The Apple First Gen Airpods launched in 2023 and is now 3 years into its lifecycle. Expected trade-in value today in excellent condition: $120-$241. Fair-condition resale: $75-$151. This guide covers what the Apple First Gen Airpods is worth now, where to sell or recycle one, and the best places to buy a certified refurbished unit.
Reviewed by the eCycling Central editorial team. Estimates based on apple model data + 2026 trade-in service rates from Decluttr, Gazelle, Back Market, Apple Trade In (where applicable), and Best Buy Trade-In.
Estimated Trade-In Values (2026)
| Condition | Estimated Range | Notes |
|---|
| Excellent (no scratches, full battery health, original box) | $120-$241 | Best paid by Decluttr or Back Market |
| Good (light wear, battery 80%+) | $97-$196 | Most realistic real-world value |
| Fair (visible wear, battery 70-80%, or minor damage) | $75-$151 | Gazelle is more lenient on inspection |
These ranges are calculated from apple headphones and earbuds category benchmarks. Get a live instant quote from at least two services before posting your device.
Where to Trade In or Sell a Apple First Gen Airpods
- Decluttr - fast quotes, payout within 24 hours of receipt. Best for phones and tablets.
- Gazelle - PayPal payout, more lenient on cosmetic-condition inspection.
- Back Market Trade-In (ad) - typically wins on laptops and premium models.
- Best Buy Trade-In - instant in-store quote, Best Buy gift card payout.
For a full comparison, see Decluttr vs Gazelle vs BackMarket.
Where to Buy a Refurbished Apple First Gen Airpods
Certified refurbished saves 30-50% vs new:
How to Recycle a Apple First Gen Airpods
If the Apple First Gen Airpods no longer has trade-in value (broken screen, swollen battery, dead motherboard, or simply too old for buyers), recycle responsibly:
Before recycling: factory-reset the Apple First Gen Airpods, remove any SIM or SD card, and sign out of the manufacturer cloud account.
What's Inside (Recoverable Materials)
Wireless earbuds contain 0.001-0.005g gold (across the two earpieces + case), 2-8g lithium battery per earpiece, plus neodymium magnets in the drivers. Over-ear models add 20-60g of steel or aluminium in the headband.
The UN Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 estimates global raw-material value in e-waste at $91 billion annually with only 22.3% formally recycled. Properly recycling a single Apple First Gen Airpods closes a small part of that loop.
At an estimated fair-condition trade-in of $75-$151, repair economics for this headphones and earbud look like:
- Battery replacement ($40-$120 at an independent shop): worth doing if the Apple First Gen Airpods is otherwise functional, since it lifts trade-in to good or excellent tier.
- Screen damage ($100-$300): worth it only if the Apple First Gen Airpods is less than 4 years old and battery is healthy.
- Water or motherboard damage: rarely cost-effective. Recycle and trade up.
Related Guides
Sources
- Wikipedia summary: live fetch 2026-05-17
- Trade-in values: estimated from apple headphones and earbuds category benchmarks
- Manufacturer take-back URLs: official manufacturer recycling pages
- Recoverable materials: UN Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 (UNITAR/ITU) category baselines
Apple First Gen Airpods: Trade-In, Recycle, Refurb (2026): complete decommissioning guide (2026-05-20)
Should you trade in, sell, or recycle?
Decision depends on device age, condition, and your trade-in willingness. Use this matrix:
| Device age | Working condition | Best route | Typical net value |
|---|
| 0-2 years | Excellent | Trade-in to manufacturer or carrier | 35-65% of MSRP |
| 0-2 years | Cracked screen but functional | eBay / Swappa / Music Magpie | 20-45% of MSRP |
| 2-4 years | Working | Music Magpie / BackMarket buyback | 15-25% of MSRP |
| 4-6 years | Working | Specialist refurbisher | 5-15% of MSRP |
| 6+ years OR broken | Any | Certified recycler (free) | $0 but avoided landfill fines |
Compare 7 buyback prices for any device in 30 seconds via our Trade-In Best Price Finder.
Data sanitisation before disposal
For data-bearing devices, the safest practice:
- Sign out of all cloud services (Apple ID, Google account, Microsoft account, Samsung account). For Apple devices, removing the iCloud lock is mandatory or the next owner can't activate it.
- Factory reset. iOS: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content. Android: Settings → System → Reset → Factory data reset. Windows: Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC → Remove everything. macOS: Apple menu → System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content.
- Verify the reset completed. Power on after reset - should land on setup-from-scratch screen, not your home screen.
- For sensitive data (financial, medical, regulated): software wipe is insufficient. Use a certified ITAD provider with NIST 800-88 sanitisation. Cost calculator: Hard Drive Destruction Cost Calculator.
Recyclable materials in this device
Smartphones + tablets contain (per Apple's product environmental reports + iFixit teardowns):
- Aluminium frame (1-3% recovery rate at certified processors)
- Copper wiring (60-80% recovery)
- Gold + silver in connectors (35-65% recovery)
- Lithium-ion battery (must be separated - fire risk in mixed loads)
- Rare earth magnets in speakers + haptics (limited recovery economically)
Total recoverable material value per smartphone: $1.50-$4.20 at current commodity prices (lookup: our Scrap Value Calculator).
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell a device that's still on the carrier blocklist? No - blocked devices have negligible resale value and reputable buyback services reject them. Contact the carrier to remove the block first (verify with original purchase records). If blocked due to non-payment, settle the account before listing.
What about devices with broken screens but working internals? Refurbishers like Music Magpie + BackMarket pay 40-60% of working-condition value for broken-screen devices. Worth listing - the screen swap costs them $30-$80 wholesale.
Should I remove the battery before recycling? No - certified recyclers want intact devices. Manual battery removal risks puncture and lithium-ion fire. Loose batteries also need separate stream (hazmat shipping rules).
Related tools + guides
---
Device data verified against manufacturer environmental reports + iFixit repairability database + current commodity prices as of 2026-05-20. Operated by Defining Style Limited (UK Companies House 10572391, ICO Registration ZA711914).