Christmas Bargains on iPods

Looking for Christmas bargains on iPods and iPod accessories? Paying full price at the Apple Store for an iPod this Christmas is the last thing you should do, considering all the places you can find excellent Christmas bargains on iPods. Here are but a few Christmas bargain shopping ideas:

1. eBay

eBay is one of my favorite "stores" for bargain shopping. I've purchased software, electronic gadgetry, and other goodies from eBay, always with good results. Of course, with a site like eBay, or similar sites like Amazon.com, you need to be careful about who you are buying from and you should always read the fine print, but they are actually very safe places to buy from overall. So for Christmas bargains on iPods, be sure that you check out eBay before you go anywhere else. Sometimes you can find a brand new iPod at a discount rate.

2. Amazon.com

Similarly, Amazon.com isn't just about books anymore. Although they are best-known as a giant online bookseller, Amazon also has a marketplace that has bargains on nearly everything under the sun - including iPods and iPod accessories. The nice thing about Amazon.com is that there's no bidding process, so when you see that Christmas bargain on an iPod that you've been hoping for, you can snatch it up without the prolonged bidding process of eBay. Another nice thing about Amazon is that they offer buyer guarantees: they will protect your purchase if you don't get what you paid for, even though the seller is a third party.

3. Refurbished iPods

A "refurbished iPod" is a used iPod that's been cleaned up and now re-sold. While they might come with a few scratches and a little less battery life, they are otherwise generally as good as a new iPod. One excellent source for a Christmas bargain iPod is the Apple Store itself, where refurbished iPods come with a one-year warranty. Here are some price comparisons:

The new 120 GB iPod classic is $249 on the Apple Store site, whereas you can get an even bigger 160 GB iPod classic for the exact same price as a refurbished iPod. A new 8 GB iPod nano goes for $149, whereas a refurbished nano starts at $99. And a new iPod touch will run you $229, but a refurbished touch starts at $179.

4. iPod Alternatives

When I finally decided to join the twenty-first century last year and bought an MP3 player, I bought a less-expensive, older model, 30 GB player that was NOT an iPod. iPods have become so ubiquitous that some of us have forgotten that non-Apple MP3 players exist that will do all the same things an iPod can do for less money. When the budget-minded are searching for Christmas bargains on iPods, don't let the "coolness", "keeping up with the Joneses" factor break your budget. To name but one example, the Zune 120 has the same amount of storage space, is about the same size, and even looks similar to the iPod classic 120 GB. But for the same price, the Zune also gives you wireless internet access and a built-in FM tuner! Likewise, the Zune 4 has the same size and look as an iPod nano, but, like it's big brother Zune 120, it has more features than the nano and starts at a price $20 less.

5. Retail Stores

And then there's your retail stores. Don't forget that electronic giants like Circuit City and Best Buy always have holiday sales - this year in particular should be good for Christmas bargains due to the economic downturn. But you can find even better deals on electronics at wholesale clubs like Sam's Club and BJ's. If you are a member of one of these stores and not comfortable with buying online, check there first before looking at traditional electronic stores.