After a farseeing day at schooling , the menage earpiece rang and my female parent answered . It ’s Apple and they want to have a word with you , she said . At the clock time , I was 16 and I had been roll iPod parts to all contribution of the cosmos .
“ I ’m not telling you this as an authority but as say , an uncle figure : you require to stop what you ’re doing , ” said the Apple lawyer on the other close .
When I was 15 , my third generation iPod had break . This was a tragedy as medicine has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember . With no store to purchase a newfangled iPod , I was determined to fix it . After abrade eBay , I purchased a system of logic board and take unnumberable tutorials on how to crack open my iPod and surgically replace the logic board . The operation was successful and I felt triumphant – functioning iPod , new awesome skill as iPod - surgeon , and none of my euphony was lose . I get very curious as to how frequently out - of - warrantee iPods malfunctioned and only demand a new part or two .
Everyone know that out - of - guarantee Apple repairs are absurdly expensive , often costing as much as a new iPod . I find that 2nd and third generation iPods broke a lot and people rarely bother fixing them . Word spread amongst my friends that I could fix broken iPod and soon after , masses flocked to me to prepare their iPods . The provision for constituent was scant and as a resultant , prices were very high . I part buying break iPod in bulk and salvaging the serve parts , roll up a surplus of parts to fix friends ’ iPods .
A avocation and good title turned into an obsession and I started purchase huge bulk order of impoverished iPods and deal the parts on eBay . By the time I was 17 , I had buy over a hundred iPods , turning a excess room in my house into an iPod burial ground . From 2005 - 2008 ( 15 - 18 ) , I had taken in more than $ 65,000 in revenue from my iPod and eBay venture before I could even legally hold a Paypal report . I see the 3rd generation develop into the fourth multiplication and then the fourth generation color , and eventually the beautiful fifth genesis , arguably the biggest leap in technology of any of the iPod generations .
Generation after generation , as the constituent contract , repairs became harder and harder . I hat working on iPod Minis . Nanos ? Forget about it . The parts became so integrated and arduous to replace that the grocery store for parts drop . I had a in force 2 - yr discharge but I was n’t do much money off of part any longer . Instead of buying and selling parts , I take up to buy broken iPods that were still under warranty , mailing them back to Apple and receiving brand name new refurbished iPods for the toll of transportation .
This was the most remunerative venture of all , but it was the primary reason why an Apple attorney had call me that solar day . intelligibly so , they did not like me taking vantage of their transferrable warrant . They knew that I was a kid and permit me off the hook but it anguish to have Apple beat out your income stream , the income that had reserve me to head off a high school job while my age group was slaving away at part clip jobs .
I learn so much peddling iPod parts . From customer military service , to account , to merchant vessels logistics , it was my maraud into how a business function . I made a lot of silly mistakes but they were all part of the learning experience . My profits margin was not monstrous but the hard work and the lessons learned were priceless . I tell apart myself by pop the question external merchant vessels , a service that few trafficker incommode with at the metre . Receiving order from China , Eastern Europe , Australia , and numerous far flung neighborhood was incredibly exciting and eye - opening .
The power of e - commerce give up a high shoal pupil to offer an low-priced way for someone across the world to recompense their iPod . It fascinated the hell out of me . Once you know this power first - hired man , it becomes addicting . The cyberspace had bring home the bacon me over one iPod at a meter .
Teddy Worcesterstudies Economics at Wheaton College and is call for in early stagecoach startups . He is haunt with frequent flyer nautical mile and Starwood points , and you could come after him onTwitter , or reach him byemail .
Republished with permission fromTeddy.is – Image credit : iFixit 3rd Gen iPod Battery Replacement
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