We all know Apple products are expensive, but who would have thought an Apple-1 would fetch more than a modified iPhone with a USB port?
Listed at John Moran Auctioneers for its November 9th event, the Apple-1 had two previous owners, and was one of 200 produced in 1976 for $666.66. Kits were assembled by Steve Wozniak and partner Steve Jobs in a garage, and sold through various local outlets (such as Paul Terrell’s Byte Shop in Mountain View, California) and mail order.
In those days, computers rarely came pre-assembled. Apple-1 buyers had to be prepared to follow Wozniak’s printed instructions to get the machine running.
While the new owner of this particular Apple-1 – one of just six housed in Hawaiian Koa wood – is unknown, only two other people have owned it: the seller, and the original owner. The seller (who is now $400,000 – or £294,990 – richer) recalls:
“I purchased this used from the original owner in 1977. He was a teacher at Chaffey College, and I was taking his programming course. He was excited to buy the Apple-II and sold me this for about $650. Of course, nobody knew it would become a collector’s item…”
Only 20 Apple-1 computers are believed to still be operational. Among these is the Apple-1 that sold for a massive $905,000 at auction in Bonhams of New York in 2014.
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