After realising that Urban Outfitters was selling vintage iPods, people are taking to social media in shock. Urban Outfitters provides reconditioned original iPod models to satisfy Gen Z’s appetite for technology from the early 2000s. Though the millennials do feel ancient given that Urban Outfitter refers to the older Apple iPod models as “vintage.”
Urban Outfitters Selling Vintage iPods
The Philadelphia-based retail giant Urban Outfitters, which specialises in “on-trend” clothing, is now offering reconditioned and vintage iPods for sale on its website. Each device is described as “a genuine piece of vintage retro tech.” The company also claims that the outdated MP3 players have proven to be a popular product.
With hundreds of millions of units sold over the ensuing decades, Apple‘s 2001 launch of the iPod proved to be a huge success. Throughout the product’s life, five distinct models, each with their own generations, were launched for the iPod, which saw significant evolution as well.
In July 2004, the fourth generation iPod—a compact, glossy, multicoloured rectangle loaded with all of your favourite songs—was released. People would spend hours downloading songs to the small gadget that could fit in your pocket or the palm of your hand. You would think that you were performing for thousands of people while you raised both arms and let out a Katy Perry hit. In May 2022, the complete range of products was eventually discontinued.
According to Urban Outfitters, items from the early 2000s can suddenly be considered “vintage,” which is too much for millennials to bear when combined with the price tag.
According to 9to5mac.com, lifestyle store Urban Outfitters advertised products on its website that included the iPod Colour (4th generation), iPod (4th generation), and iPod Classic (5th generation). The website also mentions that the iPods are on sale at the same time that the gadget turns 22 years old.
The item description for the Apple iPod Mini (1st Generation) MP4 Player reads: “First introduced in 2001, the iPod is the quintessential MP3 player, and this iPod Mini (2004) is the perfect blend of new millennium design with modern features. These iPods have been updated with an all-new battery and 128GB of flash storage so you’ll have plenty of space for all your favorite albums in a faster, sturdier package. Each iPod is kitted with an original deadstock Apple sync cable and headphones. This is a genuine piece of vintage retro tech – refurbished and restored by Retrospekt.”
The iPod mini costs $199, while the fifth version iPod classic costs $349.99. For comparison, when the iPod Classic 5th generation gadget with 30GB of storage was first debuted, it was priced at $249.
It’s unclear why the product pages have since disappeared from the Urban Outfitters website; it’s possible that they sold out or are no longer available for purchase. The pages, nevertheless, didn’t disappear quickly enough for millennials to see them and take to social media.
One X user said:
“What circle of hell are we in that Urban Outfitters is selling iPod classics now.”
“Why is Urban Outfitters selling a 5th generation Apple iPod for $350 in 2023???”
another added.
And a third commented:
“An Urban Outfitters sponsored post for an iPod in 2023 makes me feel like I’m losing my mind.”
But another simply wrote,
“My god … I’m old now.”
The revelation also made others question how much their own unwanted iPods were worth in the current market. However, based on samples currently available on Amazon and eBay, it seems doubtful that any would fetch more than what Retrospekt was asking on Urban Outfitters’ online marketplace.
