There's probably enough material to fill a book about the importance of the iPod to Apple's history (and revenue). Yet in 2022, the company bid farewell to the brand, finally discontinuing the last version of the iPod Touch. There's a small but growing community dedicated to keeping the dream alive. Elite Obsolete Electronics is one company that has seen the growth of Reddit communities dedicated to the iPod and iPod Classic. I recently spoke with the owner, Austin Lucas, about the company and its success.
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Passion Turned into a Business
Lucas founded Elite Obsolete Electronics in the fall of 2018 as a side project fueled by his experience repairing tech in high school and studying computer engineering in college. Although he envisioned designing consumer electronics, dropping out of school forced him to seek a new path. His eureka moment came when a customer brought an iPod Classic to the local repair shop where he worked. None of his co-workers knew how to operate it. Lucas quickly realized there was untapped potential in servicing a device that many had discarded but still held sentimental value for a devoted few.
What started out as buying broken Apple products on eBay, fixing them, and selling them for a profit soon grew into a full-fledged business. Elite Obsolete Electronics tapped into the growing community on Reddit and other online forums dedicated to iPod enthusiasts. Lucas noted, “There used to be a big iPod community, but as people moved to iPhones and iPads, the iPod repair skills dwindled.” Still, Elite Obsolete Electronics became a resource for those who needed more than just battery replacements.
Serving a Community That Won’t Let Go
Elite Obsolete Electronics' success lies in offering turnkey solutions for people who don't want to worry about modding their iPod. The company specializes in replacement parts, genuine accessories, and completely refurbished iPods. Unlike other stores, Elite Obsolete Electronics doesn't do repairs; instead, they sell ready-to-use, customized iPods with modern features like iFlash memory upgrades and refurbished batteries. Without spending a dollar on advertising, Elite Obsolete Electronics has built a profitable business solely through word of mouth and organic traffic through Reddit, Google, and its popular YouTube channel.
“The majority of our customers are Gen Xers and Boomers who already have large iTunes libraries,” Lucas shared. These are people who have been building up their digital music collections for years and prefer a standalone MP3 player to streaming services. For them, the iPod is more than a device, it’s a connection to the time when they first fell in love with portable music. There’s no doubt that today’s iPhone is a much better music player than the iPod, but there’s an ease of use to having a standalone music player. No, it doesn’t support Apple Music or Spotify, but it’s still a fantastic device for your local audio files, and even the latest version of macOS can easily sync content to it via Finder.
The Challenges of Keeping the Dream Alive
Running a business focused on discontinued products has its challenges. Lucas often buys his iPods from places like eBay, where quality is unpredictable. “It’s a roll of the dice,” he admitted. But it’s a gamble worth taking for the company’s growing customer base. About 90 percent of Elite Obsolete Electronics’ sales are classic iPods, with the rest being a mix of Nano, Mini, Shuffle, and Touch. Most units are custom-made, depending on how the new iPod owner wants to customize it.
Why the iPod Still Matters
The iPod may seem like a relic to younger generations, but to Lucas and his customers, it represents more than just a piece of tech history. It’s about the digital rights era, when owning your music was standard practice. “The iPod is kind of a talisman for people who want to support artists and control their music libraries,” Lucas explained.
Despite his youth, Lucas understands why many people want to hold on to this part of their past. “I don’t remember much about the iPod,” he said, “but I understand why people want to relive that experience.” After all, the iPod was the coolest gadget you could own at the time. For those who couldn’t afford one, companies like Elite Obsolete Electronics offer a second chance to capture that feeling.
Apple’s decision to discontinue the iPod line was met with mixed feelings from fans. Austin expressed his disappointment with the way Apple ended the brand. While many acknowledge that it was a natural progression, he argues that the company should have celebrated its heritage more. After all, the iPod didn’t just boost Apple’s revenue — it set the stage for what came next. Without the iPod, there’s no iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro. As I wrote earlier this year, the iPod lets you get lost in music in a very noisy world. An entire project is underway to preserve the old iPod Classic titles.
Check out Elite Obsolete Electronics to order your own iPod with almost any combination of upgrades, colors, and accessories.
