Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Rare Working Apple 1 Computer Headed to Auction

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,481
30,715



German auction house Breker (via ComputerWorld) is set to put a working Apple 1 on auction later this month and it may fetch between $240,000 and $400,000. There are an estimated six working Apple 1 computers in existence.

apple1.png
The Apple 1 is signed by Steve Wozniak and was originally owned by Computer Data Systems' Fred Hatfield. The computer is also bundled with the original manual and a letter from Steve Jobs to Hatfield in which Jobs offers to exchange Hatfield's Apple 1 for an Apple II 4K motherboard if Hatfield is willing to pay an extra $400.

As noted by AppleInsider, the record price for an Apple 1 was $640,000 at an auction in December. Last August, a non-working Apple 1 headed to auction with a much lower $125,000 estimate. Before that, another Apple 1 fetched $375,000 at Sotheby's auction in New York.

The Apple 1 was originally priced at $666.66 when it was released in 1976, with only 200 units produced. It's believed that there are roughly 30 to 50 still intact.

Article Link: Rare Working Apple 1 Computer Headed to Auction
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/05/03/working-apple-1-signed-by-woz-headed-to-auction-with-250000-to-400000-estimate/
macs4nw

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Sep 21, 2010
4,336
1,933
Next-door from the little old lady from Pasadena..
ThomasJL

ThomasJL

macrumors 68000
Oct 16, 2008
1,587
3,478
MacRumors said:
The computer is also bundled with the original manual and a letter from Steve Jobs to Hatfield in which Jobs offers to exchange Hatfield's Apple 1 for an Apple II 4K motherboard if Hatfield is willing to pay an extra $400.
Click to expand...

In comparison to the Apple 1, I guess the Apple II 4k motherboard was snappier. :)

Seriously though, it's nice to see that there's still a functional Apple 1 out there. I say that because I find it inspiring to see how humble Apple's beginnings were, and how much of a massive success they achieved despite the naysayers around them.
 
M

madsci954

macrumors 68030
Oct 14, 2011
2,725
658
Ohio
MacRumors said:
The computer is also bundled with the original manual and a letter from Steve Jobs to Hatfield in which Jobs offers to exchange Hatfield's Apple 1 for an Apple II 4K motherboard if Hatfield is willing to pay an extra $400.
Click to expand...

The more things change, the more they they the same ;)
 
Twimfy

Twimfy

macrumors 6502a
Sep 11, 2011
888
246
UK
rdlink said:
Who in the world would want this thing? It's probably been deemed obsolete by Apple, and thus you can't get any Genius Bar support for it. ;-)
Click to expand...

I'd like to buy it just to take it to a Genius Bar and see how they react.
 
gnasher729

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
Winni said:
Well, back in the 1970s, Apple hadn't yet adopted the Planned Obsolescence business model... ;)
Click to expand...

Actually, the Apple I is so rare because owners were offered a cheap upgrade to an Apple II and many took the opportunity. I believe the ones that were exchanged all got destroyed. The only ones that still exist are those where the owner did hang on to obsolete equipment.

And you are of course invited to give an example of "Planned Obsolescence" and how that is Apple's business model. I am curious.
 
B

barkomatic

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2008
4,519
2,821
Manhattan
Twimfy said:
I'd like to buy it just to take it to a Genius Bar and see how they react.
Click to expand...

I imagine most genius bar employees wouldn't even know what it was. I'm willing to bet that there are probably 20 more undiscovered Apple I computers sitting in an attic or basement somewhere waiting to get thrown out by someone who just thinks its some old random circuit board.
 
B

Breaking Good

macrumors 65816
Sep 28, 2012
1,449
1,225
barkomatic said:
I imagine most genius bar employees wouldn't even know what it was. I'm willing to bet that there are probably 20 more undiscovered Apple I computers sitting in an attic or basement somewhere waiting to get thrown out by someone who just thinks its some old random circuit board.
Click to expand...

I'm willing to bet that most Genius Bar employees were not even born when the Apple I was released. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom