The Apple Vision Pro’s eBay prices are making me sad

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's experience as an early adopter of the Apple Vision Pro headset, including the high cost of the device and the significant depreciation in its resale value on secondary markets like eBay and Swappa.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The author's experience with the Apple Vision Pro

1. What was the author's experience with purchasing the Apple Vision Pro?

• The author paid a little over $3,900 for the 256GB version of the Apple Vision Pro headset, including optical inserts and taxes.
• The author later discovered that similar used models were selling for significantly less on secondary markets like eBay and Swappa.

2. What did the author find when looking up the resale value of the Vision Pro on eBay?

• The author found that a 1TB Vision Pro, complete with all the included gear, Apple's travel case, and AppleCare Plus, was sold for $3,200 after 21 bids, while the same configuration would have cost $5,007.03 brand new from Apple.
• Another eBay listing for the author's 256GB configuration (without optical inserts) went for just $2,600, with most or all of the included accessories.
• Several other 256GB and 512GB models sold for around $2,600 on eBay this week.

3. What did the author find on the resale site Swappa?

• The author found a similar trend of significant depreciation in the resale value of the Apple Vision Pro on the Swappa platform.

4. How did the author feel about the depreciation in the resale value of the Vision Pro?

• The author expressed that it was a "bummer" and "particularly painful" to know they could have saved several hundred dollars by waiting and getting a better deal.
• However, the author still likes the Vision Pro and would not have returned it if they had not missed the return window.

[02] Comparison to the Meta Quest 3

1. How does the pricing of the Apple Vision Pro compare to the Meta Quest 3?

• The author notes that the Meta Quest 3, the "next closest competing headset," is just $500, while the Apple Vision Pro is priced much higher at $5,007.03 brand new.

2. How does the author view the comparison between the two headsets?

• The author acknowledges that the Vision Pro and Quest 3 are "not all that comparable" in terms of their targeted audiences and goals for their platforms.