My Sony Walkman MP3

My Sony Walkman MP3

Here’s my MP3 player.  Uh-huh…

Are you all done laughing now?  My Sony Walkman is about three or four or five years old.  (I don’t even remember!)  I received it as a Christmas present after my previous Sony Walkman (a tube model that did not even have a picture screen) died.  It holds 4 gigabytes of music and in addition to providing hours of entertainment, has suffered dents and scratches and has been lost and found multiple times.  It’s well used and much loved.  And, it still works!

In this age of ubiquitous iPods and music playing apps, the fact that it still works is the main reason I haven’t replaced it yet.  Sure, it’s kind of an oddity amid the iPods and smartphone media players, but… it works.  As a bonus, having a separate MP3 player prevents my phone battery from dying a quick death each day.  So if it works, why would I even consider getting a new MP3 player?  Well, like I said, my Walkman is pretty old.  It doesn’t have a lot of features and it’s banged up and in rough physical shape.  Would it be worth it to get a new MP3 player?

A new, shiny iPod would cost me $129 for the smallest model, plus tax.  Even if I went for the refurbished model, it would kick in at just under $100.  Even if I used it for four years again, that’s a cost of $25 per year.  My MP3 player was free – that makes it (duh…) free every year I use it.

True, I don’t have a lot of options with my Walkman.  And the shuffle isn’t quite as random as I would hope.  But it’s not worth $25 a year to me.  As long as it plays music, I don’t really have a lot of other requirements.

This is true for many items that I own.  Sure, I would love to have a matching set of large bowls.  I’m Asian, I need my noodle soups!  But the random bowl that I got at Wonderbucks and the ceramic bowl that I borrowed-and-didn’t-return from my parents works fine.  When they break, I will be happy to replace them.  But why spend the money now?  Likewise, I am planning on replacing my couch, my kitchen table, my 6 year-old TV… but NOT until the time is right, even if I would prefer to be rid of them now.

So for now, I’m holding on to my old Sony Walkman.  You can laugh at it if you like.  ;)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

19 Responses to “My Sony Walkman MP3”

  1. jesinalbuquerque says:

    Good attitude, imho. if it ain’t broke… I have a houseful of things I’d like to replace, but not until they’re broke.

  2. Modest Money says:

    I’m the exact same way. When I have something that is still functional I milk it as long as possible. My mp3 player is one of the big bulky 60gb ipod models that is probably over 10 years old by now. One of my dates saw it once and she didn’t even know what it was since it was so outdated. I’ve been wanting to replace my computer desk for a long time, but it’s still the same one I bought just out of college. Sometimes it does get out of hand though with some stuff that should be replaced like my coffee table that is falling apart and my couch propped by with phone books.

    • CF says:

      Yeah, me too. My phone is basically non-functional (it shuts itself off after a few minutes of use each time) and I’m being very stubborn and refusing to replace it until the last possible moment.

  3. Psh I don’t even have one. I got a refurbished iPod 8 years ago, but it broke for the last time ages ago. I hold onto things until their utility is gone, as well. It would be so cool to have everything brand new, but it’s not practical. And there’s other ways I’d prefer to spend my money.

  4. I’ve replaced my mp3 player with built in phone storage. Just had to buy a cheap storage card (4gb) and voila – all my music in one place. I thought for sure the battery was going to drain in one day, but surprise surprise – can listen to it all day long 2 days in a row.

    • CF says:

      I might try that once I get a new phone. At the moment though, my phone barely gets through a single phone call before it gives off on life. :(

  5. That’s similar to my ipod. I got it free from my dad when he wanted to get a new one, it was from 2006 I think. Then I learned it was defective sometime this year and everyone who had one could send it to Apple and get a brand spankin’ new ipod! So ya, my old ipod lasted about 6 years and I’m hoping this new one will last just as long. Yay for free!

  6. Ways to acquire a new mp3 player for no money (but perhaps changing your credit score).
    Sign up for 2 save-on-more credit cards, with points welcome bonus. You can link two save-on points cards per household. Use the cards 3x each (or whatever the fine print says). Enjoy ~$100 in bonus points. Spend points on new touch (or coffee maker, as was my case) and then cancel the cards after a few months.
    Obviously, pay off the cards in full.

  7. Michelle says:

    Oh, it’s not that bad! The way you write about it, you’d have thought you were writing about a Sony Walkman from the 80′s that holds cassettes only! ;) I think it’s cute. And it’s my favorite color. If it aint broke, don’t fix it? Err…replace it?

  8. If it’s broke, don’t fix it! :) Nothing wrong to hanging on to something that works for you.

  9. Eddie says:

    Like you said above – “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” Glad you could resist some temptation in an age where everyone wants the latest and greatest. Cheers.

  10. I try not to replace things until they are broke either. I just bought a new laptop but that is because my other one bit the dust. It was a justified purchase.

    I just got rid of my Sony Walkman last year in a garage sale. It was much funnier than yours though – it still played cassettes.

    • CF says:

      Nice, haha. I used to have one of the cassette ones but it broke ages ago. :)

      I actually replace my laptop after 2-3 years. I sell it, accumulate gift cards and then buy a new one. I do a lot of computer work and a bit of gaming, so I like having something new and fast, even if I end up paying for it. I find that they don’t have very good resale value after 4 years or more.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. End of August 2012 Favorite Posts | Modest Money - [...] My Sony Walkman MP3 on The Outlier Model [...]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>