,000 and $100,000 in recent years. 

Interest has also recently grown for the iPhone 4, released in 2010 and the last device to be launched by late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. 

Online listings show sealed iPhone 4 models being sold for around $1,000 apiece. 

Other early models, depending on their condition, might go for up to $100 or more.

Old Apple tech is attractive to collectors, but newer items still sell

Along the same lines, an original, unopened first-generation iPad, released in 2010, can be snapped up by collectors. 

A 64GB model sold at auction for more than $2,700, but later models and those not in their original packaging tend to drop quite quickly in price.

In general, the older and rarer the item, the more valuable it is. 

So, if you happen to have an Apple II from 1977 lying around, you could potentially sell it for more than $35,000, whereas if you had an Apple Lisa from 1983, it could be worth around $882,000. 

Having said that, Apple products do tend to hold onto their value quite well. 

After a year, the average resale value is around 65 to 70 percent of its original price, which is impressive for tech. 

So, if you happen to have an iPhone 15 or 16 sitting around gathering dust, now might be the time to sell it.