Apple-1 Computer Hand-Numbered by Steve Jobs Sells for Over $440,000 at Auction

[MacRumors]

A fully functional Apple-1 computer that was hand-numbered by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs sold for $442,118 at auction this month, exceeding the estimate $375,000 price tag.

Just 200 Apple-1 computers were produced by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak back in 1976, and it is believed that only 60 to 70 remain, making the machines the ultimate collector's item for Apple fans. The #78 Apple-1 that was sold was in working condition, restored to a working state in 2018 by Apple expert Corey Cohen.

It was accompanied by a letter of authenticity confirming Steve Jobs' handwriting on the board, plus it came with the original Apple Cassette Interface, original operation manual, a surplus ASCII keyboard from the same time period, and an open frame Sanyo 4205 monitor.

Apple-1 computers have sold for up to $815,000 in the past, depending on the history of the machine and the condition. The most expensive Apple-1 that we have seen sold to date was the "Celebration" Apple-1, which features a blank green PCB board that was not sold to the public and was not part of a known production run.

Alongside the hand-numbered Apple-1 that sold for over $440,000, auction site RR Auction also sold a Steve Jobs-signed NeXT brochure for $18,210, an early production 1988 NeXT computer for $6,094, and a Tim Cook-signed Auburn University football for $5,681.

Article Link: Apple-1 Computer Hand-Numbered by Steve Jobs Sells for Over $440,000 at Auction

 

[macsplusmacs]

$442K huh, well it will be worth more in 10 years than that company someone just paid $44 billion for that's for sure.

 

[bsbeamer]

Is this the one Rick from Pawn Stars passed on for $500k?

 

[mectojic]

I still don't get the hype for the Apple 1. You can't do much with them these days. Collector's item sure, but I prefer tech that people can still use and enjoy.

 

[NY Guitarist]

Taking offers on my 1984 128K Macintosh!

 

[yaxomoxay]

Dang, I clicked “Buy now.”

 

[ScreenSavers]

Some people have disposable money I assume... Maybe it was a museum or something?

 

[sir1963nz]

Some people have disposable money I assume... Maybe it was a museum or something?

They have one in the science and technology museum in London

 

[BootsWalking]

Looks like Steve was working on the iPod for quite some time - there's an iPod nano to the right of the Apple-1 keyboard in the photo 😁

 

[SnappleRumors]

I still don't get the hype for the Apple 1. You can't do much with them these days. Collector's item sure, but I prefer tech that people can still use and enjoy.

Collectables is certainly not a business for me.

 

[flottenheimer]

Hey, we are in a recession aren't we?

 

[icanhazmac]

Glad a good percentage of these still exist and are being preserved.

 

[Bawstun]

Hey, we are in a recession aren't we?

Yes. Housing market collapse is imminent. Average credit card interest rates are at an all-time high (19%) and still climbing. Credit card balances are up 15% YOY for the quarter, the largest annual jump in over 20 years.

Outlook = not good.

 

[KaliYoni]

What’s up with this silicon and solder stuff? I want my Apple-1 NFT (cue Sting voice)!!!
;-)

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Collector's item sure

No, you get it

 

[nylonsteel]

wish i had that kind of money to throw around for toys

 

[LightSwitch]

They have one in the science and technology museum in London

They have one in the Powerhouse museum in Sydney, Australia. Noticed when I was in there a couple of months back.

 

[Analog Kid]

Hey, we are in a recession aren't we?

No, but it wouldn’t matter if we were— some people just don’t have recessions…

 

[tridley68]

I could think of alot better things to do with that kinda Cash

 

[noSpeed]

It's pretty interesting (from a psychological point of view) the sentimental value that we assign to objects. Had it not been said this computer was numbered by Steve Jobs, it'd likely end up in the trash.

It's not as though there's some essence of Jobs that remains with it. Maybe a smudged fingerprint? (Do fingerprints last that long?)

Even though there's no physical connection to Jobs, it still fetches a price far exceeding the value of its components.

This is not a knock on the buyer. Value is in the eyes of the beholder, and it's his money to spend as he pleases. I just find it interesting how we all ascribe value to things that are otherwise worthless (old clothes that somebody wore, a scarf that the Pope touched, etc)

 

[Nicky G]

"It belongs in a museum!"

 

[svish]

Huge amount! Definitely a collectors item.

 

[vicviper789]

If you look at the bottom of the board you’ll see that it doubles as a ruler. Probably inspired the iphones measuring app

 

[TheOldChevy]

Finally someone found a way to provide and extended keyboard with nobody complaining about the way the arrow keys are layout'd

 

[Packers1958]

Humans are so stupid.