+1 for the refurb
They work just as well and have the same warranty. I've bought iPods, Macs and an Apple TV from the Apple Refurb store. I don't know if I got lucky, but the Apple TV was brand new, so you might just get lucky!
Here's the website:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL...nclm=Certified
It looks like you can get a refurb iPod Classic 80 Gb for $209 right now.