Classical Apple products have been sold on auctions for quite some time now, and in every instance, they usually fetch high prices. Just recently, an Apple-1 computer that was reportedly used by Steve Jobs himself was sold at an auction for close to $700k.
Apple-1 Sold at Auction was Bought at Almost $700K
The reason why the Apple-1 is sought after is not because of its technology but the mere fact of where it came from. Apple, one of the biggest companies in the world today, had to start somewhere, and traces of its early technologies have turned into collectibles commemorating the beginning of one of the largest companies in the world.
A rare Apple-1 was sold at auction for close to $700k, and it reportedly came from a strong lineage as it was built by Steve Wozniak himself and also used by Steve Jobs to try to get Mountain View computer shop, a pioneering retailer, to sell their products back in 1976, according to the story by Mercury News.
Bay Area Collector Paid $677,196 for the Apple-1 but Decided to Stay Anonymous
The computer, however, wasn't in good shape as the Bay Area News Group reported that the broken circuit board was apparently "crammed in a drawer for years." Despite it not functioning, a collector paid $677,196 for the winning bid on the Apple-1 computer.
The winning collector wanted to remain anonymous. As per Bobby Livingston, the executive vice president of RR Auction, there is no Apple-1 that exists without the board even calling it the "holy grail of Steve Jobs and Apple memorabilia."
The Legitimacy of the Apple-1 at Auction was Confirmed Through Polaroid Photographs
In order to verify its legitimacy, the board has been observed and found to match early Polaroid photographs that were taken by the owner of the Byte Shop in Mountain View in 1976, Paul Terrell.
The early Polaroid photographs reportedly showed the prototype being used. Corey Cohen, an expert, wrote a notarized 13-page report that came with the sale and was responsible for examining and authenticating the Apple-1 being sold on auction.
Most Expensive Apple-1 Sold was at $905K
The article by Mercury News notes that after being given to the seller around 30 years ago by Steve Jobs himself, the prototype had been sitting on the Apple Garage property year after year.
The sale of the Apple-1 computer was able to surpass expectations as noted in Tom's Hardware of $500,000. This, however, isn't the highest price that the Apple-1 was able to fetch.
In an article by Bonhams, a record of $905,000 was recorded at auction, which made the computer the "world's most valuable relic from the Computer age." The specific computer being optioned was one of 50 that was hand-=built by Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs' garage.
A Bay Area collector bought an authenticated Apple-1 computer prototype for nearly $700,000 at auction: https://t.co/EN9ZVXST0Z
— KRON4 News (@kron4news) August 19, 2022
📷: AP pic.twitter.com/fn5l8KVV32
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Written by Urian B.
